Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1886-04-08
A ST. LOUIS HORROR.
Fire and LOSS Of Life In the Plant
ers' House.
The Victims, -Four in Number, Part of the
Female Help-An Exciting lime
Among the Guests-Damage to
the Building Light.

the Building Light.
81. LOUIS, April AT $50 this morning
Rosa Sloane and Kate Dooley, scrub girls
of the Planters House, discovered flames
issuing from the rear of the house near the
laundry. Without losing any time the
girls, with great presence Of mind, notified
Mr.. James O'Connell, the night clerk, who
turned in an alarm. In the meantime
Mike, the Waterman, and Frank, a call
boy, ran through the building alarming
the guests and at the same time allaying
all apprehension by their cool and self
their rooms after the call, but the fumes of
burning wood penetrated the house and
soon convinced the dodgers that personal
safety required immediate action.
Contrary to all precedent there was lit
tie confusion, and the guests found their
way to the main exit, and, with admiral bic
courage, placdiy awaited the result
Some Of the faint-hearted ladies and gen
tlemen rushed TO the stair-cases and tum-
bled down with disordered costumes bun.
died i'm their arm,
The fire department was promptly on the
ground. and line of hose was taken up
the main staircase to the fourth floor,
where powerful stream was played across
the arcade with telling effect. Another line
was carried into the allev off Pine street I'M
der the storehouse and taken directly into
the laundry. where the flames were blazing
fiercely in the RI fters overhead. The fire
had secured good Judgment, but with sew
eral well directed streams il was soon
overcome. and the Bahcocks brought into
play to extineuish the smouldering en-
bers. At the first symptoms of danger the
nurses who were attending Governor
Phelps. were informed of the real situa-
ton and notified that there was no i'm
minent danger The long suffering patient
accepted the situation calmly. and instead
of growing nevous. as was anticipated. he
chose TO abide the situation and trust in his
attendants. The Governors room is on
the main floor at the Chestnut street side,
or nearly a block away from the fire.
The greatest danger that developed, after
the fire had gained Roadway, was from the
fear-sfricken women and some men. In
many instances they had hung around the
halls, afraid to venture awav, for fear of
meeting the flames and all the time being
subjected to greater danger from suffoca-
ton. On the lower halls and in the rO-
tnnda and on the streets the scenes were
plteous. 1t was early reported that many
people were in the building who could not
he accounted for and that they were evil
IDENTITY lost. but this giving way to a feel
ing that all had been saved. the fears of
those already out of danger lessened, but
they had not heen taken away when il was
discovered that there had actually been
loss of life. The scenes then became gain
of the widest character, and while some
of the people hung around breathless to
see how many had been lost. others cried
out piteonsly for friends who had been
separated from them for the moment. The
chambermaids and servants were particu-
larly panic stricken. The missing people
were all from their number. and it was
heart-rending as they called out plteously
for their friends to answer.
In room 24G lay Mary Cooney, chamber
maid on the fourth floor. who had evil
IDENTIFY made frantic efforts to escape by
rushing THROUGH the railways and down
the stairs. She was found living on her
face in the hallway on the third floor and
carried into No. 246. where every effort
was made to reSusctate her. without re-
suit. Her face was hegrimed with smoke.
and on either side of her neck the skin and
flesh was torn, THOUGH in the agony
of suffocation she had tried to tear
the choking sensation from her
neck. Her right arm was bruised
and torn, and there was wound on her
left ankle. but none had enought to war
rant any theory other than that of suffo-
cation. The victim was about twenty five
years of age. dark hair and ewes. and had
been a faithful employee of the Planters
House for many wears.
Scarcely had the discovery of the first
body been announced when two more nm
fortunates were found locked i'm each 9TH
er's arms, suffocated. One proved to be
Kitty Cassidy, aged seventeen years. an
employe in the linen department: the 9th
er was Mary Coogan, twenty-five years
OF age, who was also employed in tho lin
en- department. as an ironer. She had been
In the employ of the Planters about two
weeks, having come there from the South
ern Hotel. Kitty Cassidy was an orphan.
and had sister living in the city, but no
other known relatives.
By her side lay Mary Coogan. her room
mate, who presented a horrible appear
ance. Her face was blackened and features
drawn as though she had died in the great.
est agony. Her hands Were clenched. and
the position her body had assumed was
plainly Indicative of the terror preceding
the agony of death by fire and suffoca-
ton.
The next body found was that of Maggie
Reardon, aged forty years, an employee of
the linen department in the capacity Of
lroner. She bore no mark uCon her face or
body, but was begrimed with smoke and
dirt. She died from sulfocation. Maggie
Reardon was a steady, industrious wom-
an, the support Of an aged mother and an
IHNdliu SisteT her DOuy was placed IN tue
dining room. alongside the two victims
referred to above.
The large crowd which soon gathered on
the deeply incrusted sidewalks and streets
was busted in caring for the half-clad
guests of the hotel, as they emerged from
the main entrance. and out of the Chestnut
street entrance. Many of the ladies and
employees of the hotel rushed out of the
building with only a skirt thrown around
them. and their stockings hastily pulled
on. their shoes and the remainder of their
clothes gathered hastily in their arms All
OF the hacks on the street had been called
to the scene the moment the fire broke ont.
ready to convey the guests TO other hotels. |
The burned portion of the building is |
located in the rear, on the alley running |
from Pine to Chestnut. 1t is supposed that |
the fire originated i'm either the laundry or |
the kitchen, located on the first floor. and |
IN about the center OF the building. This |
part of the hotel, besides the kitchen and |
laundry, is used for the sleeping apart
ments Of the help, who occupied small. |
close rooms situated on the second and
third floors.
1t appears that whereve err the flames start
ed they at once started upward and ragged
more furiously in the second story than
anywhere else. The rooms here are badly
burned. as well as on the third floor, and |
at one place the flames have eaten a big
hole from the first floor to the roof. 1t is
not known what the fire originated from.
A New Colorado Railroad.
FORT KEoGH, Mont, April Mon.
tana is booming with new railroad