The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-04-19
Burning OF the southern Hotel.

ST.. LOUIS, April 1.-THE Southern
Hotel burned at 2 o'clock this morn
ing, with appalling loss of life. 1t
was first supposed that 200 persons
were burned, but the number is now
reduced to fifty. Many were killed
in jumping from the third and fourth
story windows. Kate Claxton, the
actress, who so narrowly escaped from
the Brooklyn horror, broke both legs
in jumping from the third story. The
fire originated in one of the upper sto-
ries. 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
placed on the Fourth street portico,
but on the other three sides of the
building, bounded by Fifth, Walnut
and Elm streets, the longest ladders
fell far short 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 eXertions in escaping
with his life and broken arm. The
building was six stories in height, and
Mr.. Blow thinks that the majority of
the inmates of the two upper stories
must have perished. Two men, un-
recognized, were killed by jumping
from third story windows, and a third
was badly mangled. Five women were
rescued from the sixth story, on the
Fourth street side, by the heroic efforts
of the firemen, who, ascending the
patent ladders, succeeded in getting a
rope to the half suffocated creatures.
The fire is said to have originated in
the stere-rooms.
Later-It is supposed that from forty
tol fifty were burned directly or first
suffocated. 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
assembled the elevators and rotunda
and spread over the sixth story, which
was occupied by employees, mostly
women. The smoke was so dense in
some of the halls that the gas jets were
extinguished, which rendered egress,
even to those most familiar with the
building, matter of great difficulty.
The density of smoke in the halls
drove many guests and boarders back
into their rooms, and they rushed to
the windows as means of escape. Lad
ders were raised as soon as possible,
and women and children, with moth
ing but their night clothes on, were
thus taken from the building. Some
tainted from fright, others sunk ex-
hausted to the ground from nervous
prostration. The ladders generally
were too short to reach to the fifth and
sixth stories, but by hosting some of
them on the first story balcony on the
ooet side ona tho second story balcony
on the north side of the building,
these floors were reached and all those
at the windows were rescued. The
Skinner fire escape was also brought
promptly into service and was the
means of saving many lives.
While this work was gong on, some
frightful scenes occurred. One man,
who had been occupying a window on
the Walnut street front of the hotel,
became desperate at seeing the delay
in effecting his escape. With nervous
hands he tore sheets from his bed into
strips and tied them together. Fasten-
ing this improvised rope to the win
dow sill and disregarding 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 faces to avoid 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
and threw his head back, revealing q
ghastly face, and swung slowly to and
fro, swayed by the breeze which the
roaring flames above created. His
limbs swung around convulsively, as
though to 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 sickening thud. He
was carried to a saloon across the
street and died in few minutes. Two
other men jumped from the fourth
story windows, one of whom seemed
not to be dangerously hurt.
Ldtest-Five engines are still playing
on the fire. A force has been organ,
lied to search for dead bodies, and
several bodies have already been taken
from the ruins in a more or less burned
condition, but are not yet identified
There are, also, several dead bodies al
the morgue awaiting Identification.
Mrs. Moran, a servant, was killed by
jumping from window. Geo. Frank
Ganley, Grand Secretary of the Grand
Lodge of Freemasons of Missouri, il
is supposed, persisted. Six persons
whose names are unknown were killed
either by jumping from windows or OF
suffocation by smoke and dragged out
of the burning building. 1t is difficult
ffIg T6n66PPsd ths that !" e Complete or nearly
complete list has been obtained this
p. NJ. SIdmore Hayden, superintend.
ent of the American Express Stables,
was among the killed; also Henry
Sozen, deputy auditor of the Missouri
Pacific railroad. An Englishmau
named Adams, said to be commits
sioner of education, is identified at the
morgue.
A woman at fifth story window OF
the Fifth street front became panic
stricken and jumped out, alighting on
her feet. She was carried to St. Jane:
Hotel, still alive. Her husband, who
had been standing by her side, then
tore up the bedding and let the strip:
so made out of the window. To TIN:
the firemen attached a rope, which
the man hauled up, made fast to the
window sill and safely descended BY
it.
NAN no-..d Z JU,l,o.. ..-....l
from a fourth story window and wa,
killed. Andrew Easman and Mrs.
Scott met death the same way. Tht
mortality among the female help ol
the hotel was great. Twenty of theD,
all of whom were lodged IN upper
story of building, were terribly panic
stricken, and numbers jumped from
upper window on Elm street, on rear
side of the house.
Kate Claxton, actress, had narrow
escape but is uninjured.
Among those known to be saved are
n. Kritz, Texas; DR.. Gerlast, German
consul, who jumped from a window
and broke leg; his wife is unhurt.
Charles Tenan lost his life attempt
ing to save others. Philip Gould, q
boarder at the hotel, was brought out
alive, bit entirely bereft of reason.
At 8 quarter past 2, or about half sn
hour after the fire was discovered, the
entire roof was ablaze and the flames
were rapidly descending to lower sto-
ries. Half an hour later the floors