The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-04-12
A DISTRESSING CALAMITY.
THE SOUTHERN HOTEL IN ST. LOUIS
TOTALLY DESTROYED BY FIRE.
More Thnn Fifty Persons Persisted I'm
the Flames.

|
the Flames.
A SHOCKING MIDNIGHT ViSITATI0S-TlIE
ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE FIRE-AP.
FALLING sCENEs-pANIC,A AMONG THE IN.
MATES or THE HoTEL-NARROW Es-
CAFES AND HEART-RENDING DEATHS
GRAND SECRETARY OF THE GRAND
LODGE MAsoNS OF MISSOURI AMONG THE
DEAD-KATE CLAYTON sAFE-soUTHERN.
| Frs WHO WERE AT THE HOTEL-Loss
UPON THE BUILDING AND CONTENTS
NEARLY a MILLION DOLLARs-OTHER
| FACTS.
ST. LOUIS, April 1.-THE Southern Hotel
was burned at 9 O'Clock this morning. The
loss OF life is appalling. 1t was Mt first sup
posed to be two hundred, but is now ascer-
tanned to be fifty. Many were killed by
jumping from third, fourth, and fifth
story windows. Kate ClaXton, the actress,
| who so narrowly escaped from the Brook
Ign horror, had both legs broken in jump
ing from third-story window. The fire
originated in the upper stories.
The windows in the upper stories were
crowded with shrieking men and women,
whom it seemed impossible to save. Anew
were rescued by ladders placed OH the
Fourth-street portico, but on the other three
sides OF the building, bounded by Fifth,
Walnut, and Elm streets, the longest lad
ders fell far short OF reaching the windows.
Mr.. Peter Blow, son OF the former Minis
ter to Brazil, was sleeping in his room, on
the sixth floor; and succeeded, after strenu-
Gus cXertions, in escaping with his life and
l,,sl cix ctn
ries in height, and Mr.. Blow thinks that the
majority Of the inmates OF the two upper
stories of the building must have persisted.
Two men, unrccognized, were killed by
Jumping from the thrd-story windows, and
| a third one was badly mangled. Five women
were rescued from the sixth story, on the
Fourtl-strcet side, by the heroic efforts OF
the tiremen, who, after ascending the patent
! ladders, succeeded in getting rope to the
half-suflocatcd creatures. The fire is said
to have originated in the store-rooms.
FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE FIRE.
ST. LOUIS, April lit Is supposed from
forty to fifty persons were burned to death
directly or first sutfocatcd. The fire origina-
ted i'll the store-room in the basement. It
first came through the ground-foor north OF
the office, and in ten minutes had assembled
the elevators and rotunda, and spead over
the sixth story, occupied by employees
(mostlv Women). The smoke was SO dense
in some OF the halls that gas-iet were eXtin-
gushed, which rendered cgress, even to
those most familiar with the building, 4
matter Of great difficulty. The density Of
the smoke in the halls drove many guests
and baardcrs back into their rooms, and they
rushed to the windows as means of escape.
Ladders were raised as soon as possible, and
women and children, with nothing but their
night-clotheS on, were thus taken from the
burning building. Some tainted from
fright, 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
hosting some OF them on the onc-Story bal
conv on the cast side and the two-Story bal
cony 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 SER
vice, and was the means OF saving many
lives. While this work was going on some
irightiul scenes occurred. One man who
had been occupying Il window on the Wal
nut-strect front of the hotel became des-
perate at the seeming delay in ettecting his
escape. With nervous hands he tore sheets
from his bed into strings, and tied them
together Fastening this lmprovised rope
to the window-sill, and disregarding the
fact that it did not reach more than twenty
feet, he let himself down hand over hand.
Men below who saw his position turned
away their faces to avoid witnessing 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 po-
sition. He stopped, threw his head back,
revealing CHASTITY face, and swinging slow
ly to and fro, swayed by the breeze which
the roaring flames above created, his limbs
swung convulsively as though to catch upon
something. Then lie let go, and groans
went up from hundreds as he whirledround
and round. and finally struck on the stone
tagging with q sickening thud. lie was
carried to saloon across the street, and
died in few moments. Two other men
jumped from the fourth-stors window, one
Of whom seemed not to be dangerously hurt.
DETAILS OF ESCAPES AND LOSS OF LIFE.
ST.. LOUIS, April ia woman at fifth
story window on the Fifth-Strcet front be-
came panic-stricken and jumped out and
alicbted on her feet She was carried to
the St. James Hotel still alive. Her hris.
band, who had been standing by her side,
then tore up the bedding, and let the strip
| so made out OF the window. TO this the
tiremen attached q rope, which the man
hauled up, making it fast to the window
sill. He then safely descended by it.
A man named J. E. Wilson Jumped from
fourth-story window and was killed. .
Andrew Ensman and Mrs. Scott met
their deaths in the same way.
The mortality among the female help OF
the hotel was great. There were two hum
dred of them, all of whom were lodged in
the upper story of the building. The panic
among them was perfectly terrible. A num-
Der Jumped from The upper window on
Elm street, or the rear side of the house.
Kate ClaXton, the actress, had another
escape, but was uninlured. .,,. ..r.
Among those known to have been saved
was Fl. Kretz, or Texas. Dr. Gerlaet, Ger
man consul, jumped from window and
broke a leg. His wife Was unhurt. Charles
Teenan lost his life in attempting to save
others. Philip Gorod, boarder at the
hotel, was brought out alive, but entirely
bereft Of reason. .....a.t.. ..,.-.-..
At quarter past 2, on about bali an hour
after the fire was discovered, the entire roof
was ablaze, and the flames were rapidly de-
scending to the lower stories. A half hour
later the floors and interior walls began to
fall, The roof fell in, and there is now no.
thing left Of one OF the finest hotels in the
country except the Walnut-street front, and
parts of the Fourth and Fifth-street faces.
The loss on the building and contents is
from S750,0O0 to 100000. The insurance
is unknown.
There are no other southern names than
the Texan among the names OF lost or saved
T. NP nj