In Memory, Still Standing

Mr. Goodwin,

My father, Ralph E. Johnson, worked for the Associated Press and was transferred to Atlanta from New York in July of 1945 to be the photo editor for the southeast region of the U.S.

I recall the telephone call that awakened us when he was called in to work in the early morning hours because of the Winecoff Hotel fire. It was he who authorized the purchase of Arnold Hardy's photo of the woman leaping from the hotel that was later to win the Pulitzer prize. Arnold Hardy visited our home on at least one occasion and I recall meeting him.

Having said all that, however, it was the pile of very graphic photos that dad brought home that I remember most to this day. Unfortunately (or fortunately) those photos are now long gone. The images will remain with me always. I cannot imagine anyone choosing to stay in that new hotel, regardless of its upgrades, out of sheer memory of those who needlessly perished.

I just wanted to pass along some memories of that event, even if only second hand in some cases.

Stephen D. Johnson
Golden, Colorado

Dear Mr. Johnson,

Thank you for your e-mail.

Thanks also for the additional details about your dad, Ralph E. Johnson. My own father, Atlanta Journal reporter George Goodwin was also called to the fire scene by telephone. It was his recollections that first inspired our book: The Winecoff Fire.

I am familiar with many of the photos you mentioned. During the civil trial that took place two years after the fire, the judge deemed at least one photo too graphic to show to the jury. I can fully understand how they've stuck with you. They stick with me too.

As shocking as many of the Winecoff photos are, they have played a vital role in piecing together the puzzle of the Winecoff fire. Please keep us in mind if any of your father's photos or notes ever resurface. Several mysteries still remain.

I can also understand your sense of uneasiness about anyone choosing to stay in the Winecoff Hotel building, despite its refurbishments. We've heard that from others, particularly eyewitnesses. We haven't heard it so much from the survivors themselves.

Here is our view of the hotel's re-opening:
First, we have little to gain. Our book is now out of print and we've never had any monetary interest in the property. We are, however, abundantly pleased that the building will remain standing. Here's why.

Many of our readers have told us that even before finishing our book, they were compelled to visit the the building, to see for themselves the site of the fire. It gives them perspective to follow our narrative. They can see, for instance, the tiny ledge that Reid & Cary Horne walked along - sidestepping all the way - toward the relative safety of room 1610-12.

They gauge for themselves the temptation that overcame so many guests who attempted to leap across the ten foot alleyway to the Mortgage Guarantee Building. They see the sheer height of the hotel and realize the danger some guests undertook by attempting escapes via sheet-ropes. All in all, our book is easier to follow if the reader has actually seen the building. While it's still standing, they still can.

More importantly: As all of our readers know, we are convinced that the Winecoff Hotel was intentionally set ablaze. We do ascribe to a favored theory but no final and indisputable explanation has ever been agreed upon. As long as the building is there, the questions of who, why and how will linger and the simple answers are more likely reveal themselves. To us, it's still a crime scene.

Most important: There are other reasons we are glad the building still stands. The Winecoff fire was the third major hotel fire to occur in 1946. Thanks to that timing and the photograph your father conveyed to the world, public opinion finally galvanized. The call for fire safety code reform became so strong that President Truman convened a national conference on fire safety in May of 1947. That resulted in sweeping code enhancements. The fact that the Winecoff Hotel fire remains America's deadliest hotel fire is testament to its impact.

We feel a measure of thanks is due to those who died in the fire for the improved fire safety features that we all rely on in high rise buildings today. If the Winecoff Hotel building is ever torn down, the gift from those who perished there might sooner be forgotten.

Mr. Johnson, many share your uneasiness about the hotel's renewal. The new owners know that. They also appear to understand stewardship. The memory of the fallen deserves special care. Let's hope they're up to it.

Letters such as yours are always welcome. Thanks again. You've provided another valuable piece of information about one of the world's most tragic and impactful events. We are pleased to share it.

Be safe,
Allen Goodwin

A Winecoff Memory

Dear Mr. Goodwin,

My memory is not of the fire itself, rather memories of a young boy. I was born 1938 in Quincy, Florida: population less than 8,000. Going from a small southern town to a city the size of Atlanta for me was like going to see the Wizard of Oz.

My father was in the Navy and being permanently assigned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. He, my mother and I drove from Quincy and spent the night of December 31, 1944 in the Winecoff Hotel. It was dark by the time we arrived in Atlanta, and I have some memories of him becoming frustrated by driving around and around looking for the hotel.

The next memory is walking into a small bedroom and my father becoming irate because the room wasn't clean. Cigarette butts were in the ash tray and there was "something" about the waste basket that really irritated him. For some reason, mother didn't want me to look into the waste basket. I didn't know why but I now believe there were empty liquor bottles in it. He demanded the hotel staff come and clean the room. The reason all this sticks in my mind is: this was the first time in my life I'd ever stayed in a hotel!

Another indelible memory which helps me know the exact date we stayed there is the noise I heard from the street below. Sirens, whistles, kleg lights, a mob scene, etc. Mother opened the window and I looked down (probably from the 8th or 9th floor), and saw a sea of humanity on the street, yelling and screaming. My impression was they were all crazy people!

Mother told me, "It's New Year's Eve"! She might as well been telling a Martian the news - I had no idea in the world, at 6-1/2 years old, what a "New Year's Eve" was!

Next morning we ate breakfast in the coffee shop, and I must have had a cold because mother swiped a spoon so she could later in the car give me doses of cough syrup. That spoon was "special" for so many years, especially after the fire, but regretfully got misplaced in one of my several moves made over the years.

