Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-04-11
Windows in the Upper Stories
Crowded with Shrlsking
Men and Women.
Some are Rescued by Fire.
men-Others Leap into the
Streets Below 60 Meet
Certain Death.
About Fifty Persons are Supposed 10
have Perished in the Flames.

AAte Ferlshed In the flames
ST LOUIS, april ll-l:45 ANA fire
has just broke out in the upper stories
Of the Southern Hotel, and the indica-
tons are that the whole structure will be
burned. The guests are all being re-
moved safely.
$50 a,m.--The Southern Hotel, in this
city, was destroyed by fire at two o'clock
this morning. About fifty lives are lost,
as near as can be sscertaiHed up 10 this
time.
LATEST PARTICULARS.
at l:25 this morning the Southern
Hotel, the finest edifce of the kind in
the city, was discovered to be on fire.:
The salvage corps responded to the
alarm before it was sounded on the city
bells. Before the engines arrived the
entire upper stories we're in flames.
At 2 o'clock the scenes in the imme-
date vicinity of the hotel we're indie
scribable, the excitement being of the
most intense character. The windows
in the upper stories were crowded with
shrieking men and women whom it
seemed impossible 10 save. A few have
been saved by ladders placed on the
Fourth street portico, but on the other
three sides Of the building, bounded by
Fifth, Walnut and Elm, the longest lad
deFs fall far short Of reaching the win.
dogs.
Mr.. Peter Blew, son Of the former
minister to Brazil, was sleeping in his
room on the sixth floor and succeeded,
after strenuous e~xertions, in escaping
With bis life and a broken arm. The
building is six stories in hight, and Mr..
Blew thinks that a majority of the in
mates Of the two upper stories of the
building must lave persisted. Two men,
unrecognizsd. were killed by jumping
from the third story windows, and a third
one badly mangled. Five women we're
rescued from the sixth story on the
Fourth street side by the heroic efforts
OF the fremea, whe, after ascending pat
ent ladders, succeeded in getting a rope
to the half-suffocated creatures.
The fire is said to have originated in
the store-reom.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
9:37 a.m.-The most frightful calam
ity that has ever befallen St. Louis took
place ct a very early houE this morning,
involving the destruction Of the South.
ern Hotel by FIRE and the loss Of a large
nsmber of lives. The exact number
cannot nov be given, but it is feared that
SOM forty or fifty persisted either by
being burned directly or FIRST smothered
oy smoke and then consumed. From
the best information at hand it
seems that the fire caught in
the store-room ia the basement,
and was fret seen coming through the
ground a,or, just north Of the Office, and
ia ten minutes it had asceuded the ele.
vators and roiunda, and spread itself
over the sixth floor under the roof. This
floor was occupied entirely by employees
Of the hotel, the largest part Of whom
we're women. The FIRE spread rapidly,
filling every room aud hall with flames.
aad smoke, and the scene was of the
most terrible description. Frantic men,
women and children a through the
halls shrieklng in the most heart rending
manner in their wild and desperate
efforts 10 escape. The smoke was 90
dense in one Of the balls that gas Jets
we're exiinguished, which rendered
egress, even to those most familiar with
the building, a matter Of great difficulty.
The FIRE department vas on the spot
promptly, and hundreds Of people con-
gregated at the scene, ready aud willing
70 render any aid necessary. The dessi.
~ Of smoke in the halls drove nan
guests and boarderS back into their
rooms, and they rushed to the windows
as a mean Of escape. Ladders were
raised as soon az possible, and women
and children with nothing but
night clothes IN we're thus taken from
the burning building. Some tainted
from fright and others sank exhausted to
the ground from nervous prostration.
The ladders generally we're too short to
reach to the 6iih and sixth stories, but
by b%oiating some Of them on the one
story balcony on the east side and the
tFostory balcony on the north side of
the building these floors we're reached
and all those at the Windows rescued.
The Skinner FIRE escape was also brought
promptly into service, and was the
means Of saving many lives.
While this work was going on some
frightful scenes occurred. One man who
had been occupying a window on the
Walnut street front Of the hotel, became
desperate at the seeming delay IN effect.
iog bis escape. and with nervous hands
be tore the sheets from his bed into strips,
tiled them together, and fastening this i'm
proyised rope 10 the window sill. regard.