The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1877-06-30
Scenes and Incidents Of the st. John
Fire.

Scenes and Incidents Of the st. JOIN
Fire.
Mr.. John E. Turnbull and his Sol
attempted to rescue q partly insane Ia
dy from the flames, but she struggled
and held back until their clothes catch
ing fire they were forced to drop her ant
make their escape, and she burned Il
death in the street.
A drunken man was left in the gutter
on Prince William Street, and is sup
posed to have persisted.
The remains of two persons burned
beyond recognition are in the dead
house in Smith Street.
At IN early stage of the fire . WON
sn's horror-stricken face appeared at ar
upper window and the form of q child
was seen in her arms. A wave of flame
swept past the window and mother and
child were seen no more.
Other deaths reported are the follow
ing:
Ganett Cotter and Peter McGovern,
killed by the falling of wall.
Thomas HOLES and James Kemps
were drowned while attempting to save
goods in an overloaded boat.
Mrs. William Coholan is supposed to
be lost.
Mrs. Lyons and Mrs. Cassidy are sup
posed to have been burned in Mrs. Ly-
ons's old curiosity shop.
Samuel COrbett, furniture-maker, and
. youth named Fox, were burned.
Many other deaths are rumOred, but
it is difficult to ascertain the correct
ness or falsity of the rumors, as it is
very difficult to find even well known
citizen who formerly resided in the
burnt district.
One of the saddest sights of the fire
was the manner in which the refugees
chung to old and dilapidated bits of fur
niture which they carried offwith them.
Many took up positions in Market
Square, and in one place or another,
only to be driven further away by the
approach of the flames. The furniture,
bedding and clothes were in a very great
many instances very scanty indeed, and
the eagerness with which they were cling
ing to the wrctched remainder of their
household effects showed how hopeless
they were of obtaining other furniture
instead in case of its loss. One little
heap of goods was watched by man,
another by woman, the third by a
child, and again the whole family would
be gathered about its rescued goods.
Chipman's field was a favorite place of
refuge in the earlier stages of the fire,
but many of the goods carried there
were placed too near the burning build
ings, and had to be removed again. The
Market Square was resorted to by many,
but as that was in the track of the ma
rauder, they were driven out by smoke
and cinders. Queens Square, another
resort for the fleeing, became almost an
oven in temperature when the fire en-
comprised it about, and heaps Of goods
whose owners were forced to leave be-
hind them, caught fire and burned up.
Kings Square and the old battle-ground
proved safe resorts and were occupied
to the extent of their surface capacity.
Some, despairing of finding safety any
where in the vicinity of the fire, carried
their goods as far rs the city road. The
teamsters appeared to look on the ca
lanity as q regular God-send for them
selves, and some of them charged $40 q
load for hauling.
The Orange Terrace, from which the
fire was kept with great difficulty, was
made the object of an attempt at in
In one of the unoccupied
houses fire, which had evidently been
set, was discovered in a small room.
Robbery was carried on by many rascals
in the boldest and most unblushing
manner, while others pursued their
work under the pretense of aid
ing to save goods. Some went around
both with and without teams and grab
bed up any thing they fancied, boldly
saying, "All right" when interfered
with, and marching off with the spoils
if not prevented. Others were seen
the pockets of clothes and
pilfering from drawers and trunks while
to be working very earnestly
to save goods. But there were no ar
rests. Some time before the flames
the Centenary parsonage Mrs.
Sprague found roughs engaged in light
ing q fire in the kitchen floor.
The Market Slip was full of small
vessels, and only few of them were
afloat when the fire was seen to be be-
vond control. They took on quantities
If goods from the stores and hauled out
Those not afloat ran out lines and pre-
pared for varying. The wind was rails
ng and the men took to their vessels,
barely keeping them from burning, by
he constant use of water. They all got
,ut, but the four or five inshore vessels,
or whom the flames came in advance
# the tide.-Ielegram to the Chicago
Tribune.