Two years later, 1946, and eight years old, I can distinctly remember the large photos in the newspaper, especially of the woman leaping from her hotel room. I'm sure at the time and as someone young reaching that point in development of storing memories in one's mind, the events of the Winecoff were my first introduction into the tragedies of life.

My captivation with the tragedy over the past 61 years has not diminished and I've already booked a room to revisit the hotel that's now the Ellis Hotel.

Regards,
Frank Thrower
West Columbia, SC

Dear Mr. Thrower,
Thank you for sharing your memory of the Winecoff Hotel with me. I expect you'll be impressed with the refurbishments recently completed there.
Be safe,
Allen Goodwin

The Boys From Rome Remembered

Dear Mr. Goodwin,
I remember too well that tragic morning in December, 1946, when the five girls in our family and our parents were gathered around our radio in a state of shock, as we listened to the sad news of the raging fire at the Winecoff Hotel! We were so worried about the eight wonderful Rome High boys, their Hi-Y advisor, Mr. Hamil, and his son, Richard, who were staying there, while attending the annual state Hi-Y convention there!

Rome was smaller then with only two high schools, Girls and Boys, both close together. The students all knew or knew of one another, especially these outstanding people. Lamar Brown was a member of our church, South Broad Baptist, and I believe he was an only child. "Buzz" was a fellow band member and captain of our marching row; although I was younger, he was so kind to me! His sister, Jane was my age, and she and sister Joyce were band members also. Billy Walden was a brother to our aunt by marriage Mary Warren, and was an outstanding football player! I did not know Charles Keith well, only by reputation-- all good! I believe he was a nephew to another aunt by marriage, Nilla Warren.

That day, Rome lost four of the best. Four, who had wonderful futures ahead, as they planned on graduating and heading for college. We cried as we heard the terrible news, and the entire city was united in grief and mourning! In spite of the pain, we praised God for the miracle of Mr. Hamil's escape over to the roof of another building with Richard clinging to his back, an impossible feat under normal circumstances! Later, I was blessed to have Mr. Hamil for a Sunday School Teacher at South Broad Methodist; he was a mentor, friend, example and Christian gentleman! I can only imagine the profound influence he was to all of the young people he touched in his role as teacher and principal.

At our last KEG Meeting, I was thrilled to hear Anne Culpepper present the plans for the new memorial in Rome. I wanted to have a small part and share precious, though sad memories!

I consider it a blessing to have grown up a Roman and will always appreciate the fine teachers, Mr. Derrick, our band director, and all of those who were positive influences and good role models in my life!

God Bless.
Jane Briggs Allen.
Knoxville

A Reader In Denmark Writes

Dear Allen,
I have read your book, actually more than a month ago. I wanted to write to you with my reflections on the book sooner. It has been a problem for me to sit down and take the time to thoroughly write down my thoughts, emotions and reactions to the "event" - this letter is too short...but.. I am stunned over the work you must have put into research creating this sad documentary.

Where did you find all this information on all the different families whereabouts before and during the fire - surviving family, friends? How many years did it take you to complete the book?

I found myself being very distressed and sometimes very sad as I read along, hoping for everybody’s souls (so many young people died, it broke my heart every time a new story ended tragically!). But also at the same time, I felt happy when folks eventually made it to safety, one way or another.

I don’t think I have ever read a book quite like "The Winecoff Fire". It is in some ways exciting and in many ways disturbing due to all the tragic deaths, especially the young people. AND the fact that to this day, nobody knows the true story; arson, revenge, or simple human error.... Also, I know I will definitely read the book again - don’t ask me why, I just know it. Few books I have ever read (I read a lot) have gotten that "status" - this one does.

I was on a pleasure trip to Rome, Italy with my wife and some friends last month, and I found myself checking and checking again for fire exits and stairways when we checked in to the hotel. I told my wife what to do and where to go in case of a fire, remembering your book all too clearly, knowing that even though we shared the same room, we might not be able to find each other in the smoke and panic.

I thought of the Winecoff every day of that vacation. My thoughts go to all the victims and their families of that fire. I could go on and on about this, but I would just like to tell you it is a fantastic book, fantastic work and fantastic research. I hope somewhere somehow it has helped survivors and victims' families find peace.
Per D. Kristensen
Roskilde, Denmark

Dear Per,
Thanks for your kind words about our book. Yes, we did learn a great deal from the families and friends of the victims but we learned the most from the survivors themselves.

Each one we interviewed, without exception, told their stories in a tone of reverence and as if the fire had occurred very recently. Most had forgotten little. It remained fresh in their minds.

Often staring at a midpoint in space, each one spoke in a cadence that suggested that a sense of shock had never really left them. It was a humbling experience. It sometimes gave me the shakes. It always made me thankful.

The book took about eight years to finish. There were several stops and starts and some periods of despair when it seemed as if we had bitten off too much. The funny thing is, the work has never really stopped. New information about the fire comes to us still and people rely on us to keep up with it all. We try.

We remain convinced that the fire was intentionally set.

I'm glad to read that you are more alert to fire safety in hotels and other buildings. The exact same thing happened to me. I check for fire exits everywhere I go now. I look out for sprinkler systems. They have an amazing safety track record.

We too hope our book has brought some peace to those affected by the Winecoff fire.

Stay safe,
Allen

The Dickerson Family Remembered

Mr. Dent's Boyhood Home in Douglas, Georgia

Dear Mr. Goodwin,
I am retired, 72 years old and living in Florida. I would like to get a copy of your book. I also would appreciate anything you might suggest for my research into the Dickerson family. Here is my story.

