The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-04-19

rom the fourth story window, one of whom
seemed not to be dangerously hurt, while
the other expired in a few moments. A
woman in fifth story, on the Fifth Street {.
front, became panic stricken, and jumped L
out. She alighted on her feet, and WAS car q
ried to the st. James Hotel, still alive. Her .
husband, who had been standing by her side,
then tore up the bedding, and let the strip
SO made out of the window. To this the fire. 8
men attached rope, which the man hauled
up, making it fast to the window sill, and
safely descended by it. A man named J.
E. Wilson jumped from the fourth story ,
window and was killed, and Mr.. Ensman and
Mrs. Scott met their death in the same way.
The mortality among the female help of .
the hotel is feared to be great. There were
some two hundred of them, all of whom
were lodged in the upper story of the build
ing. The panic among them was perfectly
terrible, and number of them jumped
or rear side of the house. Among those
known to have been killed in this manner
were Bridget Mead, Mary Carey, Bridget
White, Ellen Reilly and several others, who
were carried away by their friends, and
whose Dames are not yet ascertained.
At 2:15 or about an hour after the fire was
discovered the entire roof was ablaze, and
the flames were rapidly descending to the
lower stories.
Half an hour later the floors and the in
terror walls began to fall. The roof next
fell in, and there is now nothing left of one
of the finest hotels in the country, except |
the Walnut Street front and parts of the
Fourth and Fifth Street faces.
VIM. Felix Munster, said to be member |
of the English House OF Commons, who |
was married in this city few months ago, |
was residing at the hotel with his wife.
| They became separated, and under the I'M
preston that she was killed, he became in
| tensely excited, and evidently lost his men
| tai balance. About six o. clock this morning
he went to the room of a friend at the corner
| of Fourth and Oliver Streets and shot him.
self. The Coroner held an inquest, but
! could not decide whether death was caused
by suicide or accident. There are various
reports regarding the matter, one to the
effect that he knew his wife was saved and
that he killed himself while laboring under
mental arrangement.
The origin of the Southern Hotel fire is
not yet definitely ascertained. Chief of the
Fire Department Sexton was on the ground
all day, his left arm in a sling from the re-
cent injury he sustained. He was by no
means mincing in his words concerning the
story about the ori gin of the fire. He plainly
said he did not believe it.
| His theory was that the fire did not start
in the store-room, as reported, but in the
wine-room, which is situated under the ele-
vator. The store-room is at least one hundred
feet away from the wine-room. There was
also an undue tardiness in giving the alarm,
and this can only be attributed to culpable
negligence.
The alarm had scarcely been sounded
, when Engine No. 6 was on the way to Fourth
, and Market the station from which the
alarm was sounded. When it arrived there
the fire was ascending the elevator in
columns, and it was impossible to cut it off.
All the engines were on the scene In good
time from the moment the alarm was
sounded, and the fire had gained too much
headway when they arrived to cut it off.
APRIL 12.-Fron n sixty to one hundred
E men have been put to work on the ruins by
y order of Mayor Overstolz, and this force
will be increased to one hundred and htty
or two hundred. The search is now pro
, crossing just underneath the rotunda, which
IS was raliying point for great number O
!, the terror-stricken inmates of the hotel. 1t
e is expected that some bodies will be fount
o there.
d Several interior walls which were unsaf
n have been pulled down, end all will b.
leveled SO that the men can work all owe
If the ruins without danger.
S, Mr.. Morrow, agent of a New York iewelr
4 house, lost sample trunk ccntainin,
SIT 900 worth of jewelry. This mornin
d the remains of the trunk were uneartheO
10 and between $400 and $500 worth of tn
e. The remainder of the jewelry was melted
al and is valueless, except as old metal. Som
manuscripts and papers belonging to Kat
o. Claxton were also found.
r. The body of a child, supposed to be Ii
ne tie girl, was found in tine ruins this evenin.
ms just under the Walnut Street entrance
os the hotel. 1t lay on a small mattress, an
W evidently fell from one of the upper st
fy ries. 1t was disfgured beyond recognition
rs, Mr.. Morrow, who recovered small pa
20. of his jewelry, has had four barrels file
ch with ashes taken from the locality where b
a trunk was found, and has sent them to Ne
York to be smelted.
'n' Of the two hundred employees of tt
on hotel, one hundred and ffty.nine have r
er- ported and others are expected to report t
,es morrow. 1t is not believed that many
Iv them are lost.
er- ing two ladies and little child arrived
re- the hotel and took quarters for the nigl
col intending to proceed on their journey
he the following morning. They have n
to since been seen, and there can be
~. doubt that they all persisted. Owing to t
LIS lateness of the hour at which this inform
SKIS ton was obtained, it was impossible to lea
v a the names of the party.
On Sunday evening there arrived at
,be hotel a lady and five children, the young
= of which was but an infant. They propos
''s remaining only few days. They had
or one to aid them at the moment when aid v
18th SO necessary, and not one of them has
Ella capped.
on APRIL 13.-To relieve the anxiety VIII
ars seems to prevail in some sections of
country respecting how many and who W
YES killed on the night of the fire, or II
-oiy since have died, the death list is reported
,rn- follows:
8 in Kew. A. K. Adams, of England; u
,inp Frank Gouley; Henry Hszen Mrs. W.
Stewart; Charles Trivan Andrew Eistm
81. ]. Clark and wife; Kate Riley, K
Dolan and Mary Moran, servants; v
I"D Felix Munster, of England. The
ter a suicide, committed under derau
ment brought on by intense excitement.
tiui Mrs. Scott, mother-in-law of Andrew E
ouls man, and frankie Mcclellan, the actr
ing who were dangerously injured, are slo
fern recovering.
lDer There are two or three others who had
e so pe broken, or were otherwise more or
nity hurt, but the above list comprises all v
con- believed nv anv one ubn is familiar u
anu, tse circumstances, that this number will
Il IL III materially increased.
ing The Coroner has selected six well kno
5ne and responsible citizens who will serve
.uea 1s his jury, and he will begin his investigat
,Se1 use, on Monday next.
This A force of about $50 men began W
!, eln- again at the Southern Hotel ruins this M
1 noh ing, and shortly afterward the body
ling woman was found on the Fourth Street
ohe' of the hotel, but was SO much burned
ue disfgured that it could not be reeogni
1t as taken to the morgue to await fur
ran Developments.
cart 3P. M.-Auother body, that of man,
crate lust been found, about FIVE feet from tn a
ense the woman discovered this morning.
we're BODY has not vet been recognized.
even probably will not be rs it is very ba
,g, a burned, and came to pieces while being
moved.
spot The remains taken from the ruins
1gre- evening. supposed to be those of a oh
rem proved on examination to-day to he tb
the of dog. The bodies of the man and wo
nests found to-day have been identified as
and Clark and wife, of North Adams, Mass.
rs OF lady was identified by the dress she W
pos and the gentleman by his watch.
10th "
were ~,,x NS
ling.
sank The custom of wearing long fin
yOus pa;Ia ohtoins omono tho oristooroo