The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-04-27

Destruction Of the southern Hotel nv Fire
and Loss Of Over Twenty lives.


The alarm Of fire which was soundc,
at ! O'Clock on the morning Of the 18th
and which quickly called out the entir
Fire Department Of the city, was IN,
quiet prelude Ia the greatest disaster
II. Louis has yet sustained, the extern
Of which may not be fully discovered fol
several days. Nearly upon the tentl
anniversary Of the burning II the mag
niiiccnt Lindel Hotel, the splendid
Southern Hotel has been swept away
more suddenly and by yet more fright.
ful confagraiion. The burning Of the
I.indel was disastrous because ~ the
immense destruction Of property; the
burning Of the Southern was YET more
disastrous because of the melancholy loss
Of human life and fearful circumstances
under which 50 many were hurried into
eternity No conflagration In st. Louis
has yet been attended with so great loss
Of life, unless We may except the de-
siruction Of the old Pacific Hotel. before
the War, when many were killed by the
flames and by madIy lcaping from win
dow~ ~ their effort ~ escape the flames
Al the l.indel conflagration the fire
burned for TWO hours IN the upper sio-
lies. giving time for the saving 81 life
and property: but AZ the burning III the
Southern Hotel the flames spread 80
rapidly after they were discovered in the
center Of the building, making crater
Of the elevator. selling upon the stair
cases. and filling all the halls and pass
agc-ways with fire and smoke. that al
most tie entire interior Of the building
vas IN a state ~ conilagraiion in IA in
crcdibly short space of time. cutting OIL
from inahy All chance ~ escape. and
putting The salvation VI property utterly
cut II the question.
Al this conilagration, no words could
picture the horror IT the terrible awak- !
cning Of the many inmates u the VAST
caravansary when they were startled 4
from the deepest and sweetest Slcep Of \
night some hy the alarm in the halls \
and a their doors. and Others bv the
glare ~ the light and the actual invasion
q their rooms by the flames, to find
themselves
Co>fKoNTEB WITH DEATH
IN H. most horrible form. Even before
the lids sealed BY sleep could fairly I'M
close before the sIumbering senses
could be aroused to comprehension of
the nature ~ the calamity and the AZ
tent Of the danger-fhe instinct Of self
preservation forced the aliirighted vic
TINS ont Of their beds and into the halls.
bllndly and wildly rushing hither and
ihIther-anNwhere. anywhere. ont If
ilane> seeking escape BIZ the inyolun-
tary action a their muscles. a. much NJ
ny the exercise Of intelligence.
There could ~ no thought az saving
property, however valuable. There was
ne time " consider apparel or appear
Ance \ icw hurried On this or that ar
IIclc "a clothing, but many issued forth
rom their rooms IN their night clothing.
INTENT ONLY IPoN ESCAPE.
n any attire and by any avenue. An
thoughts and feelings were swallowed
ip by the overwhelming desire for life. ,
ind Tears and Shame- which wonld hava ]
peen carefully considered IN hour b. Z
lofe were oyerpowercd and swept away 7
Z! 'he appalling presence of the most !
painful N deaths. MANY soon diScoy- I
Hreu, 'p their horror. that an avenues ~ 4
Escape had been cut OIL and rushed from :
contact with the flames ID look On death =
n ""o'n'r shape A the windows. whence 4
'nsy 4Azed from dizzy heights upon the 4
s"'g'hg crowd below. anxious but often 4
n.apr q assist them. Then ensucl 4 y
TERRIBLE AND TRAGIC SCENES. a
"me n which will never ~ recorded I,
= dcspairing dashc~ To the roofs ana II
'Nehlsnls below-of forms flung head 4
sns through the murky air to drop al y
, M WIZ sueh Sickcning thud- ~ sent y
i'"''','S through the streets full of peo-
~ solemn and final farcwclls by
'ose Who cla~pca hand. for The la.t n,
'e. = 'ic sight Of the multitude ~ they 4
II ~ N their journey 10 the unknown
'nl-~of prayers that seemed unayailing \,
~ se'ohg hearts battling brayely with ~
r""~-o patient and heroic endurance n
u ~ 'acc ~ fatc-of gallant rcscucs q
!" "''e'np's at rescuc-of splendid IN II.
ap1'S ~ sclf-sacriiice and hcroism az Y,
n 1. n'ehesl order. such ~ were Of them a.
iNcs sufficient to ~,
~ahh THE OCCASION MEMORABLE -,
N nalr-Drcadth escapes and PRAYERS ~ "
"nn giving OF crazed and half-crazed 4,
~P'c whose senses had not been i
!, ,"'u " knowledge of their saliva Il,
n, ~ had been forever dcadened by \,
\ !, "vrror that pressed upon them--of cit
\, n,,purniu gathering up of the dead RI
u s 'ne isnder and pitifl care Of the A.
arrcd aud shattered frame. II wb;ch II,
'e..was still left. " NM" @
d ,ne llrc had is origin In the store 4.
NM. mere seems % be no reason 10 ",
, Ows nat Further, the flames had All
.','''''nlca'ed well among the combusti- NJ,
" Material ~ that place and had almost m,
\ MIMI y, 'hc elevator before any body Al.
observed them. ' n
~ Loss or LIFE. ~
I. n.on VI, al interest conferred ON the NJ