Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1871-01-04
DESTRUCTIVE FIRES.


Lives and Properly Destroyed in Rich
m@d, Va.
Alta quarter past two o clock, on Christ
mas morniug just IS the porter commenc'
ed waking passengers for the Southern
train, the SpottswoOd Hotel in the city
Of Richmond, was discovered to be on
fir. in the lower floor. An effort was im-
media,ely made to wake the guests and
the scene became indiscribable. Men were
rushing abont trying to save their bag
gage, and the woman. nearly naked and
bare.footed fleeing into the snow-eovered
streets.
The steam engines were promptly on
hand, but the water being frozen, 1t was
some time before it could be thrown on
the building. In twenty minutes the
flames rpread to such IN extent thAs
escape by the staircase was cut oH lhe
guests then commence leaPing from the
windows, and lowering themselves by
ropes maze from blankets into the streets
PIP. Clark, of Philadelphia, the steward
Of the hotel leaped from a third-story
window, receiving mortal injuries.
The most painful scene Of the disaster
was the appearance Of Mrs. Emily Cor
nelius, Of Baltimore. the housekeePer, at
window on 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. While the fremeD were max
ing efforts to lengthen the ladders the cry
ing women disappeared in the thick
smoke and were loet, the room brighten
ing up moment after with the flames
Another account of how the Mrs. Cor-
neilus, the housekeeper Of the hotel. In
vain wa, che urged to BY the proprietor.
Mr.. Luck, to escape but she wanted
her trunk. This she got but the n she
wanted to have something else, and at
last all the avenues Of escape were cut
off, and she was swallowed up by the de-
vouring element.
1t i.a noticeable fact that the FIRE.
after destroying the block, left one store
on the corner, the same builning that
stopped the conRasation at the evucua-
ton Of Richmond.
The weather was 30 intensely cold
that the telegraph wires m front Of the
burning building were covered with ice
While the fire was raging the fire steam
ers were encased in ice an inch thick
A correspondent Of the N. ]. Herald
notices a chivalrous act as follows: Here
saw the wife OF Capt. M'Phail in her
bare feet, with blanket wrapped around
her, while her husband, half dressed.
carried their infant child. whose piteous
cries could be heard above the din Of the
falling timbers and cracking floors. But
here was an act of chivalry worthy of
mention A young man named Tower.
sprang forward, pulled Of his shoes and
gave them to the lady, and divesting
himself Of his overcoat, wrapped the
child in it and carried it distanse OF sew
eral squares to the house of friend Of
NJ, ,Phail's. Eight persons are known to
have perished.
An incident of the fire was the appear
ance of man at the upper windows. par
ally zied by fear, who sat tearing paper
into small pieces and throwing them out
the window till he fell back into the
flames.
On the same m 'rning destructive fire
broke out at llarrisonburg. Va. No lives
lost here. The destruction of property
will amount to 100000.
Since that date fires have prevailed i'm
Cornwall. Canada. loss sl5O.OO0. Over
two hundred persons were thrown out of
employment. At st. Thomas. Canada ,
$4,000 worth Of property destroyed 1t
is believed that two lives were lost here
And fire in Baltimore, in which sl5,-
900 worth of property was destroyed !;
also fire in Poushkeepsie. n Y, at
which place $4,000 worth Of property
was destroyed; besides other places
Throughout sbe country too numerous to.
mention,