The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-04-26
THE ST. LOUIS HORROR.

THE ST. LOUIS HORROR.
The burning Of the Southern Hotel
-Appalling Mldnight Scenes Of HOr.
ror and Death.
81. Lou1s. April II.
+ The most f.ightful calamity that has
ever befallen st. Louis took place at q
very early hour this morning, involving
the destruction of the Southern Hotel bY
fire, and the loss of a large number Of
lives.
From the best information at hand, it
seems the fire caught in the store-room in
the basement, and was first seen coming
through the ground floor, Just north of the
Office, and In ten minutes It had assembled
the elevators and rotunda, and spread it.
self over the sixth floor, under the roof.
This floor was occupied entirely by en-
ployes of the hotel, the largest part of
whom were women. The fife spread
rapidly, filling every room and hall with
flames and SIN ike, and the scene was of
the most terrible description. Frantic
men, women and children ran through the
halls, shrieking in the most heart rendine
manner, In their wild and desperate efforts
to escape. The smoke was so dense in
some Of the halls that the s-jets were ex
tinguished, which rendered egress even to
those most familiar with the building .
matter of great difficulty.
The Fire Department was on the spot
promptly, and hundreds of people con-
gregated at the scene. ready and willing
to render any aid necessary. The density
of the smoke in the halls drove many
guests and boarders back into their rooms,
and they rushed Othe windows as means
of escape. Ladders were raised as soon as
possible, and women and children, with
only their night-clothes on, were thus taken
from the burning building. Some tainted
from fright and others sunk exhausted to
the ground from nervous prostratiOn. The
ladders generally were too short to reach
to the fifth and sixth stories, but by hoist
ing some of them on the One-story balco-
ny, on the north side Of the building,
these floors were reached and all those at
the windows rescued. The Skinner Fire.
Escape 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 window on the
Walnut.street front of the hotel, became
desperate at the seeming delay in effect
ing his escape. With nervous hands he
tore the sheets from his bed into strips,
tied them together, and fastened this i'm.
provised rope to the window sill, and, dis
regarding the fact that it did not reach
more than twenty feet, he let himself
down hand over hand. The men below
who saw his position turned away their
heads to avoid the sickening event that
was inevitable. Finally he reached the end
of the sheet, and then, for the first time,
he'seemed to realize his position. He
stopped, threw his head back, revealing
q CHASTITY face, and swung slowly to and
fro, swaYed by the breeze which the roar.
ing flames above created. His limbs
swung around convulsively, as though ia
catch upon something, then he let 60, and
groans went up from hundreds as he
whirled round and round, and finally
struck on the stone tagging with sick.
ening thud. He was carried to saloon
across the street, and died in a few mo.
ments. Two other men jumped from the
fourlh-story windows, one of whom
seemed not to be dangerously hurt, while
the other expired in few moments.
A woman in the fifth story window on the
Fifth.stree front became panic-stricker
and jumped out. She alighted on he1
feet and was carried to the St. james
Hotel still alive. Her husband, who had
been standing by her side, them tore uT
the bedding and let the strip, so made
out of the window. To this firemen at
tached rope which the man hauled up
making it fast to the window-sill. and
safely descended by it.
A man named j. E. Wilson jumped
from fourth-story window and wa:
killed. Andrew Ensmcn and Mrs. Scot
met their death in the same way. Tht
mortality among the female help of thu
hotel is feared to be great. There were
some two hundred of them, all of whom
were lodged in the upper story of thu
building. The panic among them wa!
terrible, and q number of them jumped
from the upper windows on the Elm
street or rear side Of the house.
The loss on the building and content!
will be from $3.50, 600 to 81, 00O, 900.
A later telegram uO:3O p. m. of tn
11th) says:
Dr.. Niler, Coroner, gives the following
list of killed as reported to him and think
it comprises all known to be dead:
The Rev. A. r. Adams, of Stock Cross
Berkshire, England.
Geo. Frank Gouley, Grand Sccretar.
Masonic Fraternity, this State.
| Kate Kelley, Kate Doolan and Mar!
Moran, servants.
Henry Hazen, of Auditors Department
Missouri Pacific Railroad. He wa
formerly from New Castle, Pa, whithe
his remains will be sent.
Mrs. Stewart, wife of w. 3. Stewart, o
the firm of Derby & Day, this city.
Andrew Eistman, of the firm of Tech
man & Co., this city.
Chas. G.. Feenan and SidmOre Hayden
Mn Eol;.E M;n;afox aid 10 h, n s,,o.,a