, 1877-04-12

The terrible details Of tue fro nt 1T. LouiH
on Wednesday, morning aro presented etso-
where. Like tho 1srooklyn Theatre calalnity,
the first reports wero not cxaggoratetl; on
the other hand, they failed to convey any
thing like the fu1l oxteut Of this fearful dis
aster. Tho Southern Hotol WAS ono Of tho
most elegant lostelries in tint city, "a build
ing six stories in height, not SO large as our
Palmer or Grand Paciao, but larger than tho
sharman or fremont Houses. It was crowd
ed with guests and boarders on a1l its foors,
little dreaming Of danger, and as unaware OF
any precautions against danger apparently
aa tho proprietors themselves. Tic fire
broke out in the dead Of night, when Tho oc-
oupauts woro asleep. There waa no warning
Of danger. They woke to find tho fire all
about them, burning In tho very heart Of tho
house. Thoss below Ind time to escape.
Aiost Of those abovo must have poriBhed
either by the horrible death OF burning or
by tic kinder fate Of smothering, and sono
by their terrible leaps from windows. Tho
fire, SO far as can be asoertatned, originated
In tho baaomont storags.room, whence, by
the convenient elevator, acting as d fuo, the
f1n,nes wore quickly sucked up to tho
fifth aud sixth floors, aud spread with In
conceivable rapidity, cutting of tho wrctched
boarlers and employees, who principally o.
oupiod those floors, from any oscape except
tho hazardous hopo Of life In jumping from
thnt great height to the pnvements below.
It is almost incomprehensibls tha. tho watch-
men OF the house did not give an alarm
sooner. Tho frat notice the inmates seeu,
to hayc had was from the fire itsels, aud
when the alarm was given TO tho Fire De-
partmont, 1t arrived upon the spot only to
find tie ontire upper portion OF tho sss,,c.
ture In flames and tho whole building DOOM
cd to destruction. In lesa tl.an an lous'a
time tho roof Ind fallen in, aud the hotel
was virtually in ruins. Tho loss Of lifo ut
this writing is placed ut Ie0, but 1t will prob.
ably exceed that, Oh there wero at least 200
servants and employees Of tho house who
lodged upon tho upper floor, aud but few
II any OF tAem could 1--we escaped. With
regard TO tho commencement Of tho
fro, II acesna rs II there must
DO very SERIOUS responsibility. After
It had shot up through tho elevator, 1t is easy
to comprehend ita rapid spread, but It is not
SO easy to understand how 1t could have
gained such llealway in the storago.room as
10 entlangar tho whole building, and render
its destruction certaiu before any warming
was given. Ia to the solidity Of its con-
stFnctlon we arc not informed, but the awful
rapidlsy with which 1t was consumed would
Indicate that 1t was litllo elso hau huge
tindsr.box, Tho lro was discovered ut 1;..5
a. H., somo aecounts saying Ids. At .:15
tho ontiro roof WAS In isnlea. At 2:45 tho
roof mud walls had fallen, and tho building
WIS virtually destroyed. In nbout IN hours
time tho largest hotel iu st, Louis was In
ruins. Again, tbs accounts mako no mention
Of my precautions against fire in the way OF
e1tipguishers,. buckets, hose, stand.pipes,
1uercurial indicators, Or any Of the modern
appliances which ars now In use In la1ge
buildings. and that there were no wall.
ladders is shown by the fact, that the victims
either had to perish in tho Aames Of huzl
themselves out Of tue windows
Withthis contingency apparent at glance,
1t is little remarkable that the firenen and
authorities did not I'LL the sidewalks aud
street below the windows with material ia
break the fall of the nnfortunRtes. lisy,
straw. mattresses, bedding, pillows, clothing.
and other material Of this description might
have been procured in abundance In q very
few minutes and piled up to q sufficient
height to havo saved many lives. by jump
ing upon hsse iusteaa Ut upou the pave