My family goes back to the 1700's in Douglas, Georgia. Orphaned in 1934 when my two brothers and I were babies, we were raised by our paternal grandmother and her next door neighbors, Judge and Mrs. Ethel Dickerson, plus several nannies, aunts and uncles and a very small Episcopal parish. It was a wonderful childhood filled with many warm memories of those dear people.

There is one tragic event, however, that has haunted me for over 60 years, since I was a boy of 12. That event was the Winecoff Hotel fire on December 7, 1946.

Our next-door neighbors, the Dickersons, and our family, the Dents, shared holidays and family gatherings through the war years. One, in particular comes to mind, Thanksgiving of 1946! That was so very, very special for all of us! The war was over and our "hero" had returned! Will Dickerson, the oldest son and a decorated veteran was home!

To my brothers and I, Will Dickerson was everything! He had been a high school and college athlete, tall and handsome! He had also grown up with and been a close friend of our late father, Tom Dent, who we never knew. We identified strongly with him as a "father figure".

He brought his beautiful young wife, Mary, and their two small children, Mary Melinda (about 8?) and little Will (about 4?) for a long visit of over a month before they moved to Mary's hometown of Cartersville, Georgia, just above Atlanta. Will planned to begin his law practice there.

The Thanksgiving visit had been so much fun and my brothers and I had grown very close to Mary Melinda and Little Will. Much was being said about Cartersville and we had been assured that we would be invited up as soon as everything was settled in their new home.

We were tearful as we helped them load the car for the trip. The children were sobbing as we waved goodbye, their little hands waving from the windows of the car and little Will looking so sadly out the back window as they drove away.

"Mother Dick", as we called her, and Judge Dickerson called us over later that day to tell us that they had received a call from Will and they had decided to stop over in Atlanta for the observance of the Pearl Harbor 5 year anniversary. And, also, with the thrill of getting a room in the big beautiful Winecoff Hotel! They had really been fortunate to get a reservation on (I think?) the tenth floor.

Our aunt, who was Mary's age had been staying with us for a few days. We first heard her screams the next morning as we were awakened to the horror of the news coming out of Atlanta! All we knew was that there had been a terrible fire at the Winecoff. We rushed over to "Mother Dick" and the Judge to wait for more news, frightened and tearful. The rest of the events of that day are blurred and seem unreal still. I cannot remember exactly when we first knew the worst had happened! The Dickersons, all four, were victims.

Our little parish at St Andrews Church in Douglas had a memorial service. There were plans to have the family buried in Cartersville and there would be two caskets, one with Will and Mary Melinda and the other with Mary and Little Will. I am not sure about that nor any of the other details, and that sounds unlikely, but it gave me some small comfort so I held it as true.

I would go on to tell people later in my life that the Dickersons were the only entire family who perished and that they were written up in Readers Digest for doing the right thing; they were found in the bathroom with wet towels and sheets place around the door openings, Mary and little Will in the bathtub and Will sitting on the commode with Mary. I am not sure about any of this, only using what I thought I heard to somehow honor their bravery and give me some explanation for how they died. I can't really explain anything I have said about it.

I wrote a short story in college at the University of Florida based on this tragedy and I called it "The Thirteenth Floor". I have since lost the story but I did get an "A' in creative writing for it.

When I read your account on the internet, late one night, of a military policeman who saw a family of four on the tenth floor, a man and woman and their teen-age children, a boy and girl as if in prayer, I cried and cried, alone, where no one could see me. That was last week.

James McBride (Mack). Dent


Dear Mr. Dent,
Thank you for your heartfelt e-mail. Over the years my co-author Sam Heys and I have received many letters. Only a few have been as touching as yours. At a tender age you lost what God had denied you once already, a father figure. To me, that doesn't seem fair.

I commend our book to you with a word of caution. Our book has been difficult for some of our readers to read, though some have called it "cathartic".

You may discover in yourself what I have come to call, "A Certain Vacancy-A Hidden Grief". In fact, it sounds like you have discovered some of it already and sense the time has come to deal with the rest of it.

I suspect that that day's events are blurry to you for a reason. Children instinctively know when to shut down their senses. This may well have happened to you.

As you read our book some unpleasant memories may begin to flow back to you, from deep within. Your own sorrow may suddenly seem small compared to what you may have seen of a parent's grief and then repressed. You may fully relive the "one tragic event" of your childhood, the one that has "haunted" you for sixty years.

You will not be alone in this. You are welcome to write me again at any time. We can even put you in touch with people who were there, those who survived.

The Winecoff fire affected everyone it touched for the rest of their lives. That won't change. But after you've read our book and had time to think about it, you won't be haunted any more. You will see that the Winecoff fire had a beginning and an end and that it ultimately had a far reaching positive effect on fire safety worldwide that honors the memory of the Dickerson family.

After you have read our book I would like to speak with you. I look forward to it.

Best wishes and be safe,
Allen B. Goodwin


Dear Mr. Goodwin,
I received your book. Thank you - it is a well-written, thoroughly documented narrative of this tragic disaster! Your stories of the victims and how they came to be staying at the hotel that night was so moving. I felt that I knew these people. The horror, the fear, the absolute terror they experienced was real and difficult to read at times.

As you may have assumed by my "long and rambling" (forgive me) story about my family and the family who died in Room 1630, the "unimportant" details of the "Dickerson story" were not quite right. They were moving to Jonesboro, not Cartersville. They were on the 16th floor, not the 10th. With my search for more information all but abandoned, your narrative gave me a long awaited sense of "closure". Thank you!

