The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-04-14
Incidents of tho ST. louis Fire.

retired. An hour afterward he awoke, hear
ing loud cries OF "Fire" on the street
below. Hearing no alarm from the hotel.
office, be says he remained perfectly quiet
until he heard the shrieks OF women on the
floor below. Hcwent out without dressing,
and found the staircase and corridor thor
oughly filed with smoke. He never re-
turned to bis room, aud was nearly choked
to death when he reached the exit on Fifth
street. Mr.. Pulitzer thinks that the alarm
bell never was sounded inside OF the hotel,
and people on the street told him the fire
was observed from the street nearly twenty
minutes before the fire-a!arm was given.
a sUPrLICATIoN, THEN A HURRAH.
A thrilling scene was witnessed at the
cast front at about $50 O'Clock. A number
OF people had been taken out Of that por-
ton OF the building by means Of the Skin
ner truck, which had then been removed,
it being supposed that that side had been
cmpticd Of its inmates. Suddenly ut one
Of the windows on the fourth floor man
appeared in night-dresS. CHANGING around,
he seemed to realize his situation perfectly.
TIE ladder had been taken away, and be-
low him was a sheer descent OF sixty feet.
To lump was certain death. "Wlat shall
| do ?" he asked. '.Stay where you are,'
answered the crowd, aroused to clear ap-
probation Of the immincncc OF the dam
ger and OF the possibility OF securing
help. "God deliver mel" he exclaimed,
looking up at the ]urid sky, and down
at the floors below him. now all ablaze.
He looked up at the sky and clasped
his hands in prayer. "Lord, for Jesus
sake" could be easily heard by the throng
below. claimed into perfect silence. 1t
seemed hours before the truck was brought.
Lord, for Jesus sake" he cried. Stand
where you arc" said fifty voices. The truck
finally came and was raised to the window.
Two tiremen went up and put the man on
the ladder. He came down slowly, his limbs
trembling beneath him. At the bottom he
raised himself up to his full height. "HrT-
rah for st. Lollis,'' he cried; "New York
amt dead yet" Then raising bis hand up
to the Sky, he said in lower tone: "Lord
forgive me for every SIN that L have ever
committed. TO think OF having your door
opened with a cry, and the whole build
ing on fire, and then to get out! Lord. |
thank thee. I have been in fires before,
and in battles, and fights, but this beats
ALL He was too much excited to give any
rational account OF himself, and was hllr-
ried away in an overcoat which had to be
forced on his shoulders and held there by
the two strong frcmen, who escorted him
to 4 place Of safety.
BRAVE GIRL.
At one point, after much delay, ladder
was put up with the view Of rescuing the
occupants OF the fifth and sixth stories, but
it was found far too short for the work. y
couple of tircmen assembled the ladder with
Il rope. which was caught and secured to
an iron pillar in the fifth story. Soon Il
white form was seen fitting down the side
OF the house. There was now slide OF
ten or fifteen feet, and again the slide was
short and ierkcy; now the foot rested Il
moment in cernicc-work, and again upon
the window-sill The form was evidently
feminine, but the grasp on the rope was q
sure one. and as the crowd caught glance
Of the white figure gliding down the side
OF the building, they realized the situation
and sent up shout. The name OF the
young lady who made the first descent
was 4 Miss Clara Hardy. Others followed
her aud were saved. .. .
A THRILLING SPECTACLE.
As soon as all on the fifth story had been
rescued by means Of the rope the ladder
was run up to the upper story, and the first
one taken out was young lady dressed in
white. The solitary fireman away up at
the head of the ladder could be seen taking
the young lady as she swung by means OF a
rope from the window and guiding her
carefully to the ladder. The smoke-cloud
again blew across the topmost stories, and
the scene was again shut out from below.
AS soon as the crowd were able to discern
what was going on the brave fireman could
be seen slowly moving down along the lad
der, rung after rung, bearing upon his back
the young lady he had so CALAMITY rescued.
She was clinging to him with her arms about
his neck, and was evidently so intent on
escape that when several of the fireman's
comrades came to his rescue and offered to
relieve him Of his charge she absolutely re.
fused to let go her hold.
LAST FAREWELL.
4 most pathetic scene was witnessed by
alnany of the spectators on the Fourth-streel
side Just as the danger appeared most lmlnl'
nent. In the tifth-story window, upon q
background of lurid fame, might be seen
the Drofics OF 4 man and woman shaking
hands and taking 4 last farewell OF each
other. They had stood at the window and
appeaed for aid until hope gave out, and
lust when they felt the volumes OF smoke
overcoming them, and saw the flames appa-
rentlv stretching toward them with rapid
strides, they fell into each others arms and
disappeared.
TBy telegraph d
ABOUT TWENTY OF THE SOUTHERN HOTEL EN-.
pLoYEES AND THIRTY-EIGHT OF THE GUESTS
STILL MISSING. So,
ST.. LOUIS, April 13.-Charles, w. Shep-
pard, one OF the proprietors OF the hotel,
gives it as his opinion that none OF the en-
ployes Of the house, excepting those hereto
fore reported. were killed. About twenty
OF them are still unaccounted for, but it is
believed they are alive-either. with friends
in remote parts Of the city, or have left
town. OF the guests, thirty-eight have not
reported, but the reasonable presumption
is that most OF them left the city the day
following, the fire, or have since departed.
The remains Of George Frank Gouley
Grand Masonic Secretary, were removed to
the Grand Lodgc-room, in Masonic Hall,
this noon, where they will lie in state till
Sunday, when the funeral will take place.
Extensive preparations arc being MADE Tor
this event. ... '.......:
FIGHTING HEB WAY OUT.-The special
of the Tribune says: Miss Kate :ClaXton's
experiences with the fiery clement have been
the means Of making her most notable
person. She was a prominent figure in
the record of the Brooklyn fire, where seye-
raj hundred lives were lost, and her visit to
St. Louis has added to her reputation for
good fortune in time Of peril. Thus far in
her present engagement of 1.-THE Two
Orphans" at the Olympic she has been quar-
tered at the Southern, and occupied room
on the third floor. She was awakened from
a sound sleep by a loud cry Of :'Fire y