The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-12-28
Another Terrible Dlsaster aa Riohmond.
The Richmond papers of the 28th con-

Another Terrible Dlsaster aa Riohraond.
The Richmond papers Of the 28th con-
tain lengthy details ofiths aatalsreaalts
attending the bpfningSfs she ApassvaSod
Hotel, on the morning Of the 25th inst
TrulySthat billy city id famed; for its
fatal ACCIDENTS:
The Spotswood Hotel and all the block
on whioh 1t tstood-the finest in the city
was burned before daylight of the morn
ing of the 25th. The business houses
burned were p. Currant's crookery store,
Adams Express Co.'s Office, Hove's and
Grover & Bakers sewing machines, W.
j. Anderson's stoves and tinware, J. II.
Marsh, music dealer, and other smaller
stores. The weather was the coldest
known for thirteen years; the ground
was covered with snow, and the thermo-
meter five degrees above zero. At about
quarter past Q. the night watchman dis
covered fire in the basement, in room
nsed as pantry. An effort was imme.
diately made to arouse the sleeping
guests, when scene Of iadescrihable
confusion and excitement followed. Men
rushed wildly about, trying to save their
baggage, and women, half naked and
bare-footcd, ran into the snow-covered
streets. Engines we're promptly on the
spot, but the water being frozen, it oc-
casioncd delay. Before twenty minutes
elapsed. the flames prevented escape by
the stair-cases. and the guests commenced
jumping from the windows and lowering
themselves by blankets and ropes.
P. II. Clarke, the steward, was futally
injured by leaping from the third story.
Ire ilx,K IL &So
with two other ladies, appeared at n win
dow in the fifth story, screaming for help,
but the fremen's ladders failed to reach
endeavoring to lengthen them, the ladies
disappeared in the blaze and smoke, the
room Frightening in few moments later
with the flames. The persons known to
have been lost are the following: Erasmus
Ross, clerk of the Libby Prison during
the war; Mrs. Emily Kennearly, house
keeper of the Spotswood; Samuel w.
Robinson, clerk with Euker e. Brother;
Samuel Hines, clerk with Milhser & Co. !;
J. F. Wilcox, of Lynchburg, Va; Heury
Klatte. Of New York; John II. Halmap,
Jr., of Jackson. Tennessee; ii. A. Tho
mas, agent panorama of the Pilgrims
Progress; W. 81. Pace, of Danville. Va,
United States Mail Agent, and j. b. Far
r,s, messenger of the Southern Express
Company. There are about dozen
unclaimed trunks of parties from New
York and other Northern cities.
It is noticeable fact that the fire left
one building on the corner-the same
TINT checked the confagration On the
evacuation of the oity in 1865.
A. G. Shaffer, the State printer, es-
capped from the fourth story by dropping
from tho window cornice to the sill he.
low, where the firemen's ladders reuched
him, and he was thus enabled to save
himself, with but few slight burns. A
reporter Of New York paper also mar
rowly escaped. The most of the guests
lost all their clothing. The total loss is
over $500. 900; insurance in Northern
companies principally.
The Spotswood Hotel wns valued Mt
Si40. COO, and was insured for $50, 600.
Snblet, Luck & 20. had $4,000 insu-
rance on the furniture, and $1,000 on
the wines and carpets. All the gods
ready for delivery in the Southern Ex-
press Office were burned. A man was
seen at an upper window, apparently
paralyzed by fear, tearing paper into
small pieces, which he threw into the
streets, until he fell back into the f1amea
Among the narrow escapes were those of
NJ. Mnile. of New York, the engineer
OF the james River Distinctions; 8. A.
Pearco. of Columbia, s. c., tho secretary
of Senator Sprague; Mrs. Magill, the
proprietress of the theatre, and r. H.
Stowell, member of Congress. The
DeLave Troupe lost their baggage. The
hotel register has been found. and only
six strangers are unaccounted for.
Charles +. Janney, of Columbia, s.
c., escaped, and saved all his effects,
even to novel. He is ut the Exchange
Hotcl. S. Friedman. of New York, also
escaped. without injury or loss of pro-
perty.
Those who escaped say that in space
Of time almost incredibly short the
smoke had filled the whole house, and
the flames made their way through the
thin wood work partitions with fearful
rapidity. The Fire Department. not
withstanding the extreme cold, was on
the ground with remarkable promptness,
but the wnter could not be made 80
speedily available. In less than half an
hour fire was observed Oh every ono OF
the five floors, and the passages were
choking with hot air and almost impal-
puOle ashes The scene was now one of