Whereas the photo of the woman leaping from the Winecoff won the Pulitzer for Arnold Hardy, your book should have won that award for this compelling story!

With my very regards and gratitude,
J. Mack Dent
PS: .. I have a web page .. http://www.mackdent.com/ .. it was created to provide information to some people who requested that .. some years back. It has some of my art that depicts life in Douglas many years ago. My home was next door to the Dickersons.


Mr. Dent,
Thank you for your kind words about our book. I will share your note with my co-author Sam Heys. Thanks also for the link to your website. Nice House! Terrific drawings!

Stay safe,
Allen

A Certain Vacancy--A Hidden Grief

We all live for days worth remembering. I remember Easter Sunday 2006 thanks to this e-mail. --Allen B. Goodwin

Dear Mr. Goodwin,
My name is Joy Fitchett I live in Asheville , N.C. I am the only child of a victim of the Winecoff Fire, Harry Sorrells. It was through your book that I was able to learn anything about my father's death. My mother refused to discuss it with me . I was two years old when my father died .
Thank you for writing the book and helping me to face my own loss and to hopefully improve fire safety for all. I have visited the site of the hotel, it was a very sad experience for me.
I am not sure how I feel about it being revised into something else. However, I suppose that isn't for me to say.
Again, thank you. Joy Fitchett

Dear Joy,
Thank you for your e-mail. It is with special care that I approach replying to it. I was just with my father today, Easter Sunday. He is eighty nine years old and in good health for his age. He is, however, lonesome for the first time in his life as we lost my mother last December.
Having two parents live full and happy lives has been a blessing to me. Your e-mail reminds me to be thankful.
My father has made many sacrifices for my brother and I and has given us much more than we repay...to him. We now have children of our own.
Your father gave you a special gift that you can be proud of, your lovely name, Joy.
He gave more than that to mankind. The Winecoff fire's lasting legacy is in the improved safety features that everyone relies on in today's high rise buildings. That is something to be proud of.
My co-author and I are pleased that finally something useful may become of the cold and vacant building you visited at 176 Peachtree St. here in Atlanta. If it were torn down, the gift from Harry Sorrells and the others who perished there might sooner be forgotten.
We hope our book has been helpful to you in the long run and we are grateful for your thanks.
I will share your letter to me with my father. He already knows your sorrow. He was there when your father died. He is an eye witness to the Winecoff fire.
Best wishes and be safe, Allen B. Goodwin

Mr. Goodwin,
Thank you.
Joy

I never forgot Joy's e-mail and a year later received this reply to our announcement about the WTBS STORYline feature story broadcast in April 2007.

Dear Allen,
As always you are such a good friend to us. I really don't know what we would do without your vigilance to keep us up to speed about these things. You have been such a good friend and guiding spirit for me. You have no idea how much your work has helped me to work through my loss of my Dad.
I don't know if I shared with you that I was able to visit the Winecoff when it was being taken down. For some reason I became very upset and the demo workers were very kind and asked my husband what was wrong he explained. They of course had no idea of the history of the building and felt terrible.
They asked if they could do anything for me and I said I would like to have some of the bricks so they were kind enough to go down and get some from the foundation. Some of them have firemarks on them.
I can't explain it but somehow they bring me a measure of comfort or closeness to my Dad. The only thing I have that belonged to him is his drivers license. Again , thank you for all that you do for us . I hope that this finds you and your Dad well .
Warmest thoughts,
Joy

Dear Joy,
Thank you for your kind thoughts.
My dad will be ninety in June and a big celebration is planned.

I have thought often of our brief exchange of e-mails. I have also often thought of asking you if I might post them on the Winecoff Readers' Mail section of winecoff.org .

I feel other readers might draw some strength from your words, particularly Dr. Robert Cox. At age three, he lost both his parents in the Winecoff fire. His father's final act in life saved Robert's life. His story begins on page 29 of our book and resumes on page 41. Dr. Cox is now a valued friend of ours.

Also, I think the re-developers of the hotel might benefit from reading your words. So far they have shown remarkable sensitivity toward those directly affected by the fire and I would like to see that continue.

Lastly, I would like my own sons to read them someday.
That gives me three reasons to ask for your permission to post our past e-mails. So, here goes. May I post them?

Your Friend,
Allen

Dear Allen,
You are as always so kind and sensitive to the needs of others. I continue to be in your debt for this.
Each day I peel away a small bit of hidden grief as I refer to something in your book or realize someone lost both parents.
Please feel free to share any of our correspondence with anyone you feel would benefit. Your kindness continues to enrich my life.
Warmest regards,
Joy

Dear Joy,
Thank you.
Allen

Sam and I continue to be surprised and humbled by the impact our book has had. It has brought us many days worth remembering. --Allen

Patrolman Bruce White's Heroic Role Remembered

Dear Mr. Goodwin,
My father, B. B. White was an Atlanta policeman on duty the night of the Winecoff Hotel fire. Since the Winecoff was within his beat, he was one of the first respondents. He worked his way up the stairs to alert guests to get out of the hotel before it became impossible for him to stay inside.

At 71 years of age my memory will be sketchy at best. He went with the firemen into Davison's (across the street) and up on the roof to aim water over to the fire. In 1946 they did not have ladders to reach the upper floors.

On the ground he assisted the firemen with the fire nets to catch the jumpers. It was while holding the net to catch someone, a woman (unseen by firemen) jumped from about the 10th floor and landed on my dad's shoulders and it was believed she survived. Unknown to my dad at the time he had suffered a back injury crushing five vertebra, but continued working through the early morning.

