Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1858-03-04
LOCAL AFFAIRS.

IT,.
was not then known or suspected that an
estimable young man, formerly of this
county, was among the unfortunate victims
of that horrible catastrophe. The burning
Of the hotel is thus described:
at appears that the entire building was
enveloped in the raging element before scarce
ly any of the dodgers were fully awakened to
the 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 these means would be only rush
ing 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 blisterino
heat, and to search for ways to reach the
streets-the shrieks of the terror stricken and
the groans of those bound to their rooms by
walls of scorching fre-tho shouts of those
who had been called to the spot from the sur
rounding neigh hborhood-th clambering over
swaying and reelng ioists-the falling floors
with their leads of heavy furniture and their
dearer burden of human liyes-all this and
more that was intensely terrible and fearful
it is not given to our pen to Adequately de-
scribe.
1.-The stairs gone, the roof and floors inch
by inch giving way, and the lurid flames
shooting up momentarily thicker and hotter,
many sought to escape the impending hazard
Of being burned to death through the scarce
ly less dangerous prospect of jumping to the
ground from the windows. OF those who en-
deavored to save their lives in this way, we
saw six at the Sisters Hospital Yesterday.
Mr.. IL. Hubbard, who arrived in St. Louis
from Boston about ei ght weeks since, was DC
eupying, with his lady, a room OF the third
floor. Mrs. ii. was first aroused and awaken
ed her husband. Hardly had he come to be
conscious OF the cause of the surrounding
confusion, before he saw his wife leap head
long out of the window on Poplar street.
Seeing no other visible means of saving him.
self he followed her, and both fell, not far
apart, upon the pavement. Mrs Hubbard
had one of her legs fractured in two places,
and had the knee cap of the other dislocated.
Besides this, her lower jaw was broken in two
places. 1t is not expected she will survive.
Mr. Hubbard had the ankle joint and hip IF
his left leg displaced, and received Il severe
confusion on the forehead He is not thought
to be in a dangerous condition.
Miss Ii. Hunter endeayored to leave the
building, after having been badly burned, by
jumping from the second story. In the fall
one Of her legs was broken and her head SC
verely cut. She was placed in furniture
car to be taken to the Sisters Hospital, but
before arriving there she was corpse"
Numbers followed the above, in few
cases escaping with mutilated limbs, but
mostly ending in death. Mr. McNitt also
attempted to save himself by jumping from
the window, but fell among the ruins, from
which he was subsequently taken, and only
by two peculiar artificial teeth.
1.-The hotel was comparatively new one.
1t was erected to meet the necessities of per-
sons travelling on the line of the Pacific Rail
road, completed in january, 1857, being
owned by George b. Field, who estimated its
value Mt $4,000. 1t was originally leased to
Daniel w Strader he subsequently opened
the place in the month Of June when Jacob
Lyons entered into partnership with him.
1.-The building was three stories high hay-
ing front on Seventh street of over eighty
feet. The Easements were used as liquor sa-
looms the ground floor was divided off into
stores.
The second story contained the office, la
dies parlor, dining room and some sleeping
apartments. The third story was divid d off
into small rooms, separated by lath and plas-
ter partitions. The capacity of the house
was such as to accommodate from 100 to l25
guests.
''The house was most unfortunately con-
structed as to safety in the event of circum
stances such as last night caused such wall
ing around the neighborhood. There was but
n narrow entrance on Seventh street, appro
priated to ladies' use, and public entrance.
To attain egress by the former, visitors, of
necessity, had TO cross many rooms and Ia
open many doors. The main entrance was
50 constructed that it burned early, and cut
off the snly available chance of safety In
one other respect this house was particularly
unsafe. The back premises were, If we are
correctly informed, merely planked in, while
columns, steps, hoorings. and everything cx
cepting the walls were Of wood"
Mr.. John p. Taylor left this place on
last for the purpose of bringing
home the remains of Mr. McNitt. lie
was son of Francis McNitt, of Armagh,
was about % years of age, and had been
in the southwest some two years, princi-
pally employed as a steamboat clerk.
The estimation in which the deceased
was held was shown by the fact that his
personal friends in ST Louis had Mr. Nc
Nitt's remains enclosed in metallic coffin,
with silver plate thereon, and in addition
paid Mr.. Taylor's expenses in bringing the
corps home. Two of these gentlemen also
accompanied the remains about 200 miles.
Mr.. Taylor, with the corps in charge,
reached here yesterday afternoon.
A BIT OF IRoN.-We noticed a casting
ON a forge wagon last week, intended we
hnlia1.n fnl IN nnuil nt th1 NOW ,rnrl-s Il