The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-01-21 00:00:00

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eves on the stage, with all the accesnories of scenery, I vigour, but on being desirous of using ft firind
powerless • it rau‘t have lost tts povrer momentarily
good acting, and that careful "loading up" to a pun 'trying to 'move the other arm, I (Mud It powerless also..
which is such an advantage to author and epraker. Then I tried to shake myself, and succeeded, but! seemed
d ye• t what pitiful word•twistin; is made to do duty *o,o, have no limbs. In looking at the
dhar meter my head fell
er my left shudder; I struggle and shook my body
for genuine wit agile,but could not move my arum Gott:ng my head
upright for an instant only, it tall on my right shoulder ; then
I fell bazkwards, my back resting against the side Of the
car and my head on Its edge. In this position my eyes
ware directed to Mr C. swell In the ring. Wins! shook my
body I seemed to have full power Over the muscles of the
back, and considerably so over those of the neck, but none
over either my arms or n:y legs. As in the cue of the arms,
so all muscular power was lost In an instant from my back
and neck, I dimly saw Mr. Col, Mid endeavourei to
speak but cou,it not In an Instant Intense darkness
overcame me, so that the optic nerve lost power sud-
denly, but I was still conscious, with as active a brain as
at the present moment whilst writing this I thought! had
1-non sele.el with asphyxia, end believed I should experience
nothing more, as death would come unless we speedily de-
scended. Other thoughts were entering my mind, when I
suddenly became unconscious, as on going to sleep. Whilst
powerless I heard the words • temperature 'and ' obterva.
tim,' and I knew Mr. C inwefl was in the Ca: speaking to
and endeavouring to rouse me--therefore consciousness and
hearing had returned. I then heard him speak more em-
phatically, Mt could not see, speak, or move. I heard him
again say, 'Do try, now du "1 hen thi Instruments became
dimly visible, then Mr Cozwell, and very shortly I saw
clearly. Next I arose In my seat, and looked around as
though waking from sleep, though not refreshed."

FIRE AT THE SPOTTISWOODE HOTEL
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.
Poring the night of the 24th ult. the Spottiewoode
Rotel, Richmond, Virginia, woe nearly destroyed by
lire. The house was full of visitors. and it is believed
that at least a dozen persons perished in the flames,
whilst many who leapt from the windows were injured.
The following particulars of this sad calamity, are
from the New York Timm
it seemed as if the tire king bad arisen to dispute the
empire of the frost, and to show that his sceptre was still
the more powerful The frost, ton, had chained up the only
element that could dispute the progre a of the destroying
flame, and for some fatal minutes the fire-engines stood idly
awaiting the thawing of the water. Everything seemed te
be against the doomed buridieg, for even the firemen's
ladder., which, in that terrible emergency, should have saved
the human beings who were rushing madly into the en-
circling arms of the flames, were found to be too short, as if
no one had ever dreamed that so tall an edifice could evur
become the prey of fire. The wild and unreasoning panic of
the Inmates, as the alarm sped along the corridors, was such
as has too many counterparts In the past, and will have many
more in the Ware. At the windows women appeared gasp-
ing for air, and wildly gesticulating fur the help that did not
come. One man was merolfully smitten with idiocy before
met tine the doom that awaited him. Anxiety to save per-
sonal property cost probably morn than one life—eagerness
to secure the safety of children nearly cost another. A man
In the fourth story descended like a squirrel from cornice to
cornice, 1:11,1 never allowed his nerve to fail, or his blistered
and bleeding hands to slip, till he had touched the ground.
Mr. Leib, a special agent of the Treasury Department, was
• guest in the house Ile states that soon after two a m.,
while in bed in the third story, he heard a scud ttIIOW as
Ii some one was breaking kindling wood. lie rose and
looked out of the window, but JAW nothing unusual. The
noise continuing, however, he commenced dressing himself
leisurely, as he intended to take the next railroad train.
Before leaving his room he turned off the gas, and glancing
towards the window saw a light from the outside, which he
soon discovered proceeded train flames bursting from the
story Immediately under him. Ile then heard a woman,
whom he supposed to be the housekeeper, cry in wild
alarm, "MyG ud ! the house Icon fire !" He called to her
to stress herself, and with the view of calming her excite-
. meet said to her that there was no danger on her side, but
that it was on his. He then proceeded to knock at all
the doors in the third story to awaken the occupants of the
rooms and urge them to dress themselves quickly, as the '
' house was on fire. Mr. Leib then descended to the second
story, where he found Mr. Shure knocking atthe doors waking
' the guests, who were soon all up and alive to their danger.
' The utmost alarm naturally prevailed, and in the general
, eagerness to escape, the paasage-way of the orient., entrance
was in a short time crowded, and owing to the pressure the
I doors muld uot Fe opened until by extraordinary force the
crowd was pushed back and room was made for that per.
pose. The housekeeper, Mrs Knottily, was the second per
son who awoke on that morning, but perished by being cut
. off by the flames, having delayed in order to look after her
trunk. The man who was carrying It preceded her, and
barely gut beyond when the ft ernes impeded her progress
, and the stairway fell. The lire, Mr. Leib says, origi-
nated in the wine.room adjoining the dining.room fu the
second story. Mr. Luck, one of the proprietors of the
hotel was severely burnt. Ile rushed through the flames
for his family, ignorant of the fact that they were safe.
The bodies of eight persons burnt to death have been
found, and it Is hoped that the number of viCtiIIIII is now
- known.