The fact that Bruce White was a policeman and a professional wrestler (aka: B.B., Hugh Winn and The Phantom) was what saved his life. However, his careers as a patrolman and a wrestler were ended.

We listened to him tell about going into the hotel rooms after the fire and when a Bible was laying open, it was untouched by the fire. I will never forget this.

The Atlanta Constitution and The Atlanta Journal had many articles on "Bruce White, Hero of Winecoff Hotel Fire" through the years. Coronet Magazine recognized him as a "Hero of the Year" and featured his story. I remember him being interviewed by a radio commentator each year on the anniversary of the Winecoff fire until his death in August, 1977.
Thank you for preserving the story of this historic hotel fire in Atlanta, GA.

Patricia White Attaway
Townsend, GA

Dear Patricia,
Thanks for remembering B.B. White for our readers.
Sadly, ladders still won't reach the upper floors of high rise buildings.
All best, Allen

Head Swelling Mail!

Dear Mr. Goodwin,
Received the book today... already re-read half of it.
I am actually replacing a copy I purchased at a now closed bookstore in Atlanta (right next door to the former Winecoff), and then foolishly lent to an as yet unknown friend. Your book on the Winecoff Fire was a mesmerizing read.
My old copy was autographed by Mr. Heys, so should it ever find its way back to me, I will have copies with both your signatures.
I hold your book in high esteem as one of the most in-depth, touching, and complete tales of any tragedy. You should be very proud of your work.

Sincerely,
Daniel Musher
Pittsburgh, Pa.

Hey Dan,
Thanks for the kind words. It really helps to hook up with the right co-author!
Best wishes and be safe, Allen

Suddenly Tested: With Lives In The Balance

Mr. Goodwin,

Can you please tell me if there is a list anywhere of all the firefighters who were at this fire. My daughter and I have found much interest in this history and would like to know if my husband's grandfather was there that night. His name was Albert Lamar Fain. He lived in Austell Georgia until his death. Thank you.
God Bless,
Darla Fain

Dear Ms. Fain,

I am sad to read of the passing of Albert Fain. Yes, he was one of the Winecoff firefighters. I interviewed him in the middle 1980s. He humbly told me this story:

He and the others had fought their way up the stairwell dousing fire as they went. He was ordered to vent the roof, a procedure used in fighting any structure fire. Unlike most fires, the hotel's roof could not be reached from the outside so he was forced to make a heroic run for the roof up the remaining flights of stairs through heavy smoke.

As his energy was waining he reached the door and burst through it. He told me of the relief that came with his first gasp of fresh air as he arrived. He also told me when he got there, there was a small group of survivors who had migrated to the roof earlier.

I vividly recall leaving that interview content that I had just talked to a genuine hero, a man with more courage than me. He escorted me to my car and watched as I drove away. He was, I think, a little pleased that someone had come to ask.

Be proud, he earned it for you,
Allen B. Goodwin


Mr. Goodwin,

Thank you so much for your response. This brought tears to my eyes. The short time I knew him, I loved him. We have talked about this over time and I just did not know how I would get this information. My daughters, Kylie and Kelsey will be so thrilled to hear this news. I sure wish he were still here so we could ask him so many questions. He did live a great life.

That night was so long ago, however when you read the book, you feel as if you are there... and you feel their pain and fear.

I am so glad that you took the time to make this information available to us. God bless you. We as a family were proud of Granddaddy before.. but now this just makes us feel like we know more of him.
Thanks,
Darla Fain

An Atlanta Reader Writes:

Allen,
I got your book on Monday and finished it this afternoon. I'm fascinated by tragedies like the Winecoff fire. At a young age, I was reading books on the Titanic and Kennedy assassination. I found, however, that not even the Titanic is as horrifying as parts of this disaster.

Your book was fantastically researched and written--truly a pleasure to read. Your work is indeed an honorable tribute to those who lost their lives so long ago.

I long to see the building now as I, like so many others, have ignorantly ignored it and its significance since moving to Atlanta. Perhaps I'll even talk my way inside as it may still be somewhat exposed as reconstruction appears to be incomplete.

I assume you've been inside on many occasions, and I would be curious to hear your account of the building as it stood vacant.

I'm pleased to see that it has been preserved (somewhat) and will continue to stand as a monument to heroism, love, and sadly negligence and corruption.
I hope others will, in turn, read your book as this building and the souls it entombs should be preserved in Atlanta history.
Thanks again, Eric Lauer


Gee Eric,
Thanks for the kind words about our book. I never could have done it without my co-author, Sam Heys.

Yes, we were inside the building many times. The place was already trashed. The remnants were of an assisted living home that was run by the Baptist Convention until 1981.

First, I was struck by the old time bathroom fixtures: huge bathtubs, push button flushers and duel sink spigots. The fixtures were familiar to me because my grandmother lived in and was employed by the Ponce de Leon Apartments, another William Stoddart building built in 1913.

Next, I was struck by the size of the rooms. They were very small by today's standards, long and narrow. One would want a suite in order to live there. Many did.

Next, I was struck powerfully by the view of the streets below. Even from the lower floors, the streets look far far away. Looking down I sensed an inkling of the fear and the thought progressions that the victims must have endured: progressions beginning with curiosity turning to casual concern, then to creeping fear and from there to a slowly building excruciating terror. This, all while trying to reason out a viable escape method. It made me shudder.

I toured every room, already familiar with the fates of the individual guests who had stayed in each one. I tried to picture the whole event playing out.

