, 1877-04-12
sr. Louts, April 11.-Ths following is ths Ia

Tho s: O5 train Inst evening on tho Chicago, Alton
i St. Louis Hallway brought to thla city from g.
Louis Mr. 0eorge Straut, Of Chicago, Director In
tho Chicago i Alton Company and the rreai1ent Of
the Jacksonville Division Of that road. A TRIBUNE
reporter ws4 at the depot tho arrival OF tho train
IN search OF people arriving in from st. Louis aud
at once lighted On Ar. slfaut, who happened 10 be
the only one from tha& cLty who had auy personal
knowledge Of tho terrlbse calamity Of yesterday
morning. 1lr straut wAa welcomed 1t the depot
by bis wife and little boy, who were over}oyed to
receive him hack again, especially after an ercapo
pnes On arriving, he at ouco repaired to tho Tse.
mont House, whore, af.oF supper, hs readily &C.
corded the reporter M audience and &ayo the fol-
lowing account 0! bis eecape:
~ left here last Monday night, " said he, t'hn.
s1shed up my business yeatefslsJ In It, Louis. aud
intended 10 return sat night; but ~ al tho lower
borths on The uAIu ws.s taken concluded " 70.
main ovsr night and have . good nights sleep At
the Southern, whcre was staying. had Room
13o On tbs thisd door, THAT Ia, the secoad aboyo
ths onlco,-ftouting on Fourth stsest, and retired
pretty early. l sept very soundly. for was
quito tired. Tha tst alarm heard viz tho cry
OF "FiEei" soma time between and o'clock In
tho morning. couldn't tell whether this cry was
uttsrud tn, ,tha house or whether y came from tho
onAids got np buried t1to my clothes,
ass .a sr s.dns q t1o paflos oos I'D
starred 70 90 down. ssw nothing exciting until
reached The paslot door, aud there ! taw great
clad simply in thotr night clothes and othefs pro-
1lded with shawls which they had hastily. pseked
up. All were nreztly terrified. The pallor door
wAA
Y1LLHp WITH sMoKH,
and It eams pouring Up tas main stairway leading
S s ss's a0' w Sfs
eersss nambefs. iii Of 1hem IN III assny ot tertof,
md working toward Tho wit snd ei .hv building.
% s': xsat IL ss'i .s IL:
II. u - e,Y
naaia ttaitwa; would be .nts 70 bs sat'oes.sa:
tAe drc's under control; Do guiet' Hut the crowd
{. e se s
entrance, ! walled acEoss tho sfeet. aad stood
.sfs ookng np - tas 6aTnig hoass as nre SsSa
that the .namea were reaching up lilo passenger
Ihs,s ~ w. ". r. a,,s, then, on tns third door,
NO, Or no smoke to speak OF. Tbs drat smoke
sss s 4 ,as1a s.s e s Il asts R.se
eunstance leads NO 70 believe tho ire otl%nated
sox proosblg T. =: where
.l4rm when suu did aaa ~ 10 make .bslr q.
ri believe 20. although when went down thu
stairs wsnt alone. Wien got down to tbs next
hall, howeseE,-lAe parloE loor.-1 saw gtust
many peopls l4sss. n ! hass told you. and ths
flo.d increased VERY sspldly, 70 suppose saoas In
.'How va shu nIe msnagedr' .....
..Uh, / tell you. they aIs 100 slow there fos m,
nae in putting out tfc4. -.-...
THE kaulhEa CAM1 CP SLOWLY,
and Aey didn't 4eru 70 understand how 10 ATTACK
The t1e. Bcstdes, there roma nfe sppAratus In
tbs hotel-pps and hose-but didn't Set anJbod,
make any use VI It.
'.llow long did you rsnslu On the opposite sds
pf the etEvet:"
'sAbout tya minutes, should soy. found
euuldu't d. Ally good, and went over to the Lin
dell."
"pi4 Joa zee anybody jumping out Of tho win
.'so. -. nobody doing that. law no scene
OF horror, in fact TheIs MAs ons LADY In Gus o
ths upper atostes Who was trying to Rrt down. bu
sho could not. I.aw nplody theEe whom knew
and, ~ couldn't do any guod, weat sway.
didn't get td4ee any of tue te1T6te scenes,-dldn'
want any iu ntius nnieas ] could Do svu,a good.
Ar. r. y. Blacksteas, President u tue Ghtc4x
d Alton A9ad. h0 thsEs Il ~ Southern II