Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-12-28
VIRGINIA.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRES AT RICHnONn
AND HARRISONBURG.


RICnMoND, Dec. 2G.-Thc Spotswood
Hotel and all the buildings on that block
which were the finest in the city, were
burnt at two o'clock this morning The
! business houses burned were: Branch d
Currents crockery store, Adams Express
Company's office, Howc's sewing machine
store, and many smaller stores
Tho weather was the coldest that has
been experienced here for l3 years. The
ground was covered with snow. The thcr-
momcter was five degrees above zero
Al quarter past o'clocl. as the porter
was waking the passengers for the South
ern train, fire was discovered in the base
ment I'm effort was Immediately made
to wake thegucsts. The scene is indesorib-
able. Men were rushing about trying to
save their baggage Women half naked
and barclootcd rushed into the snow-cov-
cred streets. The engines were promptly
on the spot, but the water being frozen
caused n delay. Refogc the elapse of 20
| minutes the flames prevented any escape
| To be made be the stair cases, The guests
| commenced jumping from their windows
| and lowering themselves by blankets and
ropes.
p. P.Clark steward was fatally iniuredb 10y
| leaping from the third story. Mrs. Emily
! Cornelius with two or three other ladies ap-
peared ut window in the fifth story
screamngfor help. The firemen's ladders
failed to reach them by two stories. While
the firemcn were endeavoring TO lengthen
them they disappeared in black smoke,
ln i.pI, mi
later with flames. Persons known to have
been lost up To noon to-day are:
Erasmus Ross, clerk of Libby Prison
during the war; Mrs Emily Cornelius,
housCkocpcr; Samuel w. Robinson, clerk
with IIuker " Bro, and Samuel Hines,
clerk with Milhi2cr y Co Wilcox, of
| LSnchhurg, and Walden, of Chesterfield,
are safe. HaImar, of Jackson, Tennessee,
Is known TO he lost, making the Stll victim
of the fire still missing, for whom there il
little hope.
James river is frozen over.
The register of the hotel was destroyed.
Ii II impossible t0 say what strangers
are lost.
There are about Il dozen unclaimed
trunks of parties from New York and
other Northern cities.
1t il noticeable fact ,hat the fire left -
building on the corner.
A. G. Shaftcr, State printer, escaped
from the fourth story by stepping from
! window cornicc 10 window cornicc reach
ing the ground badly burned, but was other.
wise uninjurcd.
A correspondent of the New York JL,r-
aid narrowly escaped.
The guests lost all their clothing.
$500, 900 of the loss was insured mostly in
Northern offices.
The following additional names of per-
son. are known to be lost:
4 Thomas uUant a pannp1u
the Pilgrims Progress w. ii. Pace, Dan
Vile, Va, United States Mail Agent, and
J. Il. Farrs, Messenger of the Southern
Express Company.
The Spottswood hotel was insured for
100000.
Sablett, Luck & Co., had $50, 600 insurance
on furniture, and 81 600 on wines and car
pets.
The National Insurance Company, Oi
Baltimore, losses are s., 900.
All the goods ready for delivery in the
Southern Express office Were burned.
A man was seen at an upper window ap.
parently paralyzed, tearing paperinto small
pieces which he threw into the streets
until he fell back into the flames and per
ished.
Among those that made narrow escapes
were NJ MaillefOrth, of New York, onEi-
neer of the James River distractions; o.
a. Pearee, of Columbia; ;. c., private
secretary OF SeIalOF PpIaguei anu lHt
proprietress of the theatre.
The Delane troupe lost all their baggage.
The hotel register has been found. Only
six strangers are unaccOunted for.
The following are the names of the mis-
sing strangers: J. +. Wilcox, Lynchburg,
Va; Nathan Bernstein, Washington \.
Leil, Tampa, Fla.
HARRIsoKBURG, Dec. 2G.-There We're
Il large number of business houses burned
this morning between the hours of four
and five O'Clock. The following were to-
tally destroyed: the First National Bank,
the weekly Enterprise office, AZ the en-
tire square.
The American hotel, on the opposite
side OF Main street, was considerably dam
aged.
Mr.. Swit2er and son were badly hurt.
The loss is Sl00,000. Insured for about
half
Accidental Deaths
The Chattanooga Times says colorcd man
WAS drowned near that city on Friday evening