The most important visit to the building was with Bill Dodd, arson man. We located the areas of the fifth and third floors that had been damaged by intense heat. Despite efforts to repair the damage during subsequent refurbishments, we could clearly discern "pour patterns" and "spalling" in the concrete floors. Bingo! There it was: evidence of heat too hot and in places too many. I remain convinced that the Winecoff fire was intentionally set.

I too am pleased the building will remain standing, a monument to lots of things, the very advances in fire safety science that the fire inspired, among them. Funny, I never thought of the Winecoff Hotel building as a monument to love.
Now I see it is that too.
Allen


Allen, Wow!
How I wish I had read your book sooner! I worry that the current renovation, "adaptive reuse" they call it, will rob the building of most of its past. I figured you did some investigating. When you described the "spalling" in your book, I immediately wondered if, under the existing finishes that undoubtedly masked it, evidence of the 1500 degree heat was still there. To think what modern forensics could prove today given all the evidence hasn't been completely removed at this point.

I chose the word "love" carefully in fact. When you described families who chose not to jump but to lay together and, sadly die together, instead, that said "love" to me.
Eric

Nice, Eric.
Another inkling: I sense the words of a father.
Allen

Handed Down Memories

Hi Mr. Goodwin!

I received your book a few days ago. I apologize for not letting you know sooner but I have been busy. I was a history major in college and have been very interested in all history.
As for a family connection to the fire, not really, however my aunt, Pat Harper Parker, worked in a coffee shop somewhere around there and was on duty that night. She remembered serving coffee and cold drinks to not only workers fighting the fire and tending to the wounded but also onlookers. She brought my mother and uncle to see the aftermath several days after the fire.
I wish I could remember where she said she worked but as she died several years ago I can't ask her and my mother was only 12 and she doesn't remember where my aunt worked. She does remember going to see the ruins and remembers being affected because several people around her age died there.

Have you any information on the big Atlanta fire that happened around 1917 or so? I saw a reference to it somewhere but I have never seen a lot of info on it.
I really enjoyed your book and thanks!
Nikki

Dear Nikki,

Thanks for the kind words about our book. That's a very interesting story about your aunt Pat. Thanks for sharing it with me.
Hamburger Heaven was very near the Winecoff Hotel. That is where Alice Edmonds (the night maid) bought hamburgers and coffee shortly before the fire and brought them back to the third floor linen closet.

Yes, I am familiar with the 1917 fire. It started on Fort street and burned northward all the way to Ponce de Leon Ave. Homes along Ponce de Leon had to be dynamited to create a fire break. I have a family connection to that one.
My grandmother was an eyewitness to the Great Fire of 1917. She watched it from atop the Ponce de Leon Apartments (now The Ponce Condominiums) where she worked for more than sixty years. You can read the basic facts of that fire here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Atlanta_fire_of_1917

Best wishes and be safe, Allen

Ella Sue Mitchum Remembered

Dear Mr. Goodwin,
I ordered your book for my daughter, she is our family historian. My grandmother Alma Mitcham Smith had a brother his name was John Thomas Mitchum (for some reason he spelled his name differently than the rest of the family). He had a daughter whose name was Ella Sue Mitchum. I believe she was with a youth group when this fire happened. Sadly enough she was one of the many casualties.

You may already have this information, but I will send it to you anyway, if I can locate it quickly enough... It is a newspaper article on my great uncle's search for several days trying to find his daughter's remains. I know back then that adults were sort of hush-hush about things that they thought would upset children, so all that was really said around us was that Sue had died in the Winecoff Hotel fire and little was said about how bad it really was. It has only been very recently that I have learned how tragic this fire really was.

They say that the divorce rate after the loss of a child is extremely high...my great aunt blamed my uncle for Sue's death and they ended up divorcing. From what I understand she was not in favor of her going on this trip and he let her go anyway. They ended up divorced because of it.

I think I have the article in my documents. I will email it to you if I can find it. Thanks so much for your interest in this, telling the story and being a voice for the victims of this tragedy.

Best Regards-
Carol Hicks


Dear Carol,

This is a doubly sad story indeed. I have read your second e-mail and yes, I do remember the article, "Grim Hunt". I read it in the Atlanta Public Library in the middle 1980s.

Re-reading it brought back the solemn mood that enveloped me throughout much of our original book research. Suddenly and automatically I began reading again to myself in a voice reserved for an adult breaking bad news to a child. I remember the gentle cadence well. I relied on it often during the saddest parts of our research.

Thank you for writing to me and thank you for remembering Ella Sue Mitchum.

Best wishes and be safe,
Allen

New Information on Arson Investigator Found

Reader Bill Baker reports that a family history book reveals new information on the life and career of Winecoff Fire arson investigator Asa Nuckolls. Nuckolls was a premier arson investigator of his time, a veteran of at least twenty seven major probes of fires and explosions including the Texas Grain Ship Fire. His testimony (given by deposition due to his failing health) to the jury in the civil trial two years following the Winecoff Fire asserted that the fire was intentionally set.
Here is what Mr. Baker reports:

AS PART OF HIS CAREER RECORD WE SHOW HIM BEING A CHEMIST WITH
ILLINOIS STEEL CO 1905/1906.

THEN A CHEMICAL ENGINEER, UNDERWRITERS LAB INC.FOR
CHEMISTRY AND HIGH EXPLOSIVES FROM 1909-1946

FINALLY AS A CONSULTING CHEMICAL ENGINEER, UNDERWRITERS
LAB FROM 1946-1950.

