The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-04-19
GREAT CONFEDERATION IN ST. LOUIS.
BURNING OF THE SOUTHERN HOTEL.

dhEAr CONFLAGRATlON In 81. LOUIS.
BURNING OF THE SOUTHERN HOTEL
AT about 1880 O'Clock ON the morning of
the llth inst, the Southern Hotel, ST. Louis,
was discovered to be on fire. The Globe
Democrat, of the 18th, says:
The flames had evidently been at work for
some time, for when the alarm was sounded.
which was, no doubt, done at the moment of
discovery, the entire upper portion of the
building was on fire. The flames were burst
ing from the roof, while from the upper
windows
THE SMOKE POURED FORTH
in dense volumes. Alarm after alarm was
sounded, bringing the entire force of engines
to the scene. The great height of the build
ing-siX stories-rendered the invaded por-
ton extremely difficult Of access to the fire.
men, who worked under serious disadvan-
tage. The scene which presented itself
when "a reporter arrived upon the ground
fairly beogars description, and can not be
presented with all its horrors.
When the first Globe Democrat reporter
arrived upon the scene, which was within q
few moments after the sounding Of the first
alarm, all that could be distinguished was a
lurid light over the hotel which seemed to
proceed from about the center Of the build
ing. People were running to and fro upon
the streets, and the fire carts were rumbling
in from all directions, but apparently the oc-
cupants OF the hotel were wrapped in slum-
Der. As yet, their terrible danger was I'M
known to them. But the fire was making
its way rapidly through the upper portion of
the immense building, creeping in all direc
tions and filling the Railways with smoke.
The noise from those in the streets, and
from those who had made their way into the
building to be of service in case of need, had
the effect of startling into knowledge Of
the danger those on the lower floors, and
many of them made their escape without III
curing danger of any sort, though several
took the chances of severe cold by leaving
behinG them their clothing, and appearing
upon the street sans everything necessary
in the way of clothing. By this time the
dense, black. suffocating smoke was oozing
from under the cornice at the roof. on the
Fourth, Fifth and Walnut street sides,
INDICATING THE RAPID PROGRESS
of the destroying element. The smoke in
the halls, together with the strong draft that
had been engendered, extinguished the
lighss and left the upper part of the building
in utter darkness. The occupants of the
fourth, fifth and sixth floors had been awak-
ened. generally, by some few bold spirits
who had gone through the halls kicking in
the doors and arousing the sieepers at ser-
Gus risk to themselves. But sudden fear has
Earalyzing effect upon some, and when
the danger was realized, not all were able
to flee from 1t, and when sufficiently recoy-
cred to act. egress by the ordinary routes
was cut off. Many did not comprehend the
cituatiOp until Lotto RI bxyk I,a b,p
ways, and it is safe to say that scores were
imprisoned by the fire in these three upper
floors, without means of escape save by the
windows. How many of these were taken
out by the firemen, and how many were left,
perforce, to perish? The death list has not
yet been reached. nor will it ever be COM
plete. The scene which followed the discov-
cry that the fire had cut off retreat by the
Railways fairly beggars description. From
the windows of the three upper floors came
frantic cries for succor from poor creatures
already despairing of help. The fire was
rapidly advancing upon those in the sixth |
story, and making it necessary for immedi- |
ate action upon the part of those below, if |
assistance was to be rendered. Several had |
presence of mind enough to tie their bed |
clothing together and lower themselves to |
the floor below, and from thence to the |
story below that, thus succeeding in escap- |
ing. Others, frantic with fear, threw them
selves from the windows and were dashed |
to pieces; while others, still. in attempting |
to lower themselves by hastily constructed |
ropes lost their holds, and falling to the
pavements were killed. The number thus
far known to have persisted in this way is
twelve.
THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE
is shrouded in mystery, further than that it |
hoOan what known nc fbo tor
This apartment was in the cellar, directly
under the office, about eighty feet from the I
Walnut street line, and in it was stored a
miscellaneous collection of supplies. A few
minutes past O'Clock the fire annunciator
in the office gave the alarm TO the clerk on
duty, Mr. G. w. Ford, Jr The annuncia-
tor is self-acting, and operates through at
mospheric influences. Mr. Ford at once dis
patched word to Mr.. Shepherd, one OF the
himself and made his way to the office.
When he reached there the flames had
spread from the store-room to the elevator
opening, and had mounted to the roof. The
elevator opening was the trap that destroyed
the Southern, for up it. the flames made a
fiue, through which they spread to all quar-
tiers, in less time than is required to tell the
story. Could the fire have been confined to
the lower floors, it might readily have been
extinguished. Taking in the situation at
glance, Mr.. Shepherd turned on an alarm
through the district telegraph box, in the
office, at l:23 O'Clock, and seven minutes
later the first alarm was given from the
Court House.. Readily discerning that the
condition OF affairs was most critical, and
That there was every prospect OF general de-
structlon, the valuable papers were placed in
the safe and the lock turned upon them.
With the register under his arm, Mr.. Shop
herd waited in the office until driven out BIZ
the progress of the fire.
The flames, after making their way up
ward through the elevator opening, and
spreading in all directions, began descend
ing, burning out floor after floor, until the
interior OF the immense structure, covering
almost an entire square, was mass of smok-
ing ruins, heaped in the cellar. The walls,
with the exception of section on Fourth
street, the greater POI ton of the Elm street
front, and some of the interior walls, remain
standing. The Elm street wall, in falling,
crushed in an adjacent restaurant and oys-
ter depot, belonging to Mr.. Tony Faust,
while side wall in toppling over broke in
the roof of the ''Monkeys'' saloon on Fifth
street.
The Southern Hotel was built during war
times, at cost of sl,250, 900. Labor was
then dear and money plenty, and at that
time the price was deemed by no one ex-
travagant. It was thrown open to the pub
lie September 6, 1865, since which time it
has passed through various hands, being I'M
der lease, at the time of its destruction, to
Messrs. Breslin, Darling G. Co. 1t was do
ing large and prosperous business, and
was looked upon with great favor by the
travelling public generally. About 80 lives
were lost.