The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1877-04-20

Particulars ~ the NurntnR ~ thc N.nNhrrn
tl.McI Appalling lA.s. ~ lite.

u7MFgtVNlMFA III wv vvNFWtNH ~ wv AsNsNHefU
MMri Appalling lAs~s ~ lite.
Another frighttnl calamity han"renrrrd
At mn early hour III tlle morning II tie
18th inst. the Southern Hotel. the lnr-
s.at hnrtolrio IN ths city ~ H. L,ltir.
caught iir,, md IN III incredibly short
rpIrs I'll time thu building MaH reduced
t. Il lnass ~ ruins The destruction II
ile hotel WINS attended with Il
snl l,ee III iife. The csuri number
II people burned, IN la tlie rms. II
the recent Brooklyn mil Ashtah,ila ,ils.
anierr. will probably never liz known
exactly From the IT. Louis ra-
psrn VI CLEAN TIN following partien-
mrs III the awful disaster: II s,trma tile
fire rnusht III tile stpre-room In tin baAc.
ment, and WIN first neen coming through
the ground floor. just north Of the office,
AMI in ten minutes II Ind aHceii.lel the
elevator. and rotnil,la. mil spread itArli
over the sixth iinpr under III.
roof. This iioor wa4 occupied entirely
hy employees III tie hotel. the largest
part III whom were women. The fir,
npread rapidly, filling every rupin nnl
hall with flames md smoke. nnd the
aeene wnH ~ the most terrible lcscrip-
tim. Frantic men, women mil chill
drsl. RIM through the halls, slriekinR In
the most lleart-renainn manner. hi tlleir
will and desperate efforts 10 escape.
The smoke wan Nj dense in some uf the
halls that the Rns.jcts WE'RE eAtln-
Hni1lee, which rendered cgross even 10
tl,nse most familiar with tie building
matter VI great difficulty.
Tie fire department waS on the sput
promptly, ana hundreds III people con-
greRnted NJ the seene, rady anil will.
ing 10 render my aid necessary
The density III tile smoke in thu
hnlls drive many giirstA and l,nar,leiH
hnek into their rOplns, nnd they rushed
~ tile windows IN il mnanH I'll rnsnIlr
Ladders were rnis'l IN sonn IN possible,
a,,l women md children, viii, nothing
Int their nielt.riuih.H On, were tlnls
taken from the hnri,ing building. hnne
fnintsh from fright, nl,d others xank eA-
llnnstea ~ tile ground from nervous
prs,strntinn. Ihr ladders generally were
tup short 81 rcml, o. tile iiftl and sixth
stories, Int ~ lioirting some III them on
the une. story balcony. IN the north si,lr
III the building. tlese il,s,rn were reached
anil MI those al tl,e windows rcsriied.
The Skinner isn-rM,npc wan nlro
brought promptly into service. and
wan thr means II saving mnny lives.
While this work VII. going III some
lrlghtinl scenes occurred. tho man,
who had been occupying \ window ON
thu Walnut ntret trnnt III tlic hotel, b..
rnms desperate II tho seeming lelny IN
silaeling Ills rMs.m. Will. nervous
hnirls H. tore the sheets from his hs'd
into strips, tied them together, anil, i.a-
teninp this improviHed rulN IL the win.
.l"w.sill. anil, ,liHregnrling the fmt thai
Il ,li.l not rcurl, more tim, twenty feet.
lie LEI himself down hand over han.l.
/ I'll. mrn below ~hn saw lin position
I tnrnr,l away their heals Il, avoid Witness.
/ ing tlir Hckcnng event that Vim iir,lt.
ahl.. Finally Ii. reached the rJ,d ~
thu sheet, nnI then. Tor tile first
time. IN seemed Ia r.alizu hir position.
liz stopped, threw lliA lnn.l lm.k, rsenl.
,ng IL glinstly fass'. uil.l swung slnNis ~
ainl fr,. r~nyc.i wv lha lr,rxn Mlnsl, tilr
rMrins flames nl,nss created. I'LL. limbs
SWUNG around .sIl,tilr,sply. ~ thol,rl,
IT, sa,ish upon something. thin liz I.tea,
alul grmin went M ir,m hundreds IN h.
whirled round and r,itil.i. anil iiunlly
struck IN The STONE ila,gine with Il si.L.
rIliag tlnid H. VIA carried III IL tsssitn,i,
Mr~. thu street. nni Iic,i IN irW nn,.
mrnis. Two oth.r men jumped irnn
tle fpnrtl,-rtnry windows. one III whom
seemed not IL III ,iHngrmnsly hurt,
Will. the other expired ia IL few mo.
mentH.
A woman N the iiish.sipry window on
thr Fifth street ir,nt became imilir.
stricken a,a jumped mt. SHE uliRht.L
On har feet mil Mu~ carried IL tI,e ~.
James Hotel still ulise ll.r hnsl,t,nl,
who Ind l,ecn standing by her p.ic, then
tore mp the bedding. mn. let illr strip. ~
made, ont II tn willo~. IL thu lir,.
men attached II rope whirl, tin ninn