THERE IS A NOTE ON ASA IN THE NUCKOLLS BOOK THAT AT HIS DEATH
A NOTICE WAS WRITTEN UP IN THE NEW YORK TIMES AS A FAMOUS
ATOMIC SCIENTIST.

Personal information:
THE TWO REFERENCES ON THESE DATES COME FROM THE FOLLOWING:

THE FIRST VIRGINIA NUCKOLLS AND KINDRED BOOK II
PUBLISHED BY THE NUCKOLLS WORLDWIDE KINDRED ASSOCIATION

E-MAIL DATA BASE ON BRITISH CHEMICAL COMMUNITY 1880-1970

ASA HOPKINS NUCKOLLS WAS THE SON OF DR. JOHN WALTON NUCKOLLS
AND LAURA BUNCH HOPKINS WHO WERE MARRIED 06-05-1878.

ASA WAS BORN 1880 IN SPRINGFIELD, TN
HE DIED IN 1951 IN WHEATON, IL

ASA WAS MARRIED TWICE

1ST TO MYRTLE MONTGOMERY IN 1910. THEY HAD ONE CHILD
HAROLD HARRELL NUCKOLLS.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO MYRTLE OR HIS SON

2ND MARRIAGE WAS TO HELEN GATES ON 02-03-1928
TWO CHILDREN FROM THIS MARRIAGE
MARY ELIZABETH BORN 05/03/1929
JOHN HOPKINS NUCKOLLS 11/17/1930


Mr. Baker also reports he is himself an eyewitness to to the fire scene:

MANY YEARS HAVE PASSED, BUT HERE IS MY BEST MEMORY OF THAT DATE.

I HAD JUST TURNED 15 YEARS OF AGE (NOV. 10TH). WE WERE LIVING IN THE
TECHWOOD HOMES PUBLIC HOUSING COMPLEX. WE WERE ABOUT A MILE OR
SO FROM THE HOTEL. I WAS ATTENDING O'KEEFE SCHOOL WHICH WAS
LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF TECHWOOD DRIVE AND 5TH STREET.
I BELIEVE I WAS IN THE 10 TH GRADE AT THIS TIME, BUT COULD HAVE BEEN
IN THE 9TH.

MY DAD WAS WORKING IN THE PARTS DEPT. OF JOHN SMITH CHEVROLET CO.
ON WEST PEACHTREE STREET. HE NORMALLY DID GO IN ON SATURDAYS
BUT A LITTLE LATER THAN ON NORMAL WEEK DAYS. I DON'T THINK WE HAD
A TELEPHONE THEN, AND OF COURSE NO TV. WE DID HAVE A SMALL RADIO
WHICH SAT ON TOP OF THE FRIGERATOR. THAT MORNING WHEN WE TURNED
ON THE RADIO ALL THE NEWS WAS ABOUT THE FIRE.

DAD HAD A YOUNGER SISTER WHO HAD BEEN WORKING AS A FRONT DESK
CLERK AT THE WINECOFF, BUT A SHORT TIME BEFORE THE FIRE SHE HAD
MOVED OVER TO THE BILTMORE HOTEL IN THE SAME CAPACITY. AT THIS TIME
I CAN NOT REMEMBER WHEN SHE MADE THE MOVE. SHE WAS LIVING IN AN
APT SOME WHERE BETWEEN THE TWO HOTELS.

AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE MY DAD WAS 43 YEARS OF AGE. WHICH AT THAT TIME
MAY HAVE BEEN THE START OF THE SENIOR YEARS, NOT LIKE TODAY.
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I CAN REMEMBER SOMEONE HAVING A "SENIOR
MOMENT". DAD FORGET THAT HIS SISTER HAD CHANGED HOTELS AND TOOK
OFF LIKE A SHOT TO CHECK ON HER.

WE DID NOT SEE HIM AGAIN UNTIL MUCH LATER IN THE DAY, AND HE SAID THAT
HE WAS HALF WAY TO THE WINECOFF BEFORE HE REMEMBERED HER CHANGE.
HE DID A COURSE CHANGE AND DID FIND HIS BABY SISTER. CAN NOT REMEMBER
IF HE FOUND HER AT THE BILTMORE OR AT HER APT. A BIG RELIEF FOR ALL OF
US.

AS FOR ME, ALONG WITH ABOUT 3 OR 4 OTHER BOYS IN OUR MID TEENS GOT
TOGETHER AND WE WALKED UP TO SEE THE HOTEL. OUR FIRST EFFORT
WHICH WAS TOWARD THE BACK OF THE HOTEL WE GOT STOPPED BY THE
POLICE AND HAD TO BACK ANOTHER WAY. THIS TIME WE WENT DOWN TO
BAKER STREET AND WENT UP TO PEACHTREE ST. THAT WAY.

WE STOOD ON THE EAST SIDE OF P'TREE (ACROSS FROM THE OLD ROXIE THEATER)
FOR SOME TIME, AT LEAST I TH INK THAT WAS THE NAME OF THE THEATER,
I CAN STILL REMEMBER SEEING SOME SMOKE AND MANY HOSES. FOR THE LIFE OF
ME I CAN NOT REMEMBER SEEING ANY SHEETS OR BLANKETS HANGING FROM
THE WINDOWS AS SOME CAN.

SORRY THAT I CAN NOT GO INTO GREATER DETAIL, BUT TIME HAS NOT HELPED
MY MEMORY.

