The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-04-18

that two hundred lives were lost,
but it is now reduced to fifty. Many
were killed by jumping from the
third, fourth and fifth story windows
Kate Claxton, the actress who so
narrowly escaped from the Brooklyn
horror, broke both of her legs by
jumping from the third story. The
fire originated in the upper stories.
The windows in the upper stories
were crowded with.
sHRIEKING MEN AND WOMEN,
whom it seemed impossible to save.
A few were rescued by ladders plac-
ed on the Fourth street portico, but
on the other three sides of the build
ing, bounded by Fifth, Walnut and
Elm streets, the longest ladders fell
far short of reaching the windows
MARROW ESCAPE.
Mr.. Peter Blow, son of the former
Minister to Brazil. was sleeping in
his room on the sixth floor, and sue
ceeded, after strenuous exertions in
escaping with his life and broken
arm. The building was six stories
in hight, and Mr.. Blow thinks that
the majority of inmates or the two
upper stories of the building must
have perished. Two men, unrecog-
nized, were killed by jumping from
the third story windows, and third
one was badly mangled. Five wo-
men were rescued from the sixth
story on the Fourth street side by
the heroic efforts of the firemen,
who, after ascending the patent lad
ders succeed in getting a rope to
the half suffocated creatures.
The fire is said to have originated
in the store-rooms.
LIVES LOST.
1t is supposed that forty or fifty
of the victims were either burned to
death directly or first sIffocrted,
The fire originated in a store room
in the basement. 1t first came
through the ground floor north of
the office and in ten minutes had as
cended the elevators and rotunda
and spre6 over the sixth story oc-
cupied by the employees, mostly wo-
men. The smoke was so dense in
some of the halls that the gas jets
we're extinguished, which rendered
egress even to those most familiar
with the building a matter of great
difficulty The density OF the
smoke in the halls drove many
guests and boarders back In their
rooms and then rushed to the win
dows as a means of escape. Lad
ders were raised as soon as possible,
and woman and children with moth
ing but their night clothes on we're
thus taken from the building. Some
PAINTED FROM FRIGHT,
others sank exhausted to the ground
from nervous prostration. The lad
ders were to short to reach to the
fifth and sixth stories, but by hoist
ing 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 win
dows were rescued. The Skinner
Fire Escaped was also brought
promptly into service. and was the
means OF saving many lives
While this work was going on,
some
FRIGHTFUL SCENES
occurred. One man who had been
occupying a window on Walnut
street, in front of the hotel. became
desperate at seeming delay in effect
ing his escape. With nervous hands
lie tore sheets from his bed into
strips, tied them together. Fasten-
ing this improvised rope TO the win
dow-siIl, and disregarding the fact
that it did not reach more than
twenty feet, he let himself down
hand owe. hand.
Men below. who saw his position
turned away their faces to avoid
witnessing the sickening event that
was inevitable. Finally he reached
the end Of the rope. and then, for
the first time, he seemed to realize
his position. He stopped, threw
his head back, revealing a CHASTITY
face, and swung slowly to and fro,
swaped by the breeze, while the
/
limbs. He swung around conYul-
sively as though to catch upon
something; then he let go, and
groans went up from hundreds as
| he whirled around and around and
finally struck on the stone tagging
with a sickening thud. He was car
ried to a saloon across the street.
| \ fo
other men jumped from the fourth
story windows, one of whom seemed
not to be dangerously hurt.
LATER.-The entire engines are
still playing on the fire, A force
has been organized to search for
dead bodies, and several bodies have
already been taken from the ruins
in more or less burned condition,
but have not yet been identified.
/ There are also several dead bodies
at the Morgue awaiting identified.
ton.
SOME OF THE DEAD.
Mrs. Moran, a servant, was killed
by jumping from a window. George
Frank Gouley, Grand Secretary OF
the Grand Lodge of Free Masons OF
Missouri. is supposed to have perish
ed. Six persons, whose names are
unknown, were killed either by jump
ing from windows or suffocated by
smoke and were dragged ont OF the
burning buildings. 1t is difficult TO
procure the names Of the dead, but