Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-04-18


halls that the gas jets were extinguish-
ed, which rendered egress even to those
most familiar with the building a matter
of great difficulty.
The fire department was on the spot
promptly, and hundreds Of people con-
gregated at the scene ready and willing
to render any aid necessary. The dem
sity of the smoke in the halls drove
many guests and boarders back into
their rooms, and they rushed to the
windows as a means Of escape.
RESCUE OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
Ladders were raised as soon as posi-
BILE, and women and children, with
nothing but their night clothes on, were
thus taken from the burning building.
Some tainted from fright and others
sunk exhausted to the ground from
nervous prostration. The ladders gen.
orally were too short to reach to the
fifth and sixth stories, but by hosting
some of them on the one-story balcony
on the east side and the two story bal
cony on the north side of the building
these floors were reached and all those
at the windows rescued. The Skinner
fire escape was also brought promptly
into service, and was the means of saw
ing many lives.
FRIGHTFUL SCENES.
While this work was gong 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 effecting bis escape. With nervous
hands he tore the sheets from his bed
into strips, tied them together, fasten-
ing this imprevlsed rope to the window
sill, and disregarding the fact that it
did not reach more than twenty feet,
let himself down hand over hand. Men
below, who saw his position, turned
away their faces to avoid witnessing
the sickening event that was inevitable.
Finally he reached the end ofthe rope,
and then for the first time he seemed to
realize his position. He stopped,
threw his head back, revealing a ghast-
ly face, and swung slowly to and fro,
swayed by the breeze which the roaring
flames above created. His limbs swung
around convulsively as though to catch
upon something, then he let go, and
groans went up from hundreds as he
whirled round and round, and finally
struck on the stone tagging with a
sickening thud. He was carried to a
saloon across the street and died in a
few moments. Two other men jumped
from the fourth-story windows, one of
whom seemed not to be dangerously
hurt, while the other expired in a few
moments.
A woman at fifth-storY window on
the Fifth street front became panic
stricken and jumped out. She alighted
on her feet, and was carried to the ST..
James Hotel still alive. Her husband,
who had been standing by her side,
then tore up the bedding and let the
strip so made out of the window. To
this the firemen attached rope, which
the man hauled up, making it fast to
the window sill, and safely descended
by it.
A man named J. E. Wilson jumped
from fourth story window and was
killed. Andrew Ensman and a Mrs.
Scott met their deaths in the same way.
DR.. Gerlact, the German consul, Jump
ed from window and broke his leg; his
wife is unhurt. Charles Teenam lost
his life in attempting to save others.
Philip Werold, boarder at the hotel,
was brought out alive, but entirely bereft
Of reason.
QUICK WORK.
At quarter past two, or about a halt
hour after the fire was discovered, the
entire roof was ablaze and the flames
were rapidly descending to the lower
stories. A half hour later the floors
and interior walls began to fall. The
roof fell in and there is now nothing left
Of one of the finest hotels in the coun-
try except the Walnut street front and
parts Of the Fourth and Fifth street
faces. The loss on the building and
contents will be from s75O,O0O to
100000 The insurance is unknown
as yet.
NARROW ESCAPE OF KATE CLAYTON
A report was circulated during the
day that Kate Claxton, the actress,
jumped from window of the hotel and
broke both other legs. This proved
to be erroneous. She had sufficient
presence ofmind to wrap her face and
head with wetted fowls and walked and
rolled down stairs. Except having a
few bruises she is safe. Miss Claxton
states that she lost everything. Her
arrangement began atSt. Louis Monday
evening in 1.-THE Two Orphans"
Miss Claxton, it will be remembered,
was one of the performers in the 1.-TWO
Orphans" at the Brooklyn Theatre on
the occasion of the awful fire on the
evening of the 5th of December last.
Miss ClaXton was one of the four per-
sons who were on the stage at the time
the fire broke out, the others being Mrs.
Farren, Mr.. Studley and Mr.. Murdoch.
The last-named actor persisted misera-
bly, in the flames, and the others made
hair-breadth escapes. The same piece
was on the bills of the Olympic Theatre,
in st. LOUIS, with Miss Claxton in her
part of Louise" the blind girl, when
the hotel was burned. The Two Or
phans will be memorable in this play
er's experience. Miss Claxton has a
suit for divorce pending against her
husband, Mr.. Dore Lyon, a well-known
New Yorker, and the case has attracted
much attention. Miss Claxton's real
name is Cone, she being the grand.
daughter of the famous actor-preacher,
Spencer H. Cone, her father being
Spencer Wallace Cone. DR.. Cone, her
grandfather, had successful stage
career of seven years, subsequently to
which he was a journalist, a volunteer
in the war of 1872, and Baptist clergy
man, being at one time chaplain TO
Congress. 1t is said that he was pres
ent at the burning of the Richmond
Theatre.
INSANITY AND SUICIDE.
VIM. Felix Munster, said to be a
member of the English House of Com
mons, who was married in this city a
few months ago, and was residing at the
hotel with his wife, became separated,
and under the impression that she was
killed, he became intensely excited and
evidently lost his mental balance.
About six O'Clock this morning he went
to the room Of a friend, corner Fourth
and Olive streets, and shot himself.
The coroner held an inquest, but could
not decide whether death was caused
Dyssuicide or accident. There are var
49,. A. a