St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-04-10
A ST. LOUIS HORROR.
Fire and Loss of Life in the Plant
ers' House.
The Victims, Four in Number art of the
Female Help-An Exciting Time
Among the Guests-Dnmase to
the Building Light.

OF the 1lanteTS' house, discovered udHeS
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
oil apprehension by their cool and self
possessed behavior. Many fingered in
their rooms after the call, hut 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
tle confusion and the guests found their
way to the main exit, and. with admirable
courage, placi1ly awaited the result.
Some of the fainthearted ladies and gem
slemen rushed to the stair-cases aud tum-
bled down with disordered costumes bum
died in their ARM.
The fire department was promptly on the
ground. and line of hose was taken up
the main stair case to the fourth floor,
where powerful stream was played across
the arcade with telling effect Another line
was carried into the alley off Pine street I'M
der the storehouse and taken directly into
the laundry where the flames were blazing
fercely in the rafterS overhead. The fire
had secured good Judgment, bnt with sew
eral well directed streams 1t was soon
overcome. and the Bahcocks brought into
play to axtinguish the smouldering en-
hers. At the first symptoms of danger the
nurses who We're attending Governor
Phelps. were informed of the real stua-
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 block away from the fire.
The greatest dan ger that developed, after
the fire had gained Roadway. was from the
fear stricken women and some men, In
many instances they had hung around the
halls. afraid to venture away, 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-
tunda and on the streets the scenes were
pteous. 1t was early reported that many
people were in the binding who could not
he accounted for and that they were evil
IDENTIFY lost. but this giving way to feel
ing that all had bee saved. the fears of
those already out Of danger lessened. but
they had not been taken away when it was
discovered that there had actually been
loss Of life. The scenes then became again
of the widest character. and while some
of the people hung around hreathless to
see how manv had been lost, others cried
out piteouslv for friends who had been
separated from them for the moment. The
cha mbermaids and servants were particu-
larlv panic stricken. The missing people
were all from their number. and it was
heart as thy called out piteously
for their friends to answer.
In room 246 Law Mary COoney chamber
maid on the fourth floor who had evil
IDENTIFY made frantic Efforts 10 escape by
rushing through the Railways and down
the stairs. She was found vinc on her
face in the hallway on the third floor. and
'arried into No. 246. whore every effort
was made to re-uscitate her. without re-
snlt Her face was hagrimed with smoke,
md on either side of her neck The skin and
flesh was torn. as thnn"h III thu agony
If suffocation she had tried to tear
he choking sensation from her
,eck. Her rioht arm was bruised
md torn, and there was wound on her
eft ankle hut none had nnought to war
rant any theory other than hat of s,lffo-
cation. The victim was about twenty five
wears of are. dark hair and eyes and had
been faithful emrlove of the Planters
House for many wears.
Scarcely had the discovery of the first
lodv been ANNOUNCED when two more I'M
fortunates were found locked in each 9TH
er's arms. suffocated. One proved to be
Kitty Cassidy. aged seventeen wears, an
employee in the linen department: the 9TH
er was Mary Coo@an. twenty five years
of age. who was also emnloyed in the 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 a sister living in the city, but no
other known relatives.
By her side Law Mary CoOean her room
mate who presented horrible appear
ance. Her face was bla cIened and features
drawn as though she had lied in the great
est agonv. 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 wears. an emnlove Of
the linen depa tmant in the canacity of
ironer. She bore no mark upon her face or
body, but was he@rimed with smoke and
dirt. She died from suffocaton. Maggie
ReardOn was teady. industrious wom-
an. the support of an aged mother and an
invalid sister. Her holy was placed in the
dining room. alongside the two victims
referred to above.
The large crowd which soon gath cred on
the deeply incrustel sidewalks and streets
was busted in caring for, the half -clad
guests Of the hotel. as thew 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 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 out,
ready to convey the guests TO other hotels.
The burned portion of the iuilding is
located in the rear. on the alley running
from Pine to Chestnut. TITS supposed that
the fire originated in 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 helD. who occunind small