The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-05-02
Verdict OF the COrOner's Jury I'm the
Southern Hotel Fire.

ST. LOUIS, April 27.-The 'coroner's Jury
holdingthe inquest on the victims of the
Southern hotel fire closed their labors this
afternoon and rendered verdict The jury
examined 90 witnesses, and had before them
three affidavits of persons not person
ally examined. From the testimony
the jury reached the conclusion that
the fire originated in the basement
Of the hotel, and in their opinion in the
store room, but possibly in the wine cellar,
but in either case near the bottom of the
baggage elevator, which carried the smoke
and flames almost instantly to the upper
floors and roof of the building. The jury
then recount when the fire was first discov-
cred, the delay in giving an alarm to the
fire department, the arrival of the fire de-
partment the use of ladders and the Skinner
fire escape, the rescuing OF people from the
windows by the firemen, the jumping or
falling from the windows of those who were
killed. and the services of the police and cit
liens, all of which is familiar to the public.
As to the cause of the fire the Jury say they
have no testimony sufficient 10 base an opin-
ion upon. As to the appliances of the hotel
for extinguishing fires they say they were
complete with the exception Of
pipes and nozzles being wanted
on the floors above the parlor floor but
from lack of system and want OF men to
use the appliances, and of rules for their
the night of the fire except for a few min
utes in the basement, and the fire had then
gained such proportions that the slight eff
forts made there by the engineer and fremen
of the hotel were futile. The fire department
and salvage corps did their duty with eff
cheney and promtness as also did the police
department. The lesses of the hotel, in our
opinion, are censurable in several particu-
lan:
L. While providing the necessary mate
rails for extinguishing fires they had pro-
vided no means for their use.
Q. In keeping in the store room and wine
cellar large quantity of inhammable mate
rial without adequate watching.
8. In removing from their office the gong
necessary to alarm the inmates OF the hotel
in case of fire.
A. Employing only one Waterman, and
he a very inefficient man, and supplement-
ing his duties as such with other matters.
s. In lack of rules and instructions to
their employees as to their conduct and
duties in case of fire.
In conclusion the jury make some sugges-
tons looking to the avoidance of such cal
antilles in the future, which may be
summed up as follows: That no
hotel or public building should
be unprovided with the means of
extineuishing fires. That a sufficient num-
Der of watchmen should be employed TO de-
tect and to be drilled in the use of the APP
planes for its extinguishment. That in
all large hotels gongs or bells large enough
to be heard throughout the house should be
rung continuously until the safety of every
guest and employe is assured. That the
stairways and elevators should be placed as
far apart as possible, and that the elevators
should be closed automatically or otherwise
as the platform goes up or down. That the
store rooms, wine cellars, carpenter shops,
etc., should be made freproof and carefully
watched day and night That no gas meter
should be allowed inside of such buildings,
and that none OF the size of the largest
one in the Southern should be permitted at
all: that in all large buildings the duties of
building inspectors should include the in
spection Of all appliances for extinguishing
fires, and see that the men employed in
their management are efficiently drilled.