Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-04-16
THE MILLERsToWN CAL.
I.-- AMITY.

THE M1LLER8TOWN CAL
II - sAMITY.
A Hotel on Fire - Dreadful
| Scenes at Midnight-Leapin,
from Windows toEscape tn
F1ames-Seven Persons wer,
Burned to Death-The Tow,
Nearly Destroyed. III. rar
We take from the Pittsburgh Pa.) Com
mercial of April 2 the following accoun
of the Millerstown fire, Butler county
Pa, by which seven persons were fatal
ly burned, and about fifty bushes
houses and large portion of the tow
was destroyed, entailing loss of $500,
900. At 80 o'clock Wednesday morn
ing, a fire was discovered breakin.
from the basement story at the Contra
Hotel. J. A. Frisbee, the bar tender
who happened to be sitting up with
sick friend, discovered the fire, and i'm
mediately rushed through the halls t.
arouse the guests. There were includ
ing servants, q hundred souls in tn,
house, and directly the corridors be
came the scene of the widest dismay
Fortunately there were no lady guest
REGISTERED last night, or the story o
horror and death might have been i'm.
measureably more painful to DETAIL
The flames drifted up the wooden walls
and, quicker than it takes to tell it
spread over the entire southern side
and were curling in thousand tongue:
from cernice to gable. The heat had
the effect to crack all the windows on
that side Of the house, and admitted the
flame and smoke before the most expe-
ditious of the guests could put on their
clothing. Men rushed almost naked in
to the hall, some not even taking their
clething in their arms, and, anxious to
excape with their lives, tore up and
down the corridors, ,madly seeking some
outlet from the pursuing flames. The
widest horror prevailed. Shrek rose
upon shrek in heartrending accents, all
the more impressive because they came
from ef ra-' 30.
STRONG MEN GRAPHING WITH DEATH,
with the sdds so terribly against all
mere human power. Many on the low
er hall had found their way out of the
building, and the proprietor of the
house who was sick, had been borne
out. Fer an instant it was hoped that
all would escape, but again that hope
was dashed by the beseeching cries for
help by those who had fingered to dress
or in the excitement Of the dreadful
were unable to undo the fast
enings of their doors. To add to the
horror of the situati on, it was discover
ed that the flames had erept through
the southern sleeping rooms, and, fol-
lowing and draft along the corridor, had
cut off the servants escape from the at
tic. Between prayers and shrieks and
groans, the scene was now too much for
human hearts, knowing their utter ina
bility to render aid. Many turned
away from the sickening scene they
found it as difficult to endure as to re-
lieve. Some of the girls had the cour-
age and presence of mind to turn their
irapery over their heads for protection
and rush through the sheet of flame;
and thus some escaped. Others rushed
back to the north side and
CAST THEMSELVES FROM THE WINDOWS
upon the roof of the adjoining building
whence they were rescued. Others sank
oewildered in the suffocating smoke
md, like some Of the guests on the floor
below, yielded without struggle to the |
.errible death before them. The climax |
If the situation had not been reached |
I'LL Nelly McCarty, one Of the dining
'oom girls, appeared at the southern at
ic window and proposed to cast herself
% the ground, forty feet below. A
Warming cry rose from the crowd, but
he poor girl would not retreat, and
With wild cry of despair she cast her
'elf forth and fell, pitiful mass of bro
zen bones, upon the pavement. The
lanes were now spreading so rapidly |
hat every one turned to rescue his own |
Masses of sparks and burn
ng shingles were falling on the roofs
round. In half an hour the greater
'art of the town was burning, and wo-
men were rushing wildly to the fields,
lragging their children after them. No
water was to be get, and no resistance
vas made after the first feeble Effort
The scene at the Hanlon House was on
y repetition Of that which hardly a
minute before had taken place at the
CENTRAL, which was only acrsss a mar
ow street. The proprietors made every
fort to alarm the guests, and, from the
act that all the remains had clsthing
lpon them, had undoubtedly succeeded
n their duty, but they were forced to
lee, and when the flames had subsidized |
hree human bodies were observed to
'e roasting in the ruins, and like num-
yer were exposed to view upon the Goals
# the Central. |