The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1883-02-01
The NewhaII House Fire.
sToRIEs On SURVIVORS.

the story of his narrow escape to re-
porter forl the TiIRcs. His room was
No. 210, on the third floor, three doors
from the elevator. Shortly after -four
o clock in the morning he was awakened
from sound sleep by terrible glare
of light striking him full in the face and
almost binding HIM He SAYS that even
at that moment he fully realized the
horrible situation he was in. Outside
he could hear the crashing of timbers,
the swapping sound of the raging fire,
and over and above it all the unearthly
shrieks of struggling humanity. He
opened the door of his room, and a
sheet OF fame sent HIM staggering
against the wall. He threw up the
window and there before him was a
small balcony, covered with snow.
Stepping out ON to this the ruddy glare
OF light showed him IN appalling scene.
Men hung from the windows above, and
struck the balcony he was on with n
sickening thud, and tnmbled to the
street below. Women called to him TO
save them, and from below came the
sound of many voices crying out 10 him
to Jump. A woman in the next room TO
him smashed the window OF her apart
ment. and, frantic with grief and terror,
shou ed to him for Gods sake to take
hor with him. 1t was but short space
from the balcony to her window, and
she had presence of mind enough let
TO make the leap which she did falling
headlong on to the bal tony. A man
named Fles h succeeded in getting on
| the balcony in the same manner, as did
also Editor Pollock. Sheets, bed
spreads and dresses were made into q
rope. and on this the three men de-
scended 10 the balcony below-first Pol
lock, then Hill, and lastly Flesch. The
| Times informant thinks the woman got
down in the same way, but he does not
| know it for certainty. At all events,
the three men on the balcony with her
lett her still standing there as ii afraid
TO scale the hastily-inlproysed rope.
Maurice Seligman, Milwaukee dis
| tiller arrived in M lwaukee from Osh-
kosh at $3.50 on the morning of the fire,
and put up at the Newhall House. He
is now at the Sherman House in tn s
city, and gave This experience in the
burning building to re ter for the
Times last night. He SAYS that, not
wishing to disturb his household at that
early hour in The morning, he engaged
I
who was with him on the train going 10
the Plankinton House. Mr.. Selgman
was assigned room on the second tiool
of the Newhall. He had got into bed
and being very tired was almost asleep,
when the loud shlieks of those above
and around him told him that he was
surrounded by fire. He is well ac-
quanted with the house, and knew that
there was stairway about two doors
from his room. He got out in the hall.
The elevator shaft was literally pillar
of fire. The glare OF the ames was
all above but the smoke below was
sitting. Men, women and children
rushed about screaming at the top o.
their voices. They knew not which
way to turn. A few found the stairway
and followed him down. but other.
CROPPED about in the thick smoke, anC
seemed paralyzed and unable to act
Mr. Seligman says: Il took a drink Il:
quick as I co i'd, and when / got home
kept the fact that had been in tha
building away from my wife unit
twenty-;our hours had passed by"
Mr.. M. Merrill of Milwaukee, II
vivo-, was called upon at the Crane
Pacific Hotel last night by reporte
for the Times. Mr.. Merrill stated tina
he had been told by Benjamin Tice
clerk at the Newhall House, that Cap
tain James Vose, ID. &. POwerand NJ w
Van Loon, who were among the victims
might have been say ed had they re
mained ool. The clerk and the three
men alluded TO were in room on tn,
third noor, from which a Ia der ha'
been thrown to the Nat 'onal EXchang
Bank. At the request Of the other
lice was the first to cross, reaching tn
other side in safety. For some rcasol
or other the men who were behind hin
failed to cross, and either jumped or fel
10 the ground and We're killed. Mr.
Merrill's theory of the fire is that
sta ted from one OF the fire-pla es. H
SAYS the hearthstone was but seven
eighths OF an inch in thickness AM
rested on wooden ioists. His father
N. Merrill, who was formerly in tn
marble bus ness, had repaired some G
the CRATES in the Newhall House severa
years ago, and at the time called atter
ton to the fact that they were unsafe
No attention was, however, paid to th
matter, and nearly all remained in thei
original condition. ~ Chicago Times.
AN ACTOR AND HIS BRIDE.
Perhaps the most heart-rending inc
dent to be found in the whole catalogu
Of disasters was the case OF John Gil
bert and his beautiful young wife. MI
Gilbert was a native Of Massachusetts
, and was light comedian of unusua
ability. He played at the Olympic The
ater in Chicago with the triple All
ance'' Company, short time ago, an
had been engaged by Mr.. Rogers, tn
manager of the Minnie Palmer Comps
, ny, to take the place OF Graham in m
, Sweetheart" Mrs. Gilbert was a Mi:
, Sutton, of Louisville, Ky She met Nj
Gilbert in that city some two years age
and the two formed mutual attacl
+ ment At his request she came to Ch
cago. and the pair were united in MAJ
age last Monday in this city. Mr.
r Gilbert intended 10 accompany her hu
band ON his trip to Europe, and ever