St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-04-20
Augusta, Me-, April 10, 1877.
Origin of the st. Louis Fire.
STATEMENT OF THE CHIEF ENGINEEl

STATEMENT OF THE CHIEF ENGINEER.
j. E. Russell, chief engineer of the
hotel, has made statement of his ex-
perience the night of the fire, which
throws some light upon its origin. He
says he left the engine-roOm about half
past IL o'clock, leaving an assistant in
charge, and went to his room on the
fifth floor, near the baggage elevator.
He was aroused about five minutes past
one o'clock by slIrieks of women. He
hurried out and found the hall filled
with smoke, which came from the
freight elevator, but saw no fire. He
started fol- the southern part of the
house with view to descend by the
servants stairway. He was obliged to
crawl on his hands and knees to pre-
vent sutfOcatiOn, the smoke being so
thick. There were Il number of women
on the fifth floor crying piteously for
help whom he told to follow him to the
lower floor, which some did, buJ others
were too distracted apparently to do as
he directed. Finally, he reached the
dining-room floor, passed into the
kitchen and descended to the basement.
Here he found the smoke very dense,
and that the pumps connected with the
engine had been in operation, and some
of the employees had been throwing wa
ter on the fire, which at that time was
raging furiously in the store-rOOm. A
nozzle had been blown off before he
reached the basement another was
put on, and he then put the pumps at
work again and turned a stream on the
fire. This was continued until the fire
tlp Ia
all were obliged to flee for their lives.
They made their exit through the base
ment under the rear part of the build
ing, and emerged on Elm street. This
account does not state how long the
fire had been burning before the fire
alarm was sounded, but it does show,
and conclusively, that efforts were
made to Subdue it before the guests of
the house were aroused, or any attempt
was made to notify them that the build
ing was burning. 1t seems to be very
certain, III all events it is extensively
believed, that the hotel was known to
he on fire by the employees from twenty
minutes to half an hour before the Fire
Department was notified.
Russell also states that there was a
pile of mattresses in one corner of the
store-room and lot of loose hair, and
about five feet from them on the floor
was il box in which the stock of match
es were kept. He thinks the mattresses
and matches had IL good deal to do
with the origin of the fire, but does not
know anything definite about it.
STRANGE STATEMENT.
Orrin Welsh, mayor of Topeka, Kan,
tells story which indicates that the |
fire may have been smoldering long be- !
fore it was discovered. He occupied
room 1l9 just over the store-room,
where the fire is supposed to have orig |
mated. He entered his room at in |
the evening, and found it filled with
smoke. He summoned the bell-boy |
and asked the cause of the smoke. |
The boy supposed it came from IA CRATE
in the hotel. Welsh, went |
ont and returned at half-past 10. There
was then strong smell of fire in the
room, and more smoke than before.
Not being able to sleep, he went to the
night clerk and had his room changed |
to the fourth floor, where he was sleep |
ing when the alarm was made.
Chief Engineer Russell of the hotel |
admits that the fire department was
summoned too late to be of much use
in stopping the fire. The st. Louis |
Times, however, says that over half
the 300 people saved owe their lives to
tiremen and policemen. Every man,
woman and child who showed them
selves at window of the hotel was
saved, except the 10 who jumped out
and killed themselves.