Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-03-06
CAROLINA STANDARD:
4From~the Pittsburg DiSpatch.]
. THE SrwL GUS CAISAMITY.

EBSbw IL gise part Of private letter from Dr.. c. n
Whiie, sofin. aw d. Robert Hill Esq, of the Ninth
ward of Hhs .citys giving some particulars OF the
awful scene of the late fire in ST. LOUIS with full
account Of the very remarkable, escape from death
of DR.. w. himself his wife, three little children ana
their nurse, by jumping from third story window
Of the burning hotel. We have had an intimate ac<
qnaintance for some years with the amabie lady
(Mrs. W. who seems to have suffered severe inlu-
res and sincerely hope that she may recover fully
and rapidly. The letter is as follows:
ST. Louis, Kings Hotel) Sunday. Feb. 81.
DEAR SlR:-As you have been previously inform
cd by telegraph, the Pacific Hotel, Qhe house at
which we have been boarding for some time past
is burned. At twenty minutes past three, on Sat
urday morning, were reused by lion.lke roar.
ing of our hosts large dog, and the simultaneous
cry of " fire fire rcsoundng through the build
ing. We all at once jumped out of bed, and open.
ed the door and looked out when the stair case, (he
only avenue Of escape) was enveloped in 1ames in
one solid sheet at least twenty feet high. We were
in the third story, and our was indeed, very
desperate one; there we were, confined to our room
with certain death if We remained another minute
and almost certain death if we took the terrible
leap. raised the window and looked out; it was
a fearful moment; not sound escaped my wife or
children Alice, Qhe } all waited my action
l snatched mattress from the bed and dropped it
out; it fell as favorably as could wish. Bidding
all "good bye" jumped and found myself in safe
ty. looked up, Mary Ellen (his wife) was at the
window, called to her to throw the children, which
she obeyed at once and il is almost miraculous to
relate caught them all one after another, and then
braced myself to catch her, which l did; it no
doubt saved her life but nearly proved fatal to me
she is quite large woman 10 fall on man tina t
distance. NY friends took each child, and carried
them TO fire, short distance off, to save them from
freezing; another strong man took up my wife,
and carried her into German drinking shop, and
l fortunately met an omnibus-drver at the door,
pho cd fO fho cts m
ly two squares off and brought around an omnibus,
to take US to the hospital, but Mrs. W. objected,
and wished to 60 to Kings where we did. DIR.
Pope was Immediately sent for, and came at once
He examined US thoroughly. Mary's hip is serious
y hurt, lit is her left one) and think that the in
side of the socket that receives the head of the thigh
bone is fractured that the lgament that runs from
the socket into the head of the bone is also broken,
together with the sack around the head of the bone,
called by physicians, the "capsular ligament" She
is unable to hell herself or to move. do not think
she in any special danger, but the shock was ter
rible. Reaction did not fully take place sixteen
hours after the injury. Neither of the children
severely hurt, think. Ny back wrenched in
catching Mrs. W., and DR.. Pope said it was truly
miraculous that it was not broken in catching such
a weight. | cannot got up stair four inches high
without help and in much pain as it is necessary
for any one man 70 suffer, but do not complain.
have saved my wife and children and their nurse
(the latter's back was hurt some but she walked
home few hours afterwards Only fancy to your.
self situation, nearly naked, and cold enough to
have frozen any one 10 death in an hour, and am
you will not have very agreeable picture, to
say the least of it, In minute from the time We
got clear the roof and floor fell into the cellar. There
were eight full grown men burned to death within
fifteen feet Of our room, and yet we all escaped
two women and three helpless chdren-xhen the
chances were even, and the men lost. 1t seems as
if the finger Of God directed me how to act quick
w. for it all done in less than it takes you to
read this. A lady friend Of ours, on the same floor
jumped and broke her lower jaw all to pieces broke
her left leg just above the knee, and the bone
the ss sue that s stuck out three or ou
nant at the time Another young lady jumped Out
of the window on the next floor bellows us, and as
killed at once A man took the same jump
we did, broke both legs, injured his head and was
otherwise badly bruised. think the Waterman (ar
Englishman Henry Peters, was drunk and asleep, as
have seen him asleep when watch, previous tc
the fire. He was burned SO badly tina, he could moi
be recognized, and think cannot live. He was ir
the Office within ten feet Of the entrance 1t is be
yond question that the dog saved all lives by his
throat of any dog before. Another man, woman
child and nurse the same floor it'll us jumped and
all killed. One corpse found all burned tC
crisp with his valise fast in his hand. One young
man jnmpted and did not hurt himself but another
jumped him and killed him. All the strangers
that were in the house lost those that were
saved were boarders. The books were lost, thai
it is impossible to tell how many lost, who
they were. There were quite number Of farmers
and country people. who had come in on Friday
night, not of whom was saved. Dead bodies
lying in different places; eight lie In Rogers
stable, Franklin avenue, several lying in the
Pacific Railroad depot, some in the dead house al
the hospitals others are still lying at the ruins
None Of the rubbish has yet been removed one
tell how many may be buried beneath the smou
dering pile. No pen is adequate to give anything
like description of the frightfu scene-so will
not attempt it.
Since writing the above. seven more bodies have
been found. Yours truly,
G. D. WHITE.
EXECUTION IN CosTA RIcA.-We have been in
formed nv n gentleman lately from Central America