Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-01-16
aImos, Aua,b., Uo,ocaus,

OF. LOUIS, JduudTy 1O.-lL WdS Just ten
minutes past o'clock Sunday morning
when the fireman in the engine-room OF the
Planters' House discovered live Goals drop
ping on the paved alley just outside the win
dow. Going out, he found the alley SO
densely filled with smoke that il was i'm
possible to distinguish the locality of the
FIRE which caused it. The Goals, however,
evidently came from the store-room of the
hotel, which is part OF frame structure ex-
tending out across the alley at the
second floor and abuitiDg on the
large furniture ware-rooms of the
auction house of Block, Tyler & Co. The
fireman ran to the eDgine-room in the alley,
where high gates Enclosed il, making, with
the frame structure, long narrow room, in
which the smoke had accumulated. He
succeeded in getting the gates open, thus
creating a current which carried off some of
the smoke, and then returned to try 10 ex-
tlnguish the FIRE. He found, however, that
il lad strong hold in the store-room and in
The kitchen, which ia Immediately over the
boiler-room, where he was at work. He gave
an alarm, and in three minutes the
HOTEL WAS A BEDLAM
Nearly 800 people, filled with the horri-
bic recollectious OF the Milwaukee holo-
causi, were dashing hither and thiiher
tn ough the main Corridors and down the sew
erai slairways into the office and street. The
hotel employees acted with sense and prompt
nese, rapping long and loud on every door
in the house, and five minutes later making
a second trip 10 insure that everyb body was
up and advised of The danger. Very few
waited 10 dress, as the smoke from the resr
of the building, where the fire was located,
had already invaded the corridors, and was
Il ,ng1
Stopping only to grab few articles of cloth
ing, meD, women and children fed in dismay,
and would not halt, even in the commodious
main Office, where there was light, comfort
and little smoke. As the engines, the first
of which arrived within fifty seconds of the
sounding Of the alarm, dashed up 10 the
hotel, the stream OF iugitives began to pour
from its doors. There we're men in naught
but their underolothes,
WOMEN WITH BUT A NIGHT DRESS
and possibly shawl or cloak over their
shoulders, and little children hastily bundled
in blankets or other wraps Few wore
shoes, and a great many were in their bare
feet The lights of the Republican and Globe
Democrat offices, and OF the gdmbliughouse,
all OF which were within distance OF
block, led the half crazed people to a tempo
rary refuge of warmth, whence carriages in
a few moments removed themto other hotels.
Some OF the scenes incident 10 this htgira
were quite thrilling, their effects being in
by the rattle, olspg aud Shrek OF
engines and shouts of the firemen. Soon the
main body OF the hotel was cleared OF guests,
and the building was in posse ssion OF the
iremen, who, within twenty minutes az re-
suit OF a second alarm, had thirteen engines
at work. Meantime, events in the rear of the
building were oil
FAR MORE UGLY CHARACTER.
The hotel, which is six stories in hight,
fronts on the west side of Fourth street, fro N
Chestnut 10 Pine, while wing runs back on
both Chestnut and Pine streets TO the depth
OF half block. Thus the main building
forms three sides OF rectangle. The fourth
side is formed by four-story building, forty
years old, midway in which, on the ground
floor, is the boiler-room above referred to,
and the kitchen on the floor above it. The
two upper floors were occupied by the help
OF the house, some seventy five in number.
Alongside the boiler-room a narrow stairway
rises and winds 10 the roof. The fire, which
started very close 10 this stairway, was car
ried up to The roof BY the draft in the stair
well, and thus not only cut off escape by
that means, bat also formed barrier which
prevented the men sleeping in the
south half of the building from reaching
another stairway at the north end. Hence
these unfortunates, almost smothered by the
smoke, were compelled to climb out on the
roof of the frame structure which abutted
over the alley, and thence either to Jump or
lower themselves by means of a pulley
rugged there for hosting supplies. One poor
fellow was seen 10 start down the stairway
before The FIRE reached the third floor, and
an hour later
his cRIsPED CORPSE
was found in the kitcheB, near the foot OF
the stairs. Another employee, who, although
answering to call, seems to have been too
much stupe6ed by the smoke to get up.
