Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-02-28
DISASTERS OF A MONTH.

DISASTERS OF 4 A0NH1'
rnousaud Lives Lost In Jan
.--au Extraordinary series Of
r.I.mities, Floods. Ete.
law w.s remarkable month. Its
a md terrific collisions. fires and
iNIa. is;ons. and the alarming death rate,
eAP'J,;.of ,;s. of business failures, and the
tnena,n,ing tne series of shocking casual
oseisst o.sat marked it will make 1t memor-
spIT Tbe -. month had just begun when tbs
I .f Gambetta's death was flashed
nes ,ha wires to all parts of the world.
0,.. srEa ,nvstery that hung over 1t, together
ln9 re nerturbation and excitement II
Nn aad in France, made the event the
eaa.;on Of the world for several days.
e. .be dav that the news of FraUce's
,-a--ived the President OF the United
s,as Ios. s,ood in the White House, sur
,aunded by the wives OF ths oaoinet
nSscers. receiving congratulations from
othropg of callers. The decorations
1sre strikingly bright, the uniforms OF
.hs diplomats and soldiers were bril-
g,nt. the costumes OF the ladies' were
l:aS IaS The band was playing. and the
nSoia I'Si ecene was one of life and ANNA
.;oo Suddenly Elisha Allen, the Haw-
s,ya s,;sn Minister, dropped dead near the
ss.aabold of the reception room. Ine
Wh;,a House was closed at once, and
.bs brilliant throng was dismissed.
Tb,se d.ys later came the news or
a. sr,rsad of the disaster and death
20, q large part OF Europe. The
Vs;,e and the Danube rose, inundated
.;IIscss and towns, un 1ermiued houses
nd snread disaster over many miles OF
sari,ory. The Rhine dam az Lndw1gs-
hafsn gave way and more people were
Srowned. The list of the dead along
.hs Rhiue numbered more than seventy
tuo narsons. France, Switzerland and
Austria also suffered great distress.
IN the following day Gen. Chanzy
a;sd After Gambstta he could worse
- snsred in France. Gambetta was
called the soul and Chanzy the sword OF
o Sas;S,anca 10 German invasion. 1t was
"a that the Germans feared Gen.
Chanzy as they had dreaded sxooe-
Un the following day, the 9th OF the
month, the Inpan line steamer Cl'y OF
BRUSSELS, as sue was nearing Liverpeol
in fog, was run down by the steamer
Kirby Hall. She was sunk almost I'M,
mediately. The Captain of the City OF
Rrnsaels said that the fog was SO heavy
that he stopped the engines and allowed
tba vessel to drift with the tide Afser
sbe had drifted thus for forty one min.
utes. the Captain heard the whistles OF
steamers on both port and starboard
sides. He thought that tho two steamers
we're passing him in parallel lines. a
moment later white light loOmed upon
the starboard bow, and before anything
could be done the Kirby Hall struck the
City OF Brussels with terrific force. The
CAPTAIN of the City of Brussels stuck
by his ship till she went down, and then
dung to spar until rescued. len msr
we're drowned.
Fonr DAYS latsr occurred the appall,
inp loss of life in the Milwaukee hote
fire. The hotel WAS a veritabie deatt
trap. The fire started in the basement
stia.m.-an hour when all the inmates
we're asleep-and shot up the shaft lik'
ameteor. In a minute suction OF ths
air from the shaft into the corridors
had carried the flames into every story
and before any one had time to give AZ
darn, the whole north end OF th'
aructure was a sea OF fierce and roar
mo fame. The stairway around tn
dsyator shaft was burned away, ant
the sleepers were caught in an awfu
tran. Another stairway was at the ex
hsme north end of the building, but al
INST inaccessible. The flames ant
smoke swept through the corridors, ane
the affrighted guests were aroused by
the suffocating smoke pouring through
tho apertures Of the doors, followed b.
the clare of the fire. Some rushed fortt
almost into the heat Of the flames ano
struopled toward the further stairway
A few of them escaped: the others were
overcome by the smoke and roasted II
the fre. But most of the people were
suakened too late. When they jumped
IN ALRIGHT from their beds and threw
open their doors they we're met by surg
inc flames. They flew to the windows
Five or six or seven stories below was
the stone pavement. Many jumped
and were picked up mangled and dead
others shrank back from the fearful
iump until the flames swept into theil
rooms and shrivelled them into un
recognizable shapes. Many women
hune from the window sills aud rent the
Air with screams until the fire licked
their hands and they went spinning
down to horrible death. Az one time
there were FIVE women hanging at the
same time from sixth story WINDOWS
Below were thousands OF men lookinI
on horrified and powerless as the wo.
men dropped one by one TO the stree,
and we're picked up dead. The servant
girls had no chance of escape, for the
Ars rushed up the stairway, consuming
las il passed, and swept into the ser
wants rooms. One after another they
Jumped from the windows in the tor
story Of the burning building to the
street below. Thousands looked on and
Rw them meet their death. The pro
pietor of the hotel became insane. The
belief was general that somebody had
set fire to the building, as no less than
four attempts to burn it down had been
made within two years. The number
eflives lost was "a.
While they we're still digging bodies
eut Of the Milwaukee ruins, the Planters
House, q big hotel in St. Louis, caught
nm Il started at the same hour In the
morning as the Milwaukee fire, but most
dthe guests escaped; three, however
were killed.
On the llth of the month 10000 poo
Hs were driven from their homes in
Hungary by the floods. Many we're
dfovnsd. The dykes around Raab gave
vsv, and the deluge completely inun-
dated the town. Great distress still pre-
salls there.
On the l4th occurred friGhtful fire
macircus in Russia. It WAS IN some
aspects even more horrifying tnah tns
ceaster at Milwaukee. Eight hundred
gecple we're packed into a circus ouiio.
ngin Perditsheff when the alarm OF OF
as vas given. The structure was pnii'
wood, and was VII 'hout windows. Ins
esuormanoe WAS about half over, ano
80 clowns were in the ring. suddenly
ss@ird clown rushed in and shouted,
e" The people thought it was par
s0s performance until the rinRmastei
~ out shrieking at the top OF his lungs
smoment later the fire began to creep
SOm the stables. The people rusnso
" - toe main entrance. The doors open,
onward, and were forced shut and
o tnere by the pressure OF the terror
0.en multitude. Some fought tneii
syo the two side exits, but both wele
SI!y nailed up,and defied all attempts
no.ssk them open. 1t WAS im
ols for the victims Y
pe; When the people reai
-. tnn they b<gan to throw tell
SIfen into the ring from all parts oi