The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-29

His Reception by the Mikado
A Page Of Secret History"
yhe Franeo-Prussian War
How.itwas not Prevented
"Reminiscences of Rev. Albert Barnes.
THE RICHMOND FIRE.

Aad,lon., P"r.e%,.rsr I ,r aepsSS AnSnz the
The Richmond papers continue to be filled
with particulars of the awful casualty at the
Spotswood Hotel on Sunday morning last
From Wednesday mornings mail we extract
the following
PULLING DOWN THE WALLS.
On Sunday afternoon, it being generally be-
leved that Messrs. Ross and Hines were among
the killed steps were taken by the Knights OF
Pythias, to which order they both belonged, to
have the bodies disinterred at the earliest prac-
ticable moment. Nothing could be done that
evening, as there was still smouldering fire
beneath the bricks, but on Monday the work
was commenced.
SEARCHING FOR THE REMAINS OF TIE DECEASED.
The task of digging up the debris in order to
recover the remains of the dead was performed
under the supervision of Masonic and Pythian
committees They were guided in this work
by diagram of the hotel in the possession of
the propretors. Mr.. Ross room was No. 49,
Just above the Express office; so the men work
ing under the supervision of the Masons and
Pythians, and those employed by the Express
Company, worked together. Several times it
was thought that the remains of one or more
persons had been discovered but the bones
having been collected in box and examined
by ply sicians, were pronounced not the bones
of human being. A one place quite number
of fragments of bones were found together, and
with them some coat-buttons and what appeared
to be burnt cloth. 1t was finally conceded,
however, that these were probably the remains
of the contents of boxes which had been burned
in the cellar of the express Office This morn
ing the examination of the debris will be re-
sumed.
NOBLE ACTS.
When the ladies and children rushed forth
from the hotel in their night clothes and bare
footed, several gentlemen offered to divest
themselves of their coats and shoes to shield
the poor creatures from the piercing cold. Mr..
De Lave, of the troape now performing at the
McPhail, having seen that his own daughter
was out of danger, and Mr.. j. E. Towers sup
piled his Captain McPhails) daughter with
shoes and carried her to place of safety
Generous merchants sent the sufferers word
that whatever they might need could be had at
their stores, begging that nothing be said about
the money. In marked contrast to these noble
deeds, however was the conduct of we'll
known dry goods merchant, who refused to let
sufferer have anything for his family without
the cash. 1t is hard to resist the temptation to
publish the name OF such person.
STATEMENT OF THE NIGHT CLERK.
Mr.. John H. Knowles, the night clerk of the
hotel yesterday made the following interesting
statement. 1t is q good account of the origin OF
the fire, and gives q clear insight into the con-
dition of affairs from the discovery of the
flames until the last man who escaped left the
buildiDg:-
"At eleven minutes past two o'clock l sent
the colOred nightwatch, Patrick Bird, up to the
servants apartment to awake the washerwomen
Pat had to go up to the third story and down
the back stairs to get into the servants apart
ment, and after he had been gone little while
he came running back and told me the house
was on fire. Mr.. j. B. Renauld, who was in the
Office at the time aud myself Immediately ran
up stairs We broke open the pantry door and
saw the flames issuing from one corner about
halfway up the ceiling. The stove pipe had
evidently set on fire the shelving, as it ran into
the wall amongst it. The flames were confined
to one corner of the room, and had made little
Nav airhf flxyh hatYa hoo
guished with five or six basins of water If they
had been at hand. ran back into the passage
for water, but found the hydrant frozen up.
''The room in which the fire originated was
used as pastry-room, and to keep the silver
ware. Failing to get any water from the
bydrant, snatched q basin that l found filled
with water in the kitchen. l ran back into the
room and threw this on the flames, but it turned
out that the dishes had been washed in it and
that it was greasy. 1t made the fire worse-fol
il hared up as if oil had been thrown upon it.
ran through each passage shouting fire. loud
as possible and knocking at the doors. l rar
over the house three times from top to bottom
woke up those on the first floor last Subse
quently I went up to the fifth story to my owr
room, hoping to save my trunk. l got hold o.
il and dragged 1t down TO the dining-room
(second) floor when / was taken deadly sicl
from exhaustion and suffocation and com
menced vomiting, and was forced to leave i
there.
''My room was on line with Robinson ant
Hines, and on the same floor. / saw nothing
OF either OF tnese RenLlealen. IL was lmpOSSlOli
to tell who had come down and who had not
unless one had had time to have gone in eacl
room, as there was SO much confusion ant
noise. Ross room was 43, fourth floor, directl,
over the Southern Express Company's Office.
he had awakened he could have easily steppe'
out of his window on the roof of Grants build
ing and escaped. Mr.. Thomas the agent of tn
Pilgrims Progress" was in a room just tw
doors from Ross, which fronted on the mali
hall. He paid his bill after tea Saturday even
ing, and was to have left for Washington on tn
SIS train, which, unfortunately for him, on aC
count of the ice blockade in the Potomac, di
not leave. He was up until half-past IL ocloc
with some friends, and went to bed after bid
ding them hearty good Christmas Ros
went to bed between 10 and IL. There was n
one in the room with him, and he must hav
perished without awakening.
''Messrs. Pace and Farris roomed together i
No. 81, which was also on the fifth floor. / di
not see Farris at all that night. Pace went I
bed between IL and 12 o'clock. Mr.. Robinso
sat up until between IL and 10 o'clock, then e
his key from me and retired. Mr.. Hines cam
in about o'clock, and imme diately went up
bed. Did not see either of these after the fl
broke out.
Everybody in the house had sufficient tin
10 escape If they could have been awakent
lgtieieptlY tQ have eeQmpTeheRded their danger