Two hours afterward his dead body was
found on the smoking mattress of his bed.
The female help all escaped by the stairway
at the north end, save one, who broke her
ankle in jumping to the roof of shed. The
6remen made grand fight. The noyzles
were carried through the walls of smoke
right to where the flames were raging and
Notwithstanding the inhammable nature OF
the building they succeeded in preventing
the fire from extending beyond distance oil
twenty feet from the point of its origin, but
in that space it burned clear through the roof
and
DESTROYED ABOUT TEN ROOMS.
The balance of the rear building was
made uninhabitable by water, but the hotel
proper did not suffer to the extent OF a
dollar. The fire, however, crossed the alley
TO the furniture ware-rooms where the fire.
men had another fierce but short fight The
damage to the hotel property is about Sl0,-
900, and 10 the auction firm about $4,000;
all covered by insurance. Sunday evening
the workmen engaged in clearing away the
debris found the charred body OF man amid
the broken timbers at the foot OF the stair
way on the basement floor. 1t proved to be
Henry Blaney, an employe, over sixty years
old, who, as boy, served as chore boy in
the hotel. The other two dead men are
Carlo Rsbole, scullioD, and D,nnis Reponte
carver. The hotel is a very substantial
structure, well provided with fire escapes and
stairways remote from each o.. her, and even
had the fire invaded it, the progress:
would have been slow. There were
two watchmen in the m ain building. The
origin of the FIRE is unknown. J. j. Gerard
the proprietor, who two years ago re-
modelled the struci ure at great expense, an
nounces that the new kitchen will he in
working order BY Tuesday morning, and
that the National Furniture Mems Conven
ton and banquet, 10 take place there or
Wednesday, will not be discommoded. The
Planters House for a quarter Of cen ury
has been the best known hotel in the Wes
and its fame was extended by Dickens 10 hii
American Notes.
Most of the guests and boarders of the
house very promptly returned TO tht
hotel during the evening, they being satisfied
that il was quite safe, and 30 the business o.
the house is proceeding as usual, excep
that they were not able 10 serve breakfas
this morning nor dinner. So far as known
none OF the guests lost any personal effects
and none of them were injured or met with
any mishaps.
INSURANCE ON THE HOTEL BUILDING.
is SIS follows: Lancashire, England, $4,000;
London Assurance, $1,000; Hamburg Bre
men, $4,000; Merchants, New Jersey, $500;
Boylston, Boston, $500; Union, California
$4,000; Pheoix, England, $1,000; Firement
Fund, California, 5000; Standard, Euglsnd
$4,000; British American, $500; Lion, En-
gland, 5000; Metropoie, France, $4,000
City OF London, 5000; Insurance Company
OF North America, $500; Pennsylvania In
surance Company, $4,000; Citizens, 81. Louis
$500; Star, New York, $500; Union, Penn
sylYanis, $500; Howard, New York, $500
Northern, England, $500; Firemans, Ohio
$500; Louisville Underwriters, $500; total
SS7, 600.
J. J. GERARD, PROPRIETOR,
is insured for $67 600 on furniture and sup
plies, but the names OF the companies can
not be obtained. The loss on Tyler & CO..
block will probably not DE more than $40,
600; insured for $4,000, as follows: Fsrra
gut, New York, $500; Clinton, New York
$500; Citizens, $500; Prescott, Boston
$1,000; Manufacturers, Boston, $3.50; ALE
msnis, Pittsburg, $500; Fire Insurance As
ISOLATION of England, $4,000; Watertown
New York, $500.
The Milwaukee Horror.
MILWAUKEE, January 15.-one hundret
and fifty men are at work searching TO
bodies to-day. The weather Is somevhs
milder, and the work proceeds quicker
Still, the total result of the forenoon's search
was only two bodies, SO badly burned tha
recognition was impossible. Thus far twenty
little heaps, pronounced BY physicians 10 b.
human flesh and bones, have been taken iron
the rnins So far ga can be Learned thirty