Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-12-27
DOMESTIC iHTELLlcEH cE !
a Large Hstel Burned-RiRht Live
Laat-Terrible Acenea. .

degrees DelOW ZerO. nj a q
At Q o'clock this morning, just rs
the porter commenced waking the pas
ssngers for the Southern trains, the
Spottswood Hotel was discovered to be
on fire on the lower floor. An effort
was Immediately made to wake the
guests and the scene became indie
scribable. Men were rushing about
trying to save their baggage women,
nearly naked and %barefooted, fleeing
into the snow-covered streets. The
steam engines were promptly on hand,
but the water was frozen. It was
some time before the water could be
thrown on the building. The flames
spread to such an extent that escape
by the staircase vas cut of, and the
guests Commenced leaplng from the
window. p. P. Clarke, steward Of
the hotel, leaped from the third story,
receiving fatal injuries. Now, a most
fearful and frightful scene arose-the
appearance of Mrs. Emily Cornelius,
the housekeeper, at a window on the
fifth story, with one or two ladies
screaming for help. The fire com.
panies' ladders were put up but failed
to reach the window BY two stories.
While the firemen were endeavoring
to lengthen the ladders the crying
women disappeared in a thick smoke
and were lost, the room Frightening
up a moment after with flames. Up
to noon to-day the only persons burned
whose names are known are Erasmus
Ross, Mrs. Emily Cornelius, S. w.
Robinson and Samuel Hines. The
register was consumed and 1t Is impos-
siblc to give the names Of the strangers
who may be lost. Several are be-
lieved to have persisted, as there are
about a dozen unclaimed trunks be-
longing to persons from New York
and other northern cities.
The weather is so intensely cold that
telegraph wires In front of the burning
building were covered with Ice, aud
the fire steamers were eucased with
ice an inch thick. Among the remark
able escapes vas that Of G. Shlfer,
attached to the Office Of tho State
Printer, who was In the fourth story
and escaped by dropping from window
cornice to window eornice until he
reached the ground. He was badly
burned. A correspondent Of the New
York Herald had q narrow escape. The
guests lost all their clothing and the
ladies had to walk barefoot over the
snow to places Of shelter. Tho total
loss Is 1900. 600. The business houses
destroyed were Branch & C%urrant's
crockery store, the United States Ex-
press Office and other smaller stores.
Lnter.
Evening -Tle following are addi-
tional names Of persons who are
known to have been burned to death:
II. A. Thomas, agent Of the Panorama
of the Pilgrims Progress w. II.
Pace, of Virginia II. B. Farris, mes
.enger of the Southern Express Com
pany. Seven other guests of the hotel
are missing. The hotel was valued
at $l4O, 900; insured for $4,000. All
the goods ready for delivery In the
cellars of the Southern Express Com
pany were destroyed. The company's
money and safes were buried In the
ruins. a-A
sun Litter. s. VsxEC
RICnMoND, December 26. Eight
persons arc known to have persisted by
the burning Of the Spottswood Hotel.
A number of the missing have turned
up, but there are several others of
whose safety there Is little hope.
q. The James river was frozen over this
morning. @h'"
Miseellanesus. THpgsl
PoUonKEErsIE, December pa fire
to-day destroyed nine business places
on Main street and two on Garden
street. The loss is heavy-the amount
cannot be ascertained tonight.
CHICAGO, December 2G.-To-day was
generally observed as a holiday by
business circles.
The weather is much more moderate
to-day. The mercury was above zero
all day. Tonight It Is ten degrees
above.
Accounts from the Interior saythat
1t Is intensely cold. On Saturday, at
Springfield, ILL.,, the thermometer was
eighteen degrees below zero.
HARRlsoNBuRo, Va, December 26.-|
A fire between 4 and 5 o'clock burned
a large number Of the principal busl-
ness in the town, destroying an entire
square before the flames were subdued.
Loss, 800, 900; insured for $500 0