The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-04-18
The Southern Hotel InyestIga.
ffOn.

bT. LOUIS, April 1.-THE corOleF'l
jury resumed their investigation Of the
fire this morning. The first witness, ].
H, Weber, assistant observer in the u. s
signal service, testified: When the alarm
struck the gong in the signal service
office, in the top story OF the insurance
building, corner Sixth and Locust streets
he went to window and saw the rool
and upper story OF the hotel in flames
Henry Hamer, keeper OF the store room
oil the hotel, made diagram of thG
room, explained its relative position TO
the other parts Of the basement, engine
room, &c., and described its contents,
The walls Of the store room were wood
and wooden partition divided it in two
rooms; in the inner room there, nearest TO
the baggage elevator, there was pile OF
mattresses and hair or moss, and a large
box Of matches standing on the floor.
about II ieet from the hair. The steam
pipes heated the building and supplies
steam 10 the elevator. The engine ran
through the store room about s feet from
the match box; some Of these pipes were
covered and some uncovered; they made
the room too hot; was necessary to have
grated windows and q grated door to the
room to admit Of circulation Of air.
He was on duty from 4 in the morning
until Q in the evening, but on the night Of
the fire did not leave till Z O'Clock,
Gave the key Of the store room to son of
Geo. Darling, one OF the proprietors, when
Ileit the house. Everything was safe then.
Had no knowledge Of the Origin Of the
fire and heard no statements relating
thereto by any OF the employees. Didn't
lodge in the house and knew nothing of
the fire till next morning.
None OF the employees who have thus
far testified could tell at what time the
fire was discovered or how it originated,
but they all agree that when they left the
basement there was fire in the fifth and
sixth stories, which they could plainly
see from the ground.
Isaac Cook, Of the American Wine Co.,
border, testified as follows: Was sitting
in his room on the third floor when he
heard the cry Of FIRE; it was about 90
minutes past o'clock; ran out and found
the halls full Of people; saw Mr.. Darling
on the second floor; he was assuring
everybody that there was no danger and
urged them TO return to their rooms; some
started to do 80 and held back others who
more fully realized the danger. Captain
Warner, another Of the proprietors,
took different view OF the case and urC.
ed witness and others to leave the house
and take their effects; when he reached
the street, about 1:S0, did not believe the
fire department, could save the house:
heard roaring noise in the baggage elG.
vator like locomotive furnace; believed
the fire was rushing up it; had previous.
ly noticed that the walls OF this elevator
were thick with grease.
Geo. W. Ford, night clerk, testified
1t was 1880 by the hotel clock when he
first smelled the smoke. The clock was
probably ten minutes faster than the city
time. He at once sent notice to the
engine room and had Mr.. Sheperd called,
Rung both gongs in the Office and kept
them ringing, and when the messenger
returned from the basement and an.
nounced that the house was on FIRE he
sent boy to give the general alarm and
three other boys to rouse the guests.
Also shouted fire under the rotunda,
which reached to the roof, and could have
been heard all over the upper floors.
Also sounded the district telegraph alarm
and the salvage corps arrived In min.
utes. A few moments later engines began
10 arrive. Witness then went 10 the upper
floors assisted the women in getting out
Inf Nhn. knnbn Tkn Ern al
the hotel gave no alarm till after the ep.
gines had arrived. When he reached the
street the building was too far gone to be
saved. lie thought the fire had gone u .
the baggage elevator, which went to the
basement floor and up the servants stair.
way, which adjoined il. He thought the
fire might possibly have been conquered
had the baggage elevator been raised part
way 30 as 10 break the draft. There was
but one hose nozzle in the building above
the office floor, although there were nn.
merous coils of hose and water pipes on
each floor to which the hose could be
attached. He felt confident that not
more than seven minutes elapsed between
the time he discovered the fire and the
arrival Of the engines.
&. a. kGrner, n guest, refuted the
statement made by Mr.. Welch, Of Topeka,
Kansas, that there was strong smell OF
burning wood in room 10 as early as 6 p,
NJ. on the night of the fire. Witness oc.
Cupied that room and there was no such
odor at II p. NJ, when he retired.
TESTIMONY OF CAPT. THOMPSON.
Capt. Thompson, master OF the steamer
Grand Republic, testified: Was sleeping
on the third floor; heard the alarm Of fire:
called his wife and went out OF the room:
found the hall full Of smoke; descended to
the parlor floor; met Mr.. Darling, who
told them there was no danger; took
my wife back to the room; came out
again; met Capt. Warner, who told them
they must get out; finally left the house
by the ladies' entrance on 9th street;
knew oino appliances for putting out fires
in the house; had seen nozzles on different
floors; when he left the hotel he did not
think any fire department could put out
the fire; saw the Skinner fire escape at
work; thought it very slow and thought
the fremen slow in getting the ladders up |
to the windows; did not blame Mr.. Dar.
ling for trying to quiet the people by aay.
ing the fire was out.
David A. Hagan, night bell boy, swore
that he was sweeping out the billiard
room when he noticed smoke. He went
to the office, and was told to go 10 the
basement and see where the fire was. He
went down and found the store room on
Ere and the flames running along the
wood partition towards the baggage ele. |
vator, and the draft was already Ip the
elevator. He returned to the Office aud |
told Clerk Ford that the house was on Gre,
This was ten or fifteen minutes past one |
by the office clock. The alarm was i'm. |
mediately given by Mr.. Ford, who went
up stairs and called Messrs. Shepherd
and Darling. The latter was in the club |
room. He told him the house was on fire
and then went along the halls knocking
at the doors ofthe rooms and crying FIRE, |
When he reached the parlor hoor Mr., |
Darling was trying to quiet the ladies
there, saying the fire would soon be out. |
Just as Darling said this the flames burst
through the back stairs. He then went
and broke open the door OF the ladies'
entrance on Filth street, which was lock.
ed, and the ladies rushed out. Neither
Darling or Shpnhard toId bip, N caII ,ho