Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-01-19
SHOCKING HOTEL DISASTER,
ONE HUNDRED LIVES LOST.

1u0 N6Wu6u I1OuOC 0o AA a. "~AAS'~S " >~''
was six story. white building, built OF
sand stone. It could accommodate four
hundred guests. and sat on top of hill
commanding situation. On the night OF
Tuesday, January 9th. it was full. Among
its guests were the Madison Square
Theatre Company. the Minnie Palmer
Opera troupe, and the Tom Thumb troupe.
About 4 clock Wednesday morning the
elevator Shaft took fire at the bottom, and
the flames shot up 10 every story. Over
one hundred persons lost their lives by
ieaplpg from the high windows or by the
4 ,mes. An account Of the disaster says:
As the elevator shaft was situated near
the south staircase, this also was soon in
a blaze, cutting off The retreat IF those
occupying the southern tiers OF rooms On
the three upper fl ,0rs. and little later
preventing the retreat OF those ON the sec.
0nd and third floors also. In addition to this
stairway, there was nne of similar dimen-
siOns ut the north end of the Lobby, which
many of the guests av,iled themselves OF
in their fight for safety. Means Of exit
aleo existed at the north end OF the hall
Op the fourth floor, through win OWprO-
tected bv iron shutters. and leading to the
roof of the building adjoining on the
north. A covered passageway acrCaS the
alley from the fourth floor and an uncov-
cred passageway from the fifth floor in The
same direction also afforded means Of es-
cape; but, unfortunately, few of the panic
stricken occupants Of the building be-
thought themselves of these.
A FEARFUL SCENE.
The guests and servants of the hotel
rent the air with their heartrendlug cries
and appeals for help, which those in ths
fast Increasing multi ude in the street be-
low were pOwerlesS to render. Men who
in the daily walks OF life have been &C.
counted htartless and unfeellng, wrung
their hands in despair. running about III.
terly bewildered, exclaimed; my God
my Godl This is horrlbe!" Then black
object would appear on the Out side of the
window. driven out by the smoke and
flame. A piercing scream would rend the
air and q neavy crash would announce that
d human being had dropped from the diZzy
height to meet death on the pavement be-
low. At one time there were six persons
hanging from the window sills IF the fifth
story. crying in agonizing tones for help
and one after another loosed his grip and
met his fate. One man, by letti himself
down at arms lrngth from fifth story
wiz dow, put his foot through that below
and reached The fnuI tn floor in safety. This
operation WAS repeated until the third
floor WAS reached, each point gained in his
perilOus descent being greeted with en-
couraging cheers from the bystanders. AS
he as putting his feet through the top
of the second-st ~ window his hand slip.
ped from the sill above, and with wild
shrek of despair he fell back ward, turn
ing over several times, and striking the
pavement. He was picked up and borne
off mangled corpse.
VAIN EFFORTS TO ESCAPE.
Another man jumped from the fifth
story window, struck the telegraph wires
IN Michigan street, bounded up and came
down mangled mass of flesh and bones.
Firemen and citizens joined in supporting
stretcher of canvass. One man jumped
and landed upon the canvass with his
feet, the canvass slipped from the grasp of
the men who held it. and he struck the
sidewalk with great force, sustaining in
juries which caused his death several houIs
later. Two others essayed to reach the
canvass hut missed their N .rK and were
killed. During the progress of the fire two
men appeared at u window in an upper
story. AS they looked down on the scene
below, the floor of the room gave away and
with an a. o. IL ng Shrek the y fell back
W I'd into the vortex OF fame. Mr.. Allan
johnson and his wife spramg from fifth
story window. He was caught in the
jumping CANVASS. tut sustained injuries
from which he died at O'Clock this MORN
ing. His wife struck on the telegraph
wires. bounded over and was caught, but
was so badly injured that she only surviv-
ed her husband about an b ur.
While hese scenes were being enacted
ON the Broad way aud Michigan sides Of
the Inflated building, one ut still greater
horror was being enacted in the alley at
the rear. The servants q larters we're in
the northwest part OF the building, remote
from the place in which the fire was rag
ing, but all means of escape by the stair
ways were cut off by the flames. AS the
terrible roaring and cracking Of the fl imes
struck upon their ears they brcame panic
stricken, and eight If them followed each
other in leaping from the dizzy height to
the ground in the alley. The jumping
CANVASS WAS on hand. but it was powerIess
in the coz ict with death. At this juno
ture heroic fireman appeared on the top
of the building directly opposite the SER
wants. quarters with a ladder in his hand.
For moment the long, unwieldly thing
poised in midair and ,heu descended with
crash through the win low of the hotel.
ever, and before it became steady in its
position the man had or ,ssed over into the
burning building. Then. amid the cheers
of the multitude below, the man dragged
the helpless creatures across the slender
bridge until seven or eight were rescued
They we're all in their night c.othes.
woman in a dead faint, unable to help her
self in any particular, was dragged across
in safety, buf at one time the whole OF her
body was hanging over clear of the ladd.r,
while the brave man held her bv one of her
ankles. The crowd below held their breath
in suspense. expec' ing every moment t.
see the ladder fall over or break beneath
the terrible strain. The man, however,
was equal to the emergency, and, by a her.
culean effort. pulled her through the slen
der bridge and finally placed her out of
danger. while the crowd, which had en-
dured the most painful suspen.e for ten
minutes, burst forth with round after
round of applause.
ARnPE MADE OF SHEETS.
Mrs L. w. Brown, wife of the General
Yard Master of the Chicago and North
western Railroad Is dead. Mr.. Brown
made rope IT sheets, which he tlrd to a
sewing machine. He slid down and re-
ceived but slight injuries. After reach
ing to 'thold, he called to his wife to
follow. but she did not, and a few M.
ments later was buried beneath falling
brick in her room.
Miss Libbie Chellis, for ten years in charge
of the dr essmaking department in T. A.
Chapman's store, occupied a room in one
of the upper stories fronting on Mic,igan
street. SURROUNDED by flames The appe ar.
I'd at one of the windows, and for an in
slant 10. ked implnrlnely down at the
thr"pg below, and then fell back int the
vortex of ere and perisheds There was
fire escape within her reach, buC The poor
woman was 80 completely overcome b, the