The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-03-04

The burning Of the Pacific Hotel aI 81.
Lcuis, WAS one Of the most intensely thrill
ing scehes we have ever perused. Mr.
Thomas M. Barker says; a.
occupied room in the third story, and
was awakened about three o'clock by q
bustling noise in the hall, and faint cry OF
"fire." raised up in my bed and put my
hand against the wall, and found it hot
enough to blister. / jumped up, put on my
pants, under.coat, overcoat and shoes; then
unlocked the door, and found 1t difficult to
get out into the hall on account of the
crowd. got out rather sideways with the
crowd, just in front OF Mr.. Rochester who
had q trunk on his shoulder, and tried to get
to the flOnt OF the house. All the while
there were cries Of women, "Oh God Of
Heavens" which / heard until oppressed by
feeling Of suffocation, | lost oil sense OF
sound. When found myself in danger Of
sutfoca,ion let fall my baggage and drop
ped my head to the floor. This relieved me
for the moment. Many OF the crowd had
their truuks on their shoulders, and dropped
them, one after another, from suffOcation;
many fell with them. could hear the
noise Of their falling, the smoke being too
dense to see them. | also heard their gasps
in efforts to breathe. / reached the win.
dow. At my shoulder, just then, Mr..
Rochester struck the window to break the
glass to get air but while doing so, fell
back, and saw him no more. As ROches'
ter disappeared, heard running noise in
the hall and turning around recognised
Mr.. Strong. He jurped over the hesds oI
persons in front Of him, and went through
the window feet foremost, carrying sash
and all with him. Mr.. Terrence came to
my side and walked through the window
gasping and apparently so weak he could
scarcely stand. I followed after him, ant
like himself and Mr.. Strong found mysel
on roof Of a small building on the plat o
the back building. Terrence and myscl
jumped about twelve feet down to the
kitchen roof, which we gained in sa.ety.
now looked about this roof for Strong
Not finding him looked down into the bacl
yard, and by the light of the fame saw hin
lying on his back and motionless. listen
eG but did not hear him groan and conelud
ed he was dead. Not . word passed be
tween myself and Terrence until discov
cred Strong. then said. "thcre lie
Strong and our plan is to jump" | sgai,
spoke to Terrence saying, would jun
first. looked down to see if could jun
without striking Strong, who lay between
two openings or cellar ways. In anothe
instant ! was on the body of Mr. Strong
All this, from the time OF leaving my bee
transPired in about FIVE mnutes. Iarose I
my feet, and Terrence then came dowr
striking where | did.
Seeing Terrence fall down into one {
the cellar ways, | cried out "Watch!
"Heip!" TO two wutchmen. They hear
me, and came running up. BY this tim
Terrence succeeded In getting out of tn
cellar. then pointed out Strong to til
policemen, telling them there lay ma
dead or dying. When they took hold
. him he emitted a groan | had heard lro
o him. He exclaimed, "Oh, kill me! hi
met )"Shoot mel" and appeared to wal
= fresh air. left them there and walked
Mrs. Green's, having me. her daughters {
the wy and being invited by them to
there when | tolc them of my escape
i About fifteen minutes afterwards, Stror
was brought down there by the police. T
y was in intense agony, cried for fresh ,
" continuously, and repeated his cxuIam
J." nations skill me-" "don't let me suffer
. "kill me-" Strong did in about twen
minutcsi his skull and shoulder bone we
% broken, his nose half torn off, and
. shoulders and sides burned. By the time
o struck the ground. think no one was ali
y. in the house; all were gone. Those W
Y died inside Of the h,tel, felt none of ,
y pain Of burns, as they died doubtless of 8,
II location before the fumes reached them.