The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-04-16 00:00:00

FIRE AND LOSS OF FOUR LIVES AT
CARDIFF.
The following sad calamity occurred on Saturday morning
at Cardiff :

Shortly after two o'clock, several persons living in
North Church-street, Bute•town, were aroused by
what they described as a sharp crackling noise. They
were alarmed, and rose from their beds to discover the
cituse, and on going to the windows saw that the
Glamorgan Hotel, which was on the corner of the
street, was on tire. There was at that time only a
faint light visible in the windows of the ground-floor,
but dense clouds of smoke rose from the building; and
within a few minutes afterwards huge flames darted up
as it were from the vaults in the foundation of the
hotel, and end lenly the bar and adjoining compartments
were enveloped in a mass of flames. An energetic
alsrm was immediatsly raised by several persons, and
active efforts were made to rouse the landlord of the
hotel and his family. The hotel was occupied by •
Mr. Stacey, a widower, one daughter, two grandsons,
a sea-captain, and a traveller.
. .

An old lady who lived on the opposite corner roamed
her three sons, stalwart fellows, who immediately
dashed missiles up to the windows, with a view to
attract the attention of the unfortunate persons
within, but without avail. Suddenly again the Humes
had mounted higher and higher, and lighted up the
whole atmosphere around and above with a lurid glare,
and still crackled and clambered up the upper storey's
of the house. A number of police constables were
soon on the spot, followed shortly afterwat de by the
fire brigade. But although there wae a plentiful supply
of water, it was hopeless to attempt to save the house.
A ladder was placed against the building, and two or
three members of the brigade attempted to force an
entrance of the upper windows, bat were unable to
do so, in consequence of the heat and smoke. An
entrance was at last forced at the back of the
house, and crouched in One corner of a club.
i room the exploring party discovered two human
figures charred and burnt, and covered with ashes, and
apparently dead. They removed them, and found they
were M. y, tie landlord of the hotel, and his
grandson, a child of five years. The latter was wrapped
viji tightly in blankets, and folded in his grandfath.r's
arms. There was life in the child when found, but it
expired in a few moments afterwards. Mr. Stacey was
also alive, and was at once removed to a neighbour's
hones across the street. His injuries were found lobe
serious, but it is hoped that he may recover. He is
much burnt about the stomach and chest, and all day
throlighout Saturday violently delirious, and quite un-
conscious of all that has passed.
Before any further way could be made into the house
the building was completely gutted; all the upper
floor, having fallen, together with the roof, right down
into the cellars beneath, bearing all that was contained
within the house before them. The remaining bAlies of
the unfortunate victims were subsequently dug out of
the dihris in a frightfully charred state, and were with
idtticultyidentitied, The names of the dec-seerl are—
Miss Sarah Stacey, daughter of the landlord. 30 years
of age; Sidney Stacey, 5 yearn of age; and Frederick
Stacey, 3 years, grandson of the landlord; and Alfred
Giles, 30 years of age, a lodger. The latter wag a young
man who assisted in the house, and it was the first time
be had slept on the premises. He was found lying
on the remains of a bed &aliment the shattered heap of
burnt timber and material, and his remains presented a
fearful spectacle, burnt as his body was to a cinder.
Miss Stacey was found with the youngest child folded
ti4htly in her arms, and a portion of her night dress in
her mouth, seeming, as it were, to have given up
despairingly to the death which was inevitable. There
was also in the house a Captain Manning, master of a
vessel lying in a dock, and he was roused by Mr. Stacey
who, it appears, when he became aware that the hotel
wan on fire, immediately proceeded to awake the house.
hold. He directed the captain to make his escape
through the back way, and in rushing back, it appears,
to awake his daughter and save the children, was him-
self struck down by the flames, with one of his grand-
children in his arme. as already described. Captain
Manning escaped without injury.
It has not been ascertained how the fire originated.

A strong feeling prevails in the town in reference to
to the conduct of the fire brigade. The organization of
the brigade is denounced as thoroughly inefficient, and
unequal to the work of saving life and property. In
reply to the magistrate at the borough police-
me, the head constable said the disastrous delay of
the tire brigade was owing not to the insufficiei ey of
the men, but to the faulty organization of the brigade.

CARRYING IT WITH A HIGH HAND!
The New York papers of March 26 report • very
high-handed proceeding on the part of an officer of the
United States steamer Severn towards the captain of a
Danish schooner, the Skul Betall, at Cape Haytien,
in the Republic of Hayti, which, they tell us, has
canoed some excitement at that port. It appears that
shortly after the Skid Belsclf arrived at Cape Haytien
from St. Thomas and Turk's Island, having four pas.
Bangers on board, an officer and six men from the
Severn came alongside and sprang on deck without
permission. The officer then proceeded to question
the captain concerning the name of the schooner,
where she was from, her cargo, how many passengers
she carried, and who they wi re. The captain being
unable to satisfy him on this latter point, he demanded
the ship's papers, and after examining them,
inquired if the schooner had stopped on the
way from St. Thomas. Being answered in the
affirmative, he asked whether she took any passenger
on board where she stopped, end was told that
one was taken from Turk's Island. He then asked
eagerly whether it wee not General Luperon, one of
the leaders of the insurrection againet President Baez,
of San Domingo, and the captain being unable to tell
him, he demanded to see the passenger in question.
The passenger came forward and introduced himself.
Tho officer inquired his business at Cape Ilaytien, to
which the stranger replied, with much spirit, "What
is that to your Finding himself thus defied, the
officer turned to the Danish ceptaln and said: " I
would like to see Latour and Luperon, anyhow, cap-
tain. I only came to notify you that, the Republic of
San Domingo being under the protection of the United
States of America, should you take Lnperon or any
munitions of war from the Eastern ports, your vessel
will be sunk, and you and your crew will be taken
prisoners by any vessel of the American navy."
General Luperon, it would appear, was already at
Cape Haytien. He wax immediately informed of what
had taken place, and at once called on the American
Consul to demand what right the United States had to
interfere with him or the revolution in San Domingo.
But the only satisfaction he received from the consul
was an assurance that he was not before aware of the
occurrence, and that it was nothing more than a
formality on the part of the officer.