New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-02-26
HEART.RENDING CALAMITY.
OF THE PACIFIC HOTEL.
AWFUL FATALITY.
Fro. III. St'Lopi. Demoe,at FEB. q.

Fyor The ST. Louis Democrat, Feb ~
The morning of the 2Oth Of February, 1888 is made
painfully memorable in the history of this city, BY
The occurrence Of one of the most heart-rendng OF
mortal caan tiles thronged hotel the wear1ed and
trsyelsore inmates of which were at tue time sunk 10
The deepest sumbeys of night at that sad date took
Ere, and burned around and among them with the
swiftpess of DOOM The fearful total of the accrung
horrors cannot yet be told, aud probably months Will
elapse before fate Of loved ones whose forms are
now too mared to be known found, and the last To-
scrbed record Of whose names has perished can be
satisfactorily ascertained.
Scarcely less than 81 persons can hsye retired to the
rooms Of the Pacific Hotel then standing Seventh
and Poplar streets last Friday night 1t is too GER
tain tbst an uDueually large number Of guests had
that evening arrived the Pacific train, who supped
and took rooms ct this doomed hotel
At about O'Clock IN the morning, Watchnen at
Cerre and Seventh streets, square southwark, de-
tected the fife-ght vi q burning building reflected
from the rear walls Of the structures on Sixth
street and ia the Of the Pacific house. Hurying
to the scene they found tue entire Of the hote
wrapped in raging flames, The edifioe was OF three
etores and had eighty feet OF front, with depth Of
forty or fifty feet ON Poplar street: The rear walls
were Of wood and had ignited with astonishing sud
denness and rapidity--siuce officer had passed
there fifteen minutes before.
Aside from the cracking and roaring Of the fierce
flame the stiffness OF the grave relgned IN the hotel.
The Waterman Numbered AID yelled at the entrances
till the answering bark OF dog IN the room OF tue
proprietor DR.. Daniel w. Strader startled tnat gem
tlenan from sleep. heavy roaring filled the air,
and the EQre OF nre came lntO tUc EoOui
omen door With q cry tf alarm he sprang into the
hall and rushed for the tre-pug, but was repeleu Dy
advancing flames that were sweeping Win suCu Jury
as TO render the rescue of life his sole dea through
his efforts aud those Of the watchmen without, the
dodgers awaked to a Consciousness of imminent de-
structior Dr. Strader then ran to call hts own amlly
in safer portion of the house, aud found them sun
sleeping Some OF his servants ne was compelled 10
drag forth by their hsr BY this time any exit from
the house by the main entrance was impossible IL
hv, osd tito s'aifs leading to y ts?e1 ws1
thus quickly gDited and the element ragged with
teufold fury Only a small staircase aod doorway,
constructed for the use of ladies', leo ilto the
street and the passage to TINS was speeay in.ol s
ruped and rendered impossible by deep barrier OF
fire. few had been in time to follow tho landlord
into the street, aud some of them were severely
burned. To the many dear ones who remained within
the burning pile there remained mo egfeSs s1s We
swiftly had this horror grown that scarce dozen
persons had yet gathered TO the rescue LADDERS there
were none and the franticslly mploIlng victims at
the windows were already whiting with almost IN
folerable heat Others suffOcsted in their rooms,
were at this very time the sequel too surely proves
actually being broLled and roasted in their BEDS
Others stil stung from sleep by the greedy name,
Ga-ted from their eouches through fhe WINDOWS,
while eti others with scarcely less haste, made, lot
lie most palt Intellectual efforts to descend with
safety. The dead aud the manned were Picked up
and conveyed from the scene-the s'ui h'ihe W Tue
Sisters Hospital.
Mr. H. Hubbard and wife of Boston were on the
third ioor. Mrs. Hubbard awoke IN such paln that
abe only uab ed her hu sband before plungng headong
out Of the window. lie Instantly followed aea leI oa
the icy pavement near her. She had leg irdctueo
twice a knee dslocsed, and her lower Jaw proheh IN
two place. She WAS removed to the hospnai anu
still survives. He had the left ankle and hip joints
dislocated, and the forehead badly confused.
A gentleman, who proves 10 have been Mr.: joseph
Jones called from the third story 10 those below on
Poplar street 10 look out for lady and threw down
mattress, begging theu To catch her upon H. ihey
L.l tad AZ ed
grasp the fall of the lady with infant in her arms
She struck the inner edge OF the mattress and then the
pavement. She sent to tue SISTERS Hospital, and
stiI survives Her chld was taken to the depot OPP
posi,e ana shortly disd. Miss Mary Hunter formerly
Of Ken,lcky having fret beer badly burned, Jumped
from the second story. She was taken away
corpse.
Ehhu Hays, Wisconsin stranger was PICKED uE
with broken thigh end hedo Ills teco'ei! 10 noP0O
for, but is doubtful. ..
Mr.. Thos. Hart Strong, q member OF the 81 houl'
bar, jumped from thifd-hoor window IN the rear
and was lying helpless u narrow space petweent"'
cellar entrances when two Others jumped upon MIN
there being no other place for them to leap whaou'
going into the cellar. He taken still living, tt
the hospital but soon died William florence, one o.
the persons who leaped upon him. escaped with
Major j. Wagner, Hungarian by birth, well known
the able topogrspher OF ST. Louis County, known
10 have persisted. He retired AT night to his room al
the hotel, and is since missing.
Mr.. Jas. +. Geary, local reporter for The Leader
makes The following statement which we extract q:
published yesterday, from The Republican,:
" NV wife says he, " was very sick last evening
90 much 80 that l. staying at home vita her, una
be 10 attend at the office. then sat with her al
night doing in a chair. Early in the morning lean
not say at what time-l was awakened by a suffocat
ipc sme H. as of fire. l took no no''ee oi TINS al th'
time supposing that the servants weehSh1ing the hre
Shortly after, however, L heard some one funhiat
over the house, shouting lire! told my "lle % h'
still, while | should 90 down and see what was tn'
matter When / got some way down tho tairs' 'h
smoke overpowered me for u moment; Iec,n
went up stairs 10 my ROOM which was no. ~ 70.
shawl which Mrs. @. put around her. theh icu ne
down. The smoke was dense now thst sue was a.
but sufocstiug she fell wn. then dragged nef vu'
endleh her in the custody Of who promised
take her of safely returned to get my little giri 10
renoe Geary). To get her was obliged 10 60 througi
the hre, which cut of return by that stairs 80
her TO the window, then threw mattress ON 10 lh
balcony; ON this let her fall Jumping after her, tn
tire nov seemed 10 be coming out Of the wndo W.. AM
apprebendihg danger in this post on, called out Il
those who were ON the pavrlneu NJ, threw the msres
TO the ground, aud again dropped the child upon it
At this moment some placed q ladder against tn
balcony. but a. had cut my foot sadly in jumping
after HAD got upon it l fell the fall completely Do
numbug my limbs 80 that &C uld not get az. | u,y
shouted 10 those who by to tell them mat Mrs
Jones ard her child were in the next room To mine
asleep and then fell down the cellar. remembering M
thing from that time until, may be az hOac after,
found myself in a store o@venth street
Il think the fire did not begin in the drug store a