The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-04-19
Burning of a st. Louis HOteZ-Masau
LiUeS Lost.

ST. LOUIS, April 1.-THE most frightful
calamity tnat has ever befallen St. Louis
took place at a very early hour this morning
involving the destruction of the Southern
Hotel by fire, and the loss of large number
of lives. The exact number can not now be
given, but it is feared some forty or fifty
persisted, either by being burned directly or
first smother by the smoke, and then con-
iumed. From the best information at hand,
st 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 asceuded
the elevators and rotunda, and spread itself
over the sixth floor under the roof. This
floor was occupied entirely by en-
ployees of the hotel, the largest part of whom
were women. The fire spread rapidly, filing
every room and hall with flames and smoke,
and the scene was of the most terrible de-
scription.
Frantic men, women and children ran
through the halls shrieking in a most heart
rending manner, in their wild and desperate
efforts to escape. 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 Fire Department was on the spot
promptly, and hundreds of people congre-
gated at the scene, ready aud willing to rem
/
smoke in the halls drove many of the guests
and boarders back into their rooms, and
they rushed to the windows as a means of
escape. Ladders were raised as soon as pos
sible, and women and children, with moth
ing 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
prostration. The ladders generally
were too short to reach to the fifth aud sixth
stories, but by hoistiDg 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
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 Walnut
Street, in front of the hotel, became desper
ate at the seeming delay in effecting his es
cape; with nervous hands he tore the sheets
from his bed into strips, and tied them to-
gether; fastening his impoverished rope te
the window sill, and disregarding the fact
that it did not reach more than twenty feet
he let himself down hand oyer hand. Mer
below who saw his position turned away
their heads to avoid messing the sickenint
event that was inevitable. Finally hi
reached the end OF the sheet, and then fol
the first time he seemed to realize hi
position. He stopped, threw his heae
back, revealing ghastly face, and swung
slowly to and fro, swaved by thu
breeze which the roaring flame
above created, his Ii BIS swuug around con
vulsively as though to catch upon some
thing. Then he let go, and ,roanS went VI
from hundreds as he whirled round ant
round, and finally struck on The stone flag
ging with a sickening thud. He was carried
into a saloon across the street. and died il
|, few minutes. Two other men jumpe,