The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-05-09
THE ST. LOUIS FIRE.

THE ST. LOUIS FIRE.
Thrilling Scenes-.Tiic Search for the Bodi' ..
When the fire at the Southern Hotri,
ST. Louis, which led to the loSs OF 20
many lives, broke out, Mr.. Ernest Arg :,
of No. 1,OO6 Washington avenue, was
playing billiards in the Laclede Hotel.
A second and general alarm bel,g
sounded, he went out into the street to
see where the fire was. Looking down
Fifth street he at once saw that the
flames were devouring the Southern;
Without stopping a moment ne rushed
to the scene, and assisted in raising the
frst ladder to the third story OF The wal
nut street front. At this time Mr.. Els
man and his family were OF the windows
of their room on the fourth floor OF the
hotel, crying for help. Although the
ladder referred to only reached to tie
third floor Mr.. Argo ascended to the top
and crawledin at the third story window,
and, leaning out, he directed Mr.. Einsman
what to do. It was by Mr.. Argos diree-
ton that Mr.. Einsman split the sheets
of the bed and tied them together, hy
which Mr.. Einsman swung down, while
Mr.. Argo attempted to catch him IN h's
arms while sliding down the sheet. The
improvised rope parted, and Mr.. Eins-
man shot by Mr.. Ago in his descent ard
was dashed to pieces on the pavement It.
Mrs. Scott was the next to descend |y
the part of the sheet ropo yet remaining,
and when getting to the end she dropped
through the arms of MI. Argo, tearing
his left arm badly, it is supposed by her
nails, and fell to the pavement. For
tunately she was not killed, but SUI.
tanned a severe cut on the left side Of
her head and was badly bruised. Tie
next and last person to take such a ter
rible risk was Mrs. Einsman. She had
seen both her mother and husband fail
through tho arms Of Mr.. Argo to the
pavement, fifty feet below, but yet she
never hesitated. Seizing the treacherous
sheets she climbed carefully out of the
window and, with great fortitude, slld
down until she reached the end. Mr..
Argo then cried out: -
"Let 90, and I will catch you"
Mrs. Einsman dropped when the word
was given, and Argo, bV a heroic effort,
succeeded in catching her in his arms and
drew her into the room, which was at this
time breaking out with flames. He then
carried her down the ladder, both reach
ing the ground uninjured.
One of the narrowest escapes from death
was that of Professor J. Fl. Rees, OF New
York, his wife and two chambermaids.
They occupied apartments on the Fourth
street side of the sixth floor. At about
two A. N. Mrs. Rees was awakened by
heartrending shrieks, and, rousing her
husband, the couple endeavored to make
their way through the hall. Driven back
by sufocating smoke and intense heat,
they re-entered their room, closed the
door and ventilator, and rushed to the
window. No help was in sight, and 4
they made second attempt to escape by
the door the two chambermaids rushed
frantically in with their heads covered,
saying that egress by that route was cut
of, it being impossible to reach the
stairs. All four again rushed to the win
dow for air, the room by this time being
filed with smoke. Mrs. Rees and one of
the girls tainted, but recovered. When
all hope had been abandoned the Skinner
fire escape hove in sight. 1t was raised
very slowly, but the firemen succeeded
in ascending and rescuing several persons
from the fifth floor, including one man,
who had let himself down from the story
above by means of sheets tied together.
After these were saved the ladder was
moved very slowly into position for
the people on the sixth floor, but it
only reached as high as the windows
below, and it was several feet from the
wall. A rope was finally thrown to the
Rees window, and fireman, a very
brave fellow, was hauled up. MIR. Rees
was then let down to the window ledge
below. His wife followed, and she was
supported on the narrow ledge until
another fireman, Ed. Thorn, arrived and
assisted in swinging her to the ladder.
This brave man carried the woman who
was sick and weak down part of the way.
His strength abandoning him she clune
to his back until additional assistance
arrived. Professor Rees remained on
the fifth story window ledge until both
maids were lowered to the sidewalk by
means of ropes tied around their waists.
The women behaved admirably, keeping
perfectly quiet and betraying no alarm.
Had it not been for their presence OF
mind it would not have been possible fol
the firemen Thorn and Kirk to save
them. While the second chambermaid
was being lowered the rope slipped and
caught Mr.. Rees around the neck. Had
not the woman reached the ground ut
that instant the professor would
have been dragged down to a horrible
death. He succeeded in freeing himself,
however, and jumped in safety to the
ladder, descending preceded by Thorn,
who succeeded in sul porting him..
The search for bodies in the ruins OF
the hotel continued very slowly, on ac-
count of the hot condition of the de6rts.
A body was unearthed, but so badly
burned that it's recognition was impossi-
BILE. All the face and two-thirds OF the
upper portion of the head were
burned entirely away. The arms
we're burned off to the elbows,
and the lower limbs were so crisp
that they fell into blackened ashes when
the body was picked up. Enough OF
the breast remained, however, to
prove that the body was that of woman,
but only this, as there was no cloth
ing aboutit to assist in the Identification.
A cloth was procured and thrown over
the remains, which were then conveyed
to the morgue. A quantity of remnants
of clothing was found all around the
body, but none of the badly burned
apparel belonged to female.
The body of a man was subsequently
discovered about five feet from the body
of the woman, and the bodies were iden'
titled rs those of Fl. J. Clark and wife,
of North Adams, Mass.
There were portions Of two fine white
shirts and handsome night shirt, and
small piece of q white vest. Within q