, 1877-04-12
TIE LEAP TO DEATH.
pOWNt DOWN!

*pse{ai 1fspdsch 10 11s Tribune
st. Louis, April n.-Ry thh time alarm after
alarm had boon sounded and tho cnttfo dsa deratt.
u'ent vas wheeling Into line. Almost the whols
police force Lad bonn sumnoned from their tcat.,
and ~ero arriving, and tho atsccts wc.o dltpr with
terrttrd citizens. Many people ware evideutly
preparing 10 jump from the windows, and those In
tho streets bciow continually called ont: ''pou't
Jump; the ladders will ha feadYr. The hook and
ladder companies mcsp splicing their ladders ~
rapidly a. possible, but tue work seemed to be
s1or, and tue alzth stosy ras rcd with fame before
they began to clusata shcn,. 4 shout OF triumph
vent up from tho crowd below, and
FAINT ECHO
came from those aboya; but when thr ladders
Wt1c tried, 1t was found that they would scarcely
reach to tho fourth nuor, and this discovery was
met with the most ag0nizng cries Of 'tlIelp!
Helpr' Tho heaElrcadlng shrtcks which fell
upon tho cars of tho htcmrn seemed to almost
rara!yze tAcm. eud the uaual efficiency which Ina
always characterized tho St. Louis Fire depart.
ncnt was evidently lost fpr tho time being. Tbs
tremendous draft caused by tho stnekn and hot
air had eztinxu1shcd sll The cas.1ients, and tho
only illumination ras that which came from the
names lhat ltcked tho walls on iii s,dns On tho
Walnut *Idh thcTe WAS = yctauGah even With Tho
dFat door. aud In obedience so tho suggestion At
4 cooL~HEApEp SPECTATOR,
one Of tho ladders was lsod 10 that elevation snd
tau skth stuSy reached in this WRy, and down this
Ut least forty people deaesned thus saving them.
rclfe". Meantime sheets and blankets began to
feat from tho windows on tho various slea OF tbs
building. n,any Of them tied togetho!, but nune of
thena making reps ut s4s1cienk length 10 reach
safc landing. though two men aad ono woman In
the stzsh atosy descended these pcrt1oas strands
and succeeded In swngEnE themselves in nfsh stofY
wtudows. thus increasing thos chances Of sescua.
Ono Of lhs dsst men to mount the ladder on tho
Walnut street Side waa 1eoFxe Prank 0ou!eJ, ursnd
SECRETARY Of ths Masouia Fiatesn.ty In Missouri.
To reach The ladder ho had to dcscen4
TAn KRorTEp nofH
OF blankets from the sixth to thu nth story. liz
had not rnssed moro thsn half dosen rounds
uhcn his head fell to one sidct biz bdy srolcl and
sell, the skull being crushed BY striking the cor
nice s1d both leys being broken, produced Instant
death. 0ns man. xhoss sAuao II unknown, sp-
pared Il = window. Throwing tho end of sheet
on the outside. Ia began 10 make preparations to
dcaccnd, and. though tho crowd called cut to him
to tetnain. ssitl hu peEs!sted 10 swinging looss.
sliding down 10 tho end Ut the shect, he found
h!mself tust ahoro tho Afta ssory, and nothing h.
Low but tho payemsus. lao feet dutant. ne.lix.us
Ats 1EnalnLa rostTlox,
he endesvosea 10 climb back, but tho effort to
rsisa htmsclf WA vain. and, after \ desperate
struggle Of thscs mlnstes, he str1eked "Lst FOL"
and fell with sv$ry bone crushed. Another man
ApPs afed 1t ap AdjolniuK window In hla ight At
t!Ess and ffaaucally called out "Thas shall |
dof' Tbs danes wese lcapfn2 al shout him, and
eaemed ready 10 enselop and consume him.
"1uAft JrAr"
snsSeEad back dozen thtoAh. The man looked
down At tho pavement - II hes!tsting Whit to do,
hut tho scosrhlng flames NeEn closlnx iu on hin
5sat' sad he bounded from th* window, ts1atax