Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-04-19

The other Republican State officials
unite in card declaring Chamberlain
to be the legal Governor, but endors.
ing his course in declining to continue
the contest without the aid of the gen.
eral government.
A correspondence between Hampton
and Chamberlain is also published ,
wherein Chamberlain consents to meet
such official as Hampton may desig.
nate, and turns over the executive
office.
The Burning of the southern Hotel at St..
Louis.
St. Louis Correspondence (Aprl I'D Chicago Tribune,
About half past o'clock this morn
ing, people in the neighborhood of the
Southern Hotel were startled by cry
of fire and almost Immediately there.
after smoke was seen issuing from the
lower windows of that building. The
alarm was rapidly spread. and three
fire companies and two hook andladder
companies with the Salvage corps
were quickly on the ground, by which
time second alarm from the boxes
had been sounded, as it was appar.
ent that the flames were spreading
over the entire extent of this vast
building. Within ten minutes of the
first arrival of the fire force red flames
began to shoot through the windows
Of the first and second stories, and i'm
mense volumes of smoke crept from
every doorway and outlet. The hotel
was six stories high and almost a block
in dimensions, bounded by Fourth, Fifth
Walnut, and Elm streets. At 2 a. m.
the scene,as viewed by the correspond
ent was of the most thrilling character.
At that time it seemed as if the i'm.
mense structure had been set on fire
in several places. The confined ele.
ment was roaring and cracking inside,
black smoke was rolling from the main
and ladies' entrances, and away upon
the flat roof, the glare OF a general col
flagration was relieved only by the
Tightening streaks Of flame bursting
through here and there from the
rooms below. Now and then frantic
guest in deshabille, with clothes or va
lise in hand rushed out into the street
but it at once became apparent that the
great portion of the inmates were still
inside. First one indow and then an
mother, in rapid succession was VIC
lently raised, heads Of men, women and
children were seen everywhere, and Z
wild cry for help filed the air.
By this time alarm after alarm had
been sounded. and the entire fire de-
partment was wheeling into line. AL
most the whole police force had been
summoned from their posts, and were
arriving, and the streets were filling
with terrified citizens. Many people
were evidently preparing to jump from
the windows, and those in the streets
below continually called out: "Don't
jump; the ladders will be ready" The
hook and ladder companies were splic
ing their ladders as rapidly as posi-
BILE, but the work seemed to be slow
the sixth story was red with flame be-
fore they began to elevate them. A
shout of triumph went up from the
crowd below, and faint echo came
from those above; but when the lad
ders were tried, it was found thai
they would scarcely reach to the
fourth floor, and this discovery was
met with the most agOnizing cries o1
"Help! Help!'' The heartrendinf
shrieks which fell upon the ears of tn,
firemen seemed to almost. paralyz'
them, and the usual efficiency which
has always characterized the St. Loui:
Fire Department was evidently lost fol
the time being. The tremendous draf'
caused by the smoke and hot air hat
extinguished all the gas-lights, ant
the only illumination was that which
came from the flames that licked th'
walls on all sides. On the Walnut sid,
there was a verandah even will
the first floor, and in obedi
ence to the suggestion O.
a cool.headed spectator, one of the lad
ders was raised to that elevation, ant
the sixth story reached in this way
and down this at least forty people de
scended, thus saving themselves
Meantime sheets and blankets began t.
float from the windows on the variou
sides of the building, many of then
tied together, but none Of them max
ing a rope of sufficient length to reacl
a safe landing, though two men ant
one woman in the sixth story descend
ed these perilous strands and succeed
ed in swinging themselves in fifth
story windows, thus increasing thei
chances of rescue. One of the frs
men to mount the ladder on the Wal
nut street side was George Fran
Gouley, Grand Secretary of the Masoni
Fraternity in Missouri. To reach tn
ladder he had to descend the knotte
rope of blankets from tho sixth to tn
fifth story. He had not passed nor
than half q dozen rounds when hi
head fell to one side, his body reele
and fell, the skull being crushed b
striking the cornice, and both legs bt
ing broken, produced instant death
One man, whose name is unknown, al
peared at q window. Throwing th
end of a sheet outside, he began
make preparations to descend, AM
though the crowd called out to him
remain, still he persisted in swingin
loose. Sliding down to the end of th
sheet, he found himself Just above th
fifth story, and nothing below but th
pavement, 120 feet distant. Realizin
his terrible position, he endeavored t
climb back, but the effort to raise hin
self was vain, and, after a desperat
struggle Of three minutes, he shrieke
''Let got" and fell with every bon
crushed. Another man appeared at a
adjoining window in his night attire
and frantically called out "What sha
III do!' Tho flames were lea]
ing all about him, and SCENE
ready to envelop and consume hin
, "jump! jump!" answered back
dozen thr0ats. The man looked dow
! at the pavement. as IL hesitating VIII,