The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-04-20
TERRIsLE HOLOCAUST.
DETAILS OF A FEARFUL CoNpLAaR.

Appalling loss of life, which was at frs
supposed to be 200, but is now reduced /,
90. Many were killed jumping from tn,
third, fourth and fifth story windows. Kate
Claxton, the actress, who so narrowly es
capped from the Brooklyn horror, brokeboth
legs Jumping from the third story The
hire originated In the upper stories. The
windows in the upper stories were crowded
with ohrieking men, and women, whom il
seemed impossible to save. A few were
rescued by ladders placed on Fourth street
portico, but on the other three sides of the
building, Bounded by Fifth, Walnut, and
-Elna- AA.----7--A'--
Of reaching the windows, Mr.. Peter BLOW;
son of the former Minister to Brazil, was
sleeping in his room on the sixth floor, and
succeeded, after strenuous excrtions, in es-
Gaping with his life and q broken ARM
The building was six stories in height, and
Mr.. Blow thinks that the majority of in
mates Of the two upper stories of the build.
ing must have perishcd. Two men unre-
cognizeG were killed by Jumping from the
third story windows, and third one was
badly mangled. Five women were rescued
from the sixth story ON the Fourth street
side by the heroic efforts of fremen, who,
after ascending the patent ladders, succeed
ed In getting rope to the half sufocated
creatures.
1t is supposed from forty to fifty were
burned to death directly, or first suffocatcd
The fire originated in the store room in the
basement. IL first came through the ground
floor, north of the office, ascended the
elevators and rotuhda and spread over the
sixth story, occupied by employees, mostly
women. The smoke owas so dense in some
of the halls that the gas. jets were extin-
guished, which rendered egrees, even to
those most familiar with the building, n
matter of great difficulty. The density OF
the smoke in the halls drove many guests
and bcarders back In their rooms, Snd they
rushed to windows as a means Of Sscape.
Ladders were raised as soon as possible, aud
the women and children, with nothing but
their night clothes on, were thus taken from
the burning building. Some tainted from
fright, and others sank exhausted to the
ground from nervous prostratjof. The lad
ders generally were too short to reach to the
fifth and sixth stories, but by hosting some
Of them on the one.story balcony on the
east side and the two-story balcony on the
north side of the building, these floors were
reached, and all those at the windows were
rescued Tns Skinner tEs SCANS sHa w wss alas
6f saving many lives. Whilo this
work was going on, some frightful scenes
soccurred Ono man who had been occupy
ing window on Walnut street, in frontsof
the hotel, becoming desperate at seeing the
delay in affecting his escape, with nervous
hands he tore ssbssas from his bed into
STRIPS, tied them together fastening this i'm
provised rope to tho window sill, and dsrc-
garding the fact that it did not reach more
than twenty feet, he let himself down hand
over hand. Those below, who saw his po-
sition, turned away their faces to avoid wit.
Messing the sickening event that was ihev-
table. Finally he reached the end of the
rope, and them for tho first time, he seemed
to realize his position. He stopped, threw
his head back, revealing gastly face, and
swung slowly to and fro, swayed by the
breeze which the roaring flames above cre-
ated. His limbs swung around convulsive-
ly, as though to catch upon something; then
he let go, and groans went up from hun
dreds us he whrled round and round and
finally struck on the stone tagging with Il
sickening thud. He was carried to saloon
across the street and died in few minutes
Two other men jumped from the fourth sto-
ry window-one OF whom seemed not to be
dangerously hurt.
LATER.-The fire engines are still play
ing on the fire. q A force has been organ
lied to search for the dead bodies, and sevc-
raj bodies have been taken from the ruins
in a more or less burned condition, but have
no; yet been identified. Also, several dead
bodies are at the morgue awaiting idcntiG-
cation. Mrs. Moran, a servant, was killed
by jumping from window. George
Frank Goudy, Grand Secretary OF the Grand
Lodge Of Free Masons of Missouri, is sup
posed to have pcrishcd. Six persons, whose
names are unknown, were killed, either by
Jumping from the windows or were suffoca.
ted by smoke, and dragged out of the burn
ing building 1t is difficult to procure the
names of the dead, hut it is hoped a com.
pleto, or nearly complete, list will be obtain
cd this afternoon. Sidlnorc Hayden, super
intondcnt of the American Express stables,
is among the lillcd also Henry Hazen,
deputy auditor of the Missouri Pacific Rail.
Company. An Englishman named Adams,
said to be commissioner of education, was
identified at the morguc
a woman at fifth story window on
Fifth street front became panic stricken,
jumped out, alightcd on her feet, was car
red to St. James Hotel, and is still alive
Her husband, who had been standing by
her side, then descended by rope made cf
bedding. A man named j. f. Wilson
iuunrnl Eran, a C,nrtL rtnru .u;.,laur anl