New Orleans, LA Fire Destroys Hotel, Jan 1968

FIRE DESTROYS LANDMARK HOTEL.

New Orleans (UPI) -- The old and vacant Senator Hotel, a French Quarter landmark, was destroyed Wednesday by a fire that threatened warehouses and turned traffic into a nightmare.
The fire was reported before noon and quickly went out of control.
The building was gutted, collapsing the roof. Two firemen were hospitalized and several others were treated for smoke inhalation.
There was no immediate estimate of damages and the cause was still undetermined. But fire officials said hobos who have been sleeping in the vacant structure may have started the blaze.
Flames moved quickly through the center of the three-story brick structure. Working under dense fog, firemen used snorkles to reach the roof, where flames poured out of ventilation ducts.
The hotel, built in 1900, was vacant since it went out of business in May 1967. It was used during the Christmas season by D. H. HOLMES department store, located next to the destoryed hotel.

Lawton Constitution Oklahoma 1968-01-04
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!