The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-12-28
Ghe0tteligercer:
ANOTHER RICHMOND HOR-
ROR.
SpOttswOOd Hotel Burncd.-.Seven
Persons Perish in the Flames...
Seven Others Missing.

EcFsOnS FeFlSh IN the FIameSsss
Seven Others Missing.
RICHMOND, Va, Dec. 25.
Last night was the coolest for thirteen
years. The ground was covered with
snow, and the thermometer indicated five
degrees below zero. At II quarter past
two this morning, rs the porter had COM
menced Weakening passengers for the
Southern train, the SpOttswOOd Hotel was
discovered to be on fire on the lower
floor. An effort was Immediately made
to waken the guests, and the scene be-
came indesCribable. Men were rushing
about trying to save their baggage, and
women, nearly naked and barcioolGd
fleeing into the snOw-Covered streets,
The steam fire engines were promptly nj
hand, but the water being frozen, it was
sometime before the water could be
thrown on the building. In twenty min.
utes the flames spread to such an extent
that cscap0'by tho staircase was cut oil,
The guests then commenced lCaping
from the windows. p. p. Clark, OF Phil
adelphia, steward Of the Hotel, leaped
from tho third story, receiving fatal in
juries.
The most fearful scene of tic disaster
was the appearance of Mrs. Emily Ken
nearly OF Baltimore, the housCkeeper, at
u window in the fifth story, with ono or
two other ladies, screaming for help. The
fire companies ladders were put up, but
failed by two stories to reach the window.
While the firemen were endeavOring to
lengthen the ladders the crying women
disappeared in the thick smoke, and were
lost, the room Frightening up moment
after with flames.
Up to noon today the only burned
whose names are known are Erasmus
Ross, clerk of Libby Prison during the
war; Mrs. Emily Kennearly, hoIsckecper;
Samuel w. Robinson, clerk with EnkCr
g. Bro, and Samuel Hines, clerk with Mil
hcscn & Co. The register Of the hotel
was consumed, and it is impossible to give
the names oil strangers who may be lost.
Several are believed to have persisted, as
there are abOuta dozen unclaimed trunks
of persons from about New York and
other Northern cities.
The weather was so cold that the tcle-
graph wires in front Of the Currency
Building were covered with ice, and the
fire steamers encased with iCeaa an inch
thick.
Among the remarkable escapes vas
that of G. s. Heftu, attached to the Office
of the State Printer, who was in the fourth
story, and escaped by dropping from win.
dow COrnicG to window CornicG till he
reached the ground. He was badly burn
1 FI'1,n F,nRrnaTnnIuMI nt Tho
New York Herald had II narrow escape
The guests lost all their clothing, and the
ladies' had TO walk barefoot over the snow.
The total loss is 100000. The insurance
is mostly in Northern companies Several
business houses were destroyed, among
them Branch Il Currant's CrOCkcry store,
Adams Express Compan's office, and other
small stores.
The following arc additional names of
persons who are known to be burned To
death in the SpottswOOd Hotel: II. A.
Thomas, agent Of the Panorama of the
Pilgrims Progress; w. II Pace, OF Dan.
vile, Va, United State Mail Agent, and
j. B. Faris, messenger Of the Southern
Express Company. The SpOttswOOd lIO-
tel was valued at $4,000, and insured in
northern companies. MCsSrs. Lubtcll,
Luck & Co., proprictors Of the Spots
wood, had their furniture insured for $3O,.
900, and winOS and carpets for seven tAOrl-
sand dollars in the North British Comps
nv. All the goods ready for delivery in
the cellars of the Southern Express Com
pany were destroyed. The companys
money saies are buried in the ruins.
An incident of the fire was the appear
ance of u man Mt one Of the upper win.
dows, who sat tearing paper into small
pieces and throwing them out Of the win
dow till he fell back. Among those who
had very narrow escapes were NJ. Nellie
fcrt, of New York, engineer OF the James
river distractions; S. A. Pcarcc, OF Co.
umbia, S. c., private Secretary Of Semi
tor Spraguc, and Mrs. 4. NINgill, propric.
tress OF the theater ThGDe Lave troupe
lose their baggage.
The hotel register was found tonight,
and only six strangers have not been
found. It is probable some citizens have
taken some to their houses. The name
of the housckccper burned was, Mrs Emil
" KennGarly. The following arc the
names of tic missing strangers: ]. II.
Wilcox, Of Lynchburg. N. BlcmStein, Of
Washington; A. r. Leib, of Tampa, tlort'
da; George and E. II. Andrews, OF SYRIA
cuse, New York; II. G. Crotle, Of New
York, and John II. Holman, of Tcnnes'
sec.
MIR. A. r. Leib, one of the missing
special agents Of the Treasury Depart
ment, arrived in Washington, Monday
evening, and gives the following particu-
lars:
lie states that he was guest at the
SpottswOod Hotel, and occupied the room
directly over the wine.roOm in which the
fire broke out. He had LEFT word to be
called for the Southern train, and was
awakened by q cracking noise, which he
supposed was caused by the porter kind
ling. n fire in the adjoining room. Aitcr
some delay, he arose and dressed himself,
md was Just leaving the room when n
bright lightsho through tho window
and, returning to seek the cause Of it, he
saw the flames shooting upwards from
the window beneath.
A lady opposite ut that moment cx-
claimed, "Thc house Is on firc~ Telling
her she could escape easily, and not to he
unnecessarily arlArmed, he at once pro-
Ceedcd to wake the guests on the same
floor that he occupied, going round the
entire building, and returning, gave the
alarm on the floor above, and then pro.
ceeded to assist II friend remove his wife
and children.
So many people had crowded down the
stairway 10 the eastward (thc ladies en-
trance) TINT the outer door could not be
opened. Many tainted, ind exit was pre-
vented for time, but u sufficient number
o,onv,oJ mr. ,,,nrr bnrnn ont nv tho central