Omaha daily bee., 1883-01-15
The ffsctive Work Of the Fire
Department Prevents a
Second Newhall.
The Number Of Victims Of the
Milwaukee Horror 10
creaeing Daily.
Tho Remnants ofEForty-Tws Bodies
Believed Co bs Still in
the Ruins.
Three Hundred Persons Lose Their
Lives by Fire in Russian Poland
The Planter g Gle s . Gail.

Special Dispatch to THE BEs.
ST. LOUIS, January Ia "A fire
broke out shortly sfser o'clock this
morning In the kitchen Of the Plant
ers' house, occupying block on
Fourth street between Pine and Chest.
nut streets, and extending to the pam
try, storeroom and servants quarters.
These are all in building in the rear
of and detached ffom the hotel, which
was not injured. One servant was
suffocsted te death, one burned, and
two others have broken limbs. Great
excitementprevaiied among the guests
Other occupants of the house, nearly
three hundred people, filled with the
horrible recollection of the Milwaukee
holocaust, were dashipg hither and
thither through the main corridors
and down several stairwsys in the
Office and street. The hotel
employees acted with good sense
and promptness, rapping long
and loud on every door. i've min
utes later making second trip to in
sure that everybody was up and sd-
vised of the danger. Very few waited
to dress, ss the smoke from the rear
building, where the fire was located,
had already invaded the corridors and
was making its way slowly into the
rooms. Stopping only to grab f,w
articles of clothing, men, women and
children fed In dismay and would not
even halt in the commodious main
Office, where there was light, conf ,rt
and littls smoke. As tEssepg mes, ths
first cf which arrived within fifty sec.
onds f or the sounding of the alarm,
dashed up to the house, the stream q
fagitives began to pour from ita
doors. There were men In
naught bat their underclothes,
women with but night dress and pos
sibly shawl or cloak over their shoul-
ders and little children hastily bun
died in blankets or other wrappers;
few wore shoes and great many were
In their bare feet. The light of The
Republican and GLOBE. Democrat Of
fees and of the gambling house, all
of which were within distance of q
block, led the half crazed psople to
temporary refuge and warmth whence
carriages in few moments removed
them to other hotels. Some of the
scenes were quite threatening, their
effect being intensified by the rafting,
clang and shrieks of the engines and
shouts OF the firemen, and
soon the main body of the hotel
was cleared of guests and
the building was in possession
of the firemen, who, within twenty
minutes, had thirteen engines at work.
Meantime events in the rear building
were of far more ugly character
The hotel, which is six steries In
height, fronts on the west side
Fourth street from Chestnut to Pine,
while wing runs back on both
Chestnut and Pine street to depth Of
ha,f the block. Thus the main
building forms three sides If rect
angle. The ourth side Ia formed by
afour story building, forty years old,
midway t which on the ground floor
is the boiler room above referred to-
and the kitchen Is on the floor above
it. The two upper floors are occupied
by the help of tho house, some 75
in number. Alongside the boiler
room, a narrow stairway arises ano
winds to the roof. The fire, which
started very close to this stairway
was carried up to the room by the
draft In the stair, and thus not only
cut off escape by that means, but alst
formed barrier which prevented
men sleeping in the south ha of th'
building from reaching another stair
way at the north end. Hence these
upfortunates, almost smothered by
smoke, were compelled to climb ou
of the room on frame structure
which abutted over the alley, ant
thence either to jump or lower them
selves by means of pulley, riggec
there for hoisting supplies. One poo
fellow was seen to start down tn,
stairway before the fire reach
ed the third floor, and al
hour later his crisped corpse wa
found In the kitchen near the foo
of the stairs. Another employe, wh'
although answering to a call, seems t,
have been too much stupefed by tn
smoke to get up, for two hours after
wards his dead body was found OF
the smoking mattress in his bed. Th
female help all escaped by the stairwa,
at the north end, save one who brok
her ankle In jumping to the roof c
a shed. The fremen made a gran,
fight, and the nozzles were carrie
through the walls of smoke right t
where the flames were raging, and moi
..'Ik.ta, d;no tba Ipfannnahla natur