The weekly Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1872-1887, 1877-04-15
The ST. LogI. Catastrophy,

The most terrible calamity that ever
befcl st. Louis. occurred ut Nh carly
hour Wednesday morning, by the burn
ing Of the magnificent Southern Hotel,
aud tho logs Of the lives of many Of
its occupants. Tho fire caught in tho
Store-rooIns OF the basement, and not
withstnnding the fact that the immense
building was almost whoiely construct
ed Of brick, stone aud iron, the lnmcs
IN ten minutes time had nsGeuded the
elevators and tho rotunda, aud spread
| over tho sixth floor under tho roof
Which wns occupied entirely by. ON
pIoyos OF tho house, chiefly women.
Tho fire continued TO spread with fenr-
ful rapidity. filling the halls md roomu
with smoke mud fame. creating a sceno
Of intlcscribable horror.
Frantic men. women md children
ran through the halls. loudly shrieking
i'll the most heartrrudinG lrannor in
their wild and desperate efforts TO CO.
cape. The smoke was so deuEe in some
Of tho halls that tho gas jets wcro cx-
tinguished. which rendered egress to
those most familiar with tho building
matter of great difficulty. Tho ,len-
sity of tho smoke in tho hills drove
many guests mud boardcrs back into
their rooms, and they rushed to the win.
do"s rs = means of escape. Ladders
were raised as soon rs possible, and
women aud children with nothing OH
hut their night-clothes, were taken
fran the burning building. Some
tainted from fright, aud others sank
exhausted to the ground from nervous
ProStration. The ladders were general
~ to short to reach the fifth and sixth
stories, but by hoisting scmo OIL the
one-story balcony oil the cast side, apd
the twQ-stNry balcony oil tho north side
OF tho building, these floors were
rcNched, and NIL those Mt the windows
rescued. The Skinner fire-escapc was
brought iuto service aud was tho mems
Of saving many lives. While this work
wNs going OH some frightful sceues 90.
CURED. Ono man. WHO had been oocu-
plying window on the ctr. ok-frout of
the hotel. became desperate ut tho
seeming delay in effectiug his escape.
With nervous hands he tore the sheets
from his he'd into strips. tied them TO-
gether, and fastening this irupruvised
rape to the sill, diErGgnr,ling tho fact
thnt it did not reach moro than twenty
feet. he let himself down hand over
hand. The men below. seeing his posi-
tinn turned their heads to avoid wit
Messing the eickeninS event that was
inevitable. Finally he reached the end
OF tho sheet, and then for tho first time
he seemed To realize his position. He
stopped, throw his bend bncI revealing
ghnsily fnce, aud swung slowly to and
fro, swnyed by tho breeze which the
roaring iluIues above created. His
liInl.I swung AROUND convulsivcly. rs
though TO catch around something, then
lac let go, and gronua went mp from hun.
'lreds rs he .whirled round and round
AMI Analiy Strn"k an The stone tagging.
lle died i'll few laulucnts. Two other
men jumped from thu fourth story win.
dows, ono Of whom seemed not to he
dangerously hurt. while tie other cx-
pred in IL few moments.
In one hour from ihu ,irno tho fire.
WAS discovered, the interior walls gave
way, the floors aud roof fell in. and one
OF the finest hotels in America was II
nero MAS uf ruins. The cost of the
building was Sl.00n, oOO, it and its fur.
niturc being insured to tho omuuut Of
$i92 .0U0.
The lntcSt news from st. I.oula IL TINT
the first S!aie!ucnts in relation to the
loss Of life were largely exaggerated,
not over 10 or 20 persons being missing.