The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1870-12-30
Burning Of the spa.swo,i Hotel, a. Richmond.

burning VI tne po-@Wo31 [1o194J % AICuIuonu'
The Spotswood Hotel, at Richmond, was
burned to the ground on Sunday morning
last, 25th, at about the hour of o'clock,
A. M. Fire was discovered on the lower
floor by the porter, and in twenty minutes
the flames spread to such an extent that
escape by the staircase was cut off. The
guests then commenced leaping from the
windows and descending by ropes made
from blankets and sheets. p. p Clarke,
of Philadelphia, the steward of the hotel,
leaped from the 3D. story, receiving mortal
injuries The most distressing scene ofthe
disaster was the appearance of Mrs Emily
Kennearly, of Baltimore, the housekeeper,
at q window in the fifth story, with one or
two other ladies, screaming for help. The
| fire companies ladders were put up, but
| failed by two stories to reach the window,
and while the firemen were making efforts
to lengthen the ladders, the crying women
disappeared in the thick smoke and were
| lost, the room frightened mp moment
later with the flames.
Up to noon Monday the only persons
burned whose names are known are: Eras-
mus Ross, clerk of the Libby prison dur
ing the var, Mrs. Emily Kennearly, house
keeper, who leaves a family in Baltimore,
Samuel w. Robinson, clerk with Euker &
Bro, and Samuel Hines, clerk with Melhi-
yer & Co. The register of the hotel was
destroyed. and it is impossible to say what
strangers are lost, though it is supposed
several have persisted, as there are about
dozen unclaimed trunks Of parties from
New York and other Northern cities.
1t is a notable fact that the fire, althouG h
destroying the block, left one store on the
corner, the same building that stopped the
confagation at the evacuation of Richmond.
The weather was so intensely cold that the
telegraph wires in front ofthe burning bull
ding were covered with ice while the fire
was raging. The fire steamers were en-
cased in ice an inch thick. Among the re-
markaole escapes was that of A. G. Shafter
State printer, who was in the fourth story
and escaped by dropping from window
cornice to window cornice until he reached
the ground safe, though badly burned
The correspondent of the New York Her
aid narrowly escaped.
The guests lost all their clothing and til,
ladies had to walk barefoot over snow t.
reach shelter. The total loss by the fire
is $780, 00-insured mostly in northern
companies. The business houses destroyed
|
Adams Express Company's Office, Howe
sewing machine store. and other smaller
stores.
RICHMOND, December 25.-The follow
ing are additional names of per ons wht
are known to have been burned to death il
the Spotswood Hotel: Fl. A. Thomas
agent for the panorama of the "Thc Pill
grims Progress" w. II. Pace. of Danville
Va, U. S. mail agent, and j. B. Fariss
messenger of the Southern Express Com
pany. The Snotswood Hotel was valued
at $4,000, and was insured in Northern
companies represented by D. n. Walker
for 100000. Branch & Currant were in
sured in the North British and Mercantile
for $4,000. Sublitt, Luck & Co., proprie
tors of the Spotswood, had the furniture
insured for $4,000, and wines and carpets
insured in tue North British for $1,000
The National Insurance Company of Bal
timore loses $4,000. All the goods ready
for delivery in the cellar of the Southern
Express Company were destroyed, and thu
oompanys money safes are burned in thu
ruins.
An incident of the fire was the appear
ancc Of man at one of the upper window.
'paral, zed by fear, who sat tearing paper
into small pieces and throwing them on
of the window until he fell back into the
flames. Among those who made narrow
escapes were NJ. Maillefert, of New York
engineer of james river distractions; S. A
Pearce ofColumbia, S. C, private secretary
. to Senator Spraguc; Mrs. Elizabeth Magill
proprietress of the theatre, and r. II. Sto
well, member of Congress. The De Lave
troupe lost their baggage.
The hotel register was found tonight
and there are only six strangers not &C
counted for. 1t is probable some of thu
citizens have taken some of them to thei
houses. The following are the names Of
the missing strangers: J. f. Wilcox, Lynch
burg; Nathan Bernstein, Washington; A
Leil, Tampa, Fla, E. George and E. H
Andrew, Syracuse, N. Y, Hearg, N. Y.
and John Il. Holman, Jr, Jackson, Tenn
Some of these are doubtless safe.
D. - nj oIp 20 n,rIn,