The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-04-14
ST. LOUIS FIRE.
Further Particulars from the Scene Of the
COnnagrati0n.

ST. LOUIS, April 1870 p. m.)-No more
bodies have been found. Chas. W. Sheppard,
| one of the proprletors of the hotel, gives his
| opinion that none of the employees of the
house, excepting those heretofore reported,
| were killed. About twenty of them are still
| unaccounted for, but it is believed they are
alive, and that they either ate with their friends
in remote parts of the city or have left town.
VI the guests 81 are not reported, but the
reasonable presumption is most of them left
the city the day following the fire. or have
since departed
The remains of Geo. Frank Gouley, Grand
Masonic Secretary, were removed to the Grand
Lodge room in Masonic Hall this noon, where
| they will lie in state until Sunday, when the
funeral will take place. Extensive prepare
| tions are being made for this event. Numerous
delegations of Masons from this state and sur
surrounding states will participate in the
| ceremonies.
The body of Mrs. W. c. Stewart willsbe
| taken to Syracuse, n. Y, her former home, for
burial
The coroner will not begin the investigation
| till Monday, but then will make very thorough
inquiry into all the facts. connected with the
| fire The jury will probably consist of the
most prominent and practical citizens.
Another body, that of a man, was found
about five feet from the body of a woman dis
covered this morning. The body was not
identified, as it was very badly burned, and
came to pieces while being removed.
The remains taken from the ruins last even
ing, supposed to have beeu those Of child,
proved on examination to day to be those of a
| dog. The bodies of the man and woman
| found to-day have been identified as Ell. ].
Clark and wife of North Adams, Mass The
lady was identified by the dress she wore and
| the gentleman by his watch.
| j. e. Russell, chief engineer of the hotel,
has made statement which throws some light
| on the origin of the fire. He says he lett the
| engine room about 11.30 o'clock, leaving an
assistant in charge, and went to his room on
1 the fifth floor, near the baggage elevator. He
| was aroused about five minutes past l o'clock
/ by the shrieks of women. He hurried out and
| found the hail filled with smoke, which came
| from the freight elevator, but saw no fire. he
started for the south part of the house. with
view to descend by the servants stairway. He
was obliged to crawl on his hands and knees to
prevent suffocation, the smoke was so dense
There were number of women on the fifth
| floor crying piteousy for help whom he told to
follow him to the lower floor. Some did and
others were too distracted apparently to do as
| he directed. Finally he reached the dining
| room floor. passed into the kitchen and de-
scended to the basement Here he found the
smoke very dense, and that the pumps con-
| nected with the engine had been in operation.
| Some of the employees had been throwing
| water on the fire, which at that time was rag
1 ing furiousy in the store room. A nozzle had
| been blown off before he reached the base
| ment. Another was put on. He then put
| the pumps at work again and turned stream
/ on the fire. This was continued till the fire
became SO hot and spread so far that all were
obliged to flee for their lives. They made their
l exit through the basement under the rear part
i of the building and emerged on Elm street.
This account does not state how long the fire
had been burning before the fire alarm was
turned on, but it does show and cOncluSively
| that efforts were made to subdue it before the
guests in the house were aroused or any at
| tempt was made to notify them that the build
| ing was burning. 1t seems very certain at all
| events ana it is extensively believed, that the
| hotel was known to be on fire by the employees
| twenty minutes to half an hour before the fire
| department were notified.
Mr.. Russell also states that there was q pile
/ of mattresses in one corner of the store room
/ and lot of loose hair and about five feet from
| them on the floor was box in which the stock
of matches were kept. He thinks the mat
trasses and matches had good deal to do with
the origin of the fire, but does not know any,
thing definite about it.
The following guests in the hotel on the
night of the fire are still unaccounted for.
These names may not all be entirely correct
but are believed to be nearly SO:
OF the servants all but very few have re-
ported, and the pIoprietors of the hotel do not
| think that any are lost besides those mentioned
| in Wednesdays dispatches, excepting perhaps
| Chas. Keiffnicht, head waiter, of whom moth
| ing has been heard since the night of the fire.
The lost seen of him he was going through the
fifth story arousing the guests of the house and
| it is feared he was overcome by the smoke and
| fell victim to his noble impulse to save the
/ lives of others.
! The death list is repeated as fallows: Rev.
| A. r, Adams of England, Geo. Frank Gonley,
Henry Hazen, f. f. Brown of Georgetown, A.
Christian of Cairo. E. A. Henping of New
York. B. Hall of Providence, S. E. Keavey of
New York, H LOBBY and M. N. Latson of In
dianapolis, N. S. Monroe of Cleveland, H. S.
Porter of Indianapolis, +. ii. Weston of Wis
consin, Adolphe Schrewindf and j. B Luttey
of New York, A. Willoughby of Philadelphia,
Mrs. W. S. Stewart, Chas Fierman, Andrew
Eastman. FL. j. Clark and wife, Kate Reilly,
Kate Dolan and Mary Moran, servants, and
| VIM. Felix Munster of England, the latter
| suicide committed under arrangement being
brought on by intense excitement.
If this list should meet the eye of any men
toned he will relieve great anxiety felt here
| by telegraphlng to Bresln, Darling & Co.,
prosrietors of the hotel, that he is safe.
Mrs. Scott, mother in-law of Andrew East
man, and Frank Mcclellan, actress, who were
| dangerously injured, are slowly recovering
There are two or three others who had legs
| broken or were otherwise hurt, bu. the above
list comprises all known to have been killed,
| and it is not believed that this number will be
materially increased. The coroner has selected
| six we'll known and responsible citizens who
will serve as his jury, and will begin an inves-
| tigation on Monday next