Year: 1872




A fire broke cut at the Fifth Avenue
Hotel last night, shortly after eleven
o'clock, on the second floor. The stair
case upon which the fire started was one
at the back of the house, leading from
the laundry in the basement to the SER
wants rooms on the attic floor. The
flames ran rapidly up the stairway, which
operated as a chimney, there being no
opening from it except at the top and
bottom. 1t ate up the staircase and
charred its surroundings, reaching the
open space into which the rooms OF the
servants opened, where it burst into its
fullest strength.


The flames in their passage did little or
no damage until they reached the CORR.
dor at the top, the draught through the
narrow passage-way carrying the flames
quickly and making them more destruc-
tive. As they went on they spread over
the entire extent of the west wing. The
woodwork of the. rooms where the SER
wants slept Immediately caught fire, and
soon the entire wing was mass of lnrid
flame. The flames spread so rapidly that
the servants asleep ia the rooms at the
top of the staircase were overtaken before
assistance could reach them, and they
were completely shut off from the main
building. The firemen, who had in the
meantime arrived, were too late for their
assistance, as by this time the apartments
of the poor creatures were enveloped in
flames.


The alarm was given by one of the
female servants, who shrieked " fire %
through the Railways, awakening the
guests, of whom there were about 500 in
the hotel. Many of the guests went to
the office and inquired as to the excite
ment, but were informed by the clerks
that I" it was only little fire in the laun-
dry" This attempt to keep the fire quiet,
so as to avoid panic, helped to bring
about the terrible results mentioned.
When the guests became cognizant of
their danger, scenes of confusion ensued,
the people moving about in apparent dis
traction. Baggage filled the Railways,
the smoke was suffocating, and water
drenched the floors. 1t was nearly twelve
o'clock before any one gave an alarm,
and passing policemen, then learning of
the fire inside, caused the fire engines to
come to the spot. The fire, by this time,
had made considerable headway. The
ladies were in wild state of excitement.
The carpets were still covered with water.
A poor servant girl was found on the
third floor, writhing in the agonies of
pain, her body being frightfully burned.
The shrieks of the servants in the upper
StOllCS WClC do bhO uiCIACA
were making their way to rescue them.


Large crowds had in the meantime
gathered in the streets. The excitement
outside was kept up till about two o'clock,
when the fire was about extinguished.


Just before the alarm a guest was as
signed room, which, on reaching, he
discovered to be on fire. Returning to
the clerk he was informed that there was
no other room vacant. The fire was not
known at this time in the Office.


Shortly after one o'clock, when it was
found that number of persons were miss
ing, police officer and the Chief of the
Fire Department effected an entrance, by
means of an iron ladder, to the room
where the servants were supposed to be.
They found the charred and burned
bodies of thirteen persons. Bedding and
furniture were strewn about the rooms,
confused with human remains. The
bodies lay at the different places from
which the poor people had tried to find
means of egress. Some had endeavor-
ed to escape through windows; :;
others, in the endeavor to find
air, had fallen at the head of the staircase
The bodies of two women were half con-
cealed under bed in an outer room,
where they had evidently tried to shelter
themselves from the binding, suffocat-
ing smoke and the scathing flames
When the firemen and police got into the
wing the floors of this room were sound,
but the root timbers were burned and had
fallen upon the floor in confused mass
| upon the bodies. The water thrown from
the hose was several inches deep upon the
floor, and was filtering through to the
ground. The heavy beams of the roof
had fallen upon the burned bodies, sever
ing their limbs and mutilating the re-
mains horribly.


Some seventy or eighty servants, alto
gether, were awakened on the top floor,
and were hurried down stairs. Their
clothing was utterly ruined.