THANKS,
BILL BAKER

An Atlanta Native Writes:

GOOD MORNING, MR. GOODWIN.
I RECEIVED YOUR BOOK YESTERDAY, 01-16-07. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SWIFT AND COURTEOUS RESPONSE TO MY PURCHASE. I HAVE AN OLDER COPY, MISSING THE DUST COVER, AND WORN FROM MY READING IT EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS. NOW I HAVE A BEAUTIFUL, SIGNED COPY TO DISPLAY.
ALTHOUGH I DO NOT KNOW ANYONE INVOLVED OR AFFECTED BY THIS TERRIBLE FIRE, I AM, HOWEVER, A 53 YEAR OLD NATIVE ATLANTAN, BORN AT CRAWFORD LONG AND RAISED IN BUCKHEAD. I LOVE SOUTHERN HISTORY, AND ESPECIALLY ATLANTA'S HISTORY. YOUR BOOK IS ONE OF MANY SPANNING FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT.
I AM DELIGHTED TO GLEAN THAT THE WINECOFF IS UNDERGOING A RESTORATION. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING, AND UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE OF IT'S TRAGIC HISTORY, ONE THAT SHOULD REMAIN A LANDMARK. SO MUCH OF ATLANTA'S BEAUTIFUL ARCHITECTURE HAS BEEN DESTROYED AND REPLACED WITH CONCRETE AND GLASS. I WALKED AROUND THE WINECOFF A FEW YEARS AGO, WHEN IT WAS BOARDED AND NEGLECTED, AND FELT SADNESS. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE TRAGEDY, OR THE ABANDONMENT OF THE BUILDING, OR MAYBE A COMBINATION, BUT I HOPE NEW LIFE IN THE OLD BUILDING WILL CHANGE IT'S AURA. I PLAN TO VISIT IT AGAIN THIS SPRING.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROMPTNESS IN SENDING THIS SIGNED EDITION, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED INTEREST IN THE WINECOFF. I WILL BE CHECKING WINECOFF.ORG FOR UPDATES.

SINCERELY,

SHERRY CANE SHAVER

A Reader in California Writes:

Hello Allen - Hope you remember me. I purchased your book a few weeks back and you sent me an autographed copy asking me to let you know how I liked it. I have finished it and found it very compelling. I think you and your co-author did an amazing job of research.

I have always been fascinated by the fates that placed people where they were when tragedy strikes ie the Ringling Bros. Hartford fire, Iroquois Theatre etc. and how they coped with the circumstances. You and Sam Heys (interesting variation on the spelling of my last name) captured much of that drama. Thanks for an interesting read. Best wishes for your continued success...... Tom Hays

Tom Hays is retired from the Los Angeles Police Department. Thanks for the kind words, Tom.

A Reader In Virginia Writes:

Your book was interesting to read and excellently researched.
Larnce Hopkins, Fairfax

A Reader in Rockmart, Georgia Writes:

Mr. Goodwin,

I have just finished reading your book about the Winecoff Hotel fire. Once I had a chance to really settle down and read it I couldn't put it down. So I've spent most of my day today reading it.
I have so many emotions running through my mind right now. I wish I could remember specific names of some of the victims but I'm sure you'll know who I'm talking about when I mention them shortly.
It's hard for me to believe that even back in those days there wasn't a fire escape on the building. That one thing could have changed the course of history that night. I'm so sorry it wasn't available to these victims. At times I found myself breathing shallow just as if I was in the smoke filled rooms with these people. Or wondering how they must have felt standing out on an 8'' ledge high above the ground. And then the poor souls who jumped, some lived, some died. But even the survivors were so badly injured from the fall that I'm sure they had problems from that for the rest of their lives.
I really felt a connection to the young men from Rome that was in the hotel that night. I live 20 miles from there and I know the mill village that you must be talking about in the book. Those young men would be in their mid to late 70's if they are still alive today.
Probably one of the most touching moments was when the Mother realized that she and her children were not going to survive she took them to the bed and laid down with them on each side of her and I'm sure tried to calm them as only a mother can do until they passed out of this world and in to Heaven. I hope it was quick.
Also the young high school girls who died along with their teacher. That was hard to read.
I wanted this book to end. I had read enough. I'm very concerned about how this fire started. Why it seemed no one would dig deep enough to find out for sure what happened. If that happened in this day and time the news media wouldn't stop until they had exposed everyone involved or even suspected.
I think it was arson. I think there was something underhanded going on in the hotel and that some of the staff was in on it. The Hotel Detective knew more than he ever told. I believe that. And the dirty cops were covering something up as well.
Thank you for answering all the questions I've wondered about for several years. People tend to want to put these tragedies out of their minds and move on...sometimes you have to get to the bottom of things before putting things to rest. I don't think the City of Atlanta done that in this case.
Sincerely,
Johnny K. Woods

Dear Johnny,

Thanks for your kind e-mail about our book!
Couldn't put it down? Mixed emotions? Wanted it to end? I know just what you mean.
The Winecoff fire: few studies can grip ones interest so tightly until you are too amazed, appalled, saddened, thankful or sickened to think about it anymore.
I wish you could have been at the remembrance ceremony hosted on December 3rd by the Atlanta Fire Department. Richard Hamil spoke. He and his father survived the fire, though just barely. His dad was the chaperone for the Rome boys. He never got over loosing them.
I have met and interviewed Richard on several occasions but when he got up to
briefly tell his story a few Sundays ago my back stiffened. I was on the edge of
my chair as he spoke. I know you would have been too.
Here is a link to a sixtieth anniversary story form the Rome News-Tribune:
http://news.mywebpal.com/partners/680/public/news767568.html
It tells about the boys from Rome, their brief lives, their accomplishments and
their hopes for the future.
Thanks for writing to me, Johnny. Be safe,
Allen