The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-04-13
BURNING OF the SOUTHERN.
Oriqin and Progress OF the
Fire.
statement nv the clerk of tue Hotel.
| and by IN Mayor Brown.
(Fron ST. Louis Times yesterday


WHENCE THE FLAMES CAME AND HOW
THEY FLEW.
The fire had its origin in the store |
room there seems 10 be 10 reason 10
doubt that. Further. the flames had
communicated well among the combust-
bic material in that place and had almost
reached the elevator before anybody had
observed them. The discovery seems 70
have been made almost simultaneously
by George w. Ford, the night clerk Oh
duty at that time in the office, and two or
three of the other employees.
MR.. FoRD's sTATEMENr
Mr. Ford made the following state
ment to Times reporter: ] was siandin.
behind the counter transferring the
names TO the ledger when smelled
something like wool burning. ! said TO
a one-legged fellow that was on the ont.
side of the counter: ~ smell something
like WOOL and then he said that he did
too. turned right around TO back
window. only a step OF, aud opened 1t.
The who'll back part OF the hotel was
ablaze, and / saw at once that there was
no hope TO save the place, ! turned
right around again and turned
on the district alarm, and then
alarm KEY 10 turn Oh general alarm. /
then sent i've men up through the hotel
| TO wake up everybody, AMI /. myself.
stood in the rotnnda and yelled fire as
loud as could, over and over again. l
could save nothing but the office books,
and came near not saving them. The
safe was already locked, and everything
in it is now probably as good as ever. In
| two minutes after the alarm OF fire was
| given in the house, the steps leading
down to the Office floor were filled with
| the hotel guests and employees, but all
egress by the stairway was
soon cut of by the smoke
The fact OF it is the whole thing went
! like that (snapping his iinger). | carried
two ladies' down the ladies entrance
and went up tor another one, when
was oyercalne by the )ke. and if i,
had not been for Freedman. one OF Ou
ruins somewhere. Those that wert
saved may think themielves mighty
lucky, tor there was no time TO lose.
At the same time that Mr. Ford made
his discovery one OF the employees ofthJ
hotel smelled the smoke and tracing il to
the store room, burst open the door
The flames, long smothered, leaped out
and scorched him. He flew up Stair
screaming fire" at the top of his voice
ttrom the St Louis Republican,
Ex-MAYoR BROWNS ESCAPE.
, 4 representative OF the RcpuJ{,cr1
seeking for eX-Mayor Brown found tina
gentleman in a room of the st. Jane
hotel at about ten O'Clock in the forenoon
engaged in exchanging one suit o.
clothes Tor another. In response TO in.
quiries, he gave a very clear account o
his escape.
Our room was on the fourth floor, an,
both Mrs. Brown and | were sleepin:
{ soundly; 1 do not know just what tn
time was when Mrs. Brown was awak
ened by coughing fit induced b!
smoke in the room. She aroused ms
| and put my head out Of III
door INTO the hall. Tin
smoke was already thick, aud Just at the
time | protruded my head some on
= shouted Fire. | called out, askin,
. Wher. the tire was, and received III
, | reply that 1t was in the base
| ment. | started toward the stairway an
found the smoke becoming denser.
: | turned back into the room, and 10 bot
y OF us the question OF escape seemed
doubtful one. Mrs. Brown scarcel
wanted To make the attempt. but
: caught her by the arm and carried he
y along. She raped at the door OF Mr.
J.. and Mrs. Gould 10 awaken them as W,
passed by. Our escape then followed b
the stairway, alter surcrin
II terribly trsm the smoke. | al
sati fled that persons in the interic
rooms may never awakened at all. Mr
Brown and lett our room with nothin,
. but our night dresses on and crosse
e over TO the ST. James hotel, and subse
: quently TO place nearly opposite, after
wards in the morning going 10 a friend
d house on Chouteau avenue. All on
D | wardrobe and all Of Mrs. Browns and
my own valuables were lost, save a dia
hond necklace which Mrs. Brown wear
habitually upon her neck and which sii
saved unconsclously. had caused II
r finest pictures 10 be brought IRON III
house, where they were insured, 10 In
~ room In the hotel, where OF course III
ie insurance did not hold. The fire toe
of my rarest possessions and my loss esl
m mate 10 be al least eight or nine thou
and dollars. Mr.. aud Mrs. and Nj,
ie Bissell were anon. the uniorlunat
~ | who also saved nothing,
ID Alter our escape and after we IA,
10 clothed ourselves ss bes we could, toe
position on the balcony OF the :
- James and observed the scenes upon q
10 Fifth street side OF The burning lot,
20 some OF the sights were terrible. Al
"a I window Of the fourth story / saw ~
n women. evidently thinking death ne
'. a. hand, kiss and embrace each othe
IL Then they approached the window whe
II the heat drove them back where they I
o peated the embrace. This occurred .e
: eral tunes. The room was situated at
point IN the Southern near
y opposite the Olympic theater. do n
Ia know whether OF not the two WON,
n were ultimately saved. | Was i spect
tor also when one woman attempted
&c descend by rope the rope parted. an
'i- she fell 70 the sidewalk with AN appa
ing thud, which might have been hear
h., Tor the distance Of at least block. 81
80 Tell from a height OF three stories.
10 was al least an hour after the beginnir
| . OF the fire when noticed man sill
II nafA L. 81