The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-04-17
Cowardly Attack on Col
A. K. Mcclure.
Letter of Packard to the
President.
Surrender of One Thousand
Hostile Indians.
The Southern Hotel Disaster.

ST. LOUIS, April '16.-The coroner's
inquest on the Southern hotel fire case
began to-day. The jury was sworn over
the body of Kate Nolan, one of the ser
wants in the house which had been kept
in the cooling room OF the morgue for
that purpose. They then repaired to the
grand jury room IN the -Four Courts
building, mad Il long discussion on the
ques ion whether their sessions should be
private or public. 1t was finally decided
to admit one reporter from each paper
in the city, and the Associated
Press one representative each of the
fire department and insurance companies,
Bresnn, Darling & Co., proprietors Of the
hotel and Robert Campbell, the owner of
the property. The jury then proceeded
to business. The first witness was Jos.
Puiitser, boarder in the house and
roorned on the fifth floor, who said he
WAS awakened at halfpsst o'clock by the
shrleks OF the women; jumped up and run
into the hail, which was full Of smoke
assisted some ladies to the parlor floor;
met Geo. Darling, one OF the proprietors,
who was telling the ladies on the
parlor floor there WAS no dan-
ger. it was only smoke, and
they could go back to their
rooms; witness then returned to his room
and finished dressing and LETT the house;
SO far rs he knew no alarm WAS sounded
in the house; only heard the screams OF
women; believe their cries saved hun
dreds of lives; had been in many hotels,
but never saw SO many appliances for
prevention of fire rs IN the Southern
hotel; there were no engines on the
grouEd when he lett his room at one
o'clock, but they were arriving when he
reached the street.
j.. L. Russell, chief engineer, sub
s.sntially repeated his statemen;
already telegraphed; he slept Oh
the nth floor and was aroused
by the smoke and Screams of women |;
made way way to the engine room as
fast as possible; found fire in the store
room; efforts had been made to subdue it
by his fireman, Thomas Haley, and
other employees. The attempt to put out
the fire was continued after he arrived,
but it gained on them SO fast that in
eight minutes he and the others were
forced to leave the basement to save
their lives. They threw water into the
store room with hose attached to
pump, run BY an engine. When
be left the basement, he looked
up and saw the upper stories
OF the hotel were burning; there was no
special watchman on the basement floor,
but there was one on the Office floor,
whose duty it was to watch the whole
house. Captain Warmers order to the
witness were 10 discharge any employe
caught smoking in the basement; II was
twenty minutes past one by his watch
when he reached the engine room;
he STAYED there eight or ten minutes;
when he entered the engine room
the fire had gained such hesdway
that no number Of engines
could have put it out. No fire depart
lnent in the world could have suDducd 1t.
Thomas Haley, fireman, Walter Muir
phy. coal pssser, and Fred Wagner,
steam pipe filter, and one or two other
employees testified 20 having assisted IN
the efforts to quench the fire in the store
room. and corrohorated MIR: Russells
testimony MS to the condition OF things,
Thomas Haley stated, IN addition TO
other testimony, that at O'Clock IN
the evening he SAW man, pot washer
in the hotel, whe:e name he did not
know, go to the door OF the store.room
with burning paper in his hand. He
seemed to be searching for the keyho!e
in the door. Supposing he had q righ:
there, he did not interfere with him.
Adjourned.
The jury is composed of six well
known and substantial citizens, to-wlt:
Gen. John McAlil, foreman, Sylvester
II. Latin, George Blaine. Walter {.
Carr, Charles w. Irwin and Jacob lawn.
Coroner Auler conducted the exsmins-
,ion of witnesses and he and the jury
men express the intention to go the bot
tom OF the matter and bring out every
fact possible regarding the origin of the
fire. is management by the fire depart
melt and the conduct of the p?oprietors
OF me hotel.
The search Tor the dead bodies in the
ruins WAS continued to-day with unsosted
vigor, bu. none were found. Considerable
more property OF various description, was
discovered in badly damaged condition.
The safe OF the hotel WAS nearly unearth-
et and it will. no doubt, be taken out to-
morrow.