Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-02-27
The Calamity at ST. Louis

The details of the burning of the Pacific
Hotel and adjoining buildings, on the north
east corner Of Seventh and Poplar streets,
st. Louis, on Saturday morning last, are
Notwithstanding. By the last accounts, Is
human beings persisted in the calamity. The
building was three stories in height, and
most of the sleeping rooms were in the upper
story The origin of the fire is not posi-
lively known. The Republican, thus describes
the scene:
1t appears that the entire building was
cnvelopcd in the raging element before
scarcely any of the dodgers were awakened
to full sense of their danger. And when
the inmates were finally aroused, it was only
to find all opportunities Of egress closed to
them, for the staircases in front and behind
were already gone or so nearly so that an
attempt to escape by those means would be
only rushing into the arms Of inevitable
death. The scene that ensued battles any
effort at description The rushing Of men,
women and children to and fro to avoid the
blistering heat and to search for ways to
reach the street.-the shrieks Of the terror
stricken and the groans of those bound to
their rooms by walls Of scorching fire the
shouts Of those who had been called to the
spot from the surrounding neighborhood--
the clambering over swaying and Keeling
ioists- he falling floors with their load of
heavy furniture and their dearer burden of
human lives all this and more that was in
tcnsely terrible and fearful, it is not given
to our pen to adequately describe.
1t was horrible sight to see the rounded
"a woful sound to listen to the wailing cries
of the saved, to hear the shricks of the dying.
From every part of the blazing building
there came means and prayers, while those
who were outside, appalled, by the horror of
the scene, were hurrying hither and thithel
in vain attempts to serve their suffering fell
| lows.
The house, says the News, was most I'M
fortunately constructed, having but a narrow
entrance in front, on Seventh street, and a
back entrance to the rear buildings on Pop
lar street. Many Of those in the front rooms
managed to effect their escape; but those il
/ the rear rooms Of the main building founC
! themselves cut off from all the stairwavs
and doors below by the flames. In theil
| despair, all who could find place at the
windows crowded around them, and witt
wild entreaties besought those below to res,
cue them. Many were burned to death il
their rooms, being unable even to escape
from them.
The bodies taken out Of the ruins after the
fire were horribly mutilated. Legs, arms
and heads We're off, and in one case nothing
vas left bearing trace of humanity except
a spinal column, with a few bleached bones
living around it. Another was a mere trunl
with part Of the neck attached, around
which was found gold chain and a string
Of bcads-thc remains, doubtless, of wo
man. says the Republican:
More melancholy spectacles to behold thar
the charrcd and broiled remains of those
taken out, We hope never again to see. A
lifeless body is ut any time mournful sight
though laid out in the most careful manner
and shroudcd in the purcst habiliments. But
to look upon headlcSS, limbless trunks
sc0rchcd to the bone, crushed, mangled anC
torn, picked out Of heaps of Goals, dirt anC
cindcrs, poi5ons sight and sickens the mos
steclcd and hardened heart. Death, too, iI
no form is more dreadful than to be met il
the aw I'll manner in which the unfortunate
victims of the Pacific Hotel disaster met it
Blissfully unconscious of any impending ca
lamitv when they retired to bed, unprepared
it may be, to die, they awoke in the midst OF
crumbling walls, shricks and shouts, to find
that their last end was come in a shape ter
rible and inevitable. What agony they suf-
fercd, what prayers they offered, or with
what resignation they submitted to the gen.
cral catastrophe, no human mind can know.
A moro terrific calamity has seldom befal-
len any community, and we trust that it
may be long, very long, before it shall be
come our painful duty to record such auother.
I III IL