The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-04-09
A ST. LOUIS HORROR.
Fire and LOSS OF Life In the Plant
ers' House.

Fire and Loss Of Life In the Plant
ers' House.
The Victims, -Four In Namber. Part Of tho
Female Help-An Exciting Time
Among the Gnests-Damage to
the Building Light.
sr. LOUIS, April AT $3.50 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 OConnell, the night clerk, who
turned in an alarm. In the meantime
Mike, the Waterman, and Frank, Q call
boy, ran through the building alarming
the guests and at the same time allaying
all apprehension by their cool and self
possessed behavior. Many fingered in
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 admirable
courage, placidly awaited the result.
Some Of the faint hearted ladies and gem
tlemen rushed to the stair-cases and tum-
bled down with disordered costumes bum
died in their arms.
The fire department. was promptly on the
ground and a 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 alley of Pine street I'M
der the stOrehouse and taken directly into
the laundry. where the flames were blazing
fierceIy in the rafters overhead. The fire
had secured good Judgment. hut with sew
eral well directed streams 1t WAS soon
overcome. and the Rahcocks brought into
play to extinguish the smouldering en-
beers. At the first symptoms Of danger the
nurses who were attending Governor
Phelps. were informed Of the real situa-
tiOn and notified that there WAS no i'm
miDent danger. The long -su ferinc patient
accepted IT,. situation calmly. and Instead
1T growing nevous. "a was anticipated. he
chose to abide the situation and trust in his
attendants. The Governors room Ia on
the main floor at the Chestnut street side,
or nearly block awav from the fire.
The greatest dancer that developed. after
the fire had gained head wav, was from the
fear-stricken 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-
tion. On the lower halls and in the ro-
tunda and on the streets the scenes were
piteous. 1t was earlv reported that MANY
people were in the huilding who could not
he accounted for and that they were evil
dentlv lost. hut this giving way to a feel
ing that all had been saved. the fears Of
those already ont OF danger lessened. but
they had not heen taken away when It was
discovered that there had actually been
loss of life. The scenes then became again
Of tte widest character. and while some
of the people hung around breathless to
see how manv had been lost. others cried
ont piteonslv for friends who had been
separated from them for the moment. The
chambermaids and servants were particu-
Iarlv panic stricken. The missing people
were all from their number. and it was
heart-rending az they called out piteously
for their friends tn answer.
In room DAG Law Mary Cooney, chamber.
maid on the fourth floor. who had evil
IDENTIFY made frantic efforts to escape by
the stairs. She was found living on her
face in the hallway on the third floor. and
carried into No. 248. where every effort
was made to resuscitate her. without re-
sult. Her face was heorimed with smoke.
and on either side of her neck the skin and
flesh was torn, as though in the agony
~ sufocstion she had tried to tear
the choking sensation from her
neck. Her RIGHT arm was bruised
and torn. and there was a wound on her
left ankle. hut none bad enought TO war;
rant any theory other than that of suffo-
cation. The victim was about twenty five
wears Of ace. dark hair and ewes. and had
been a faithful emplove of the Planters
House for manv wears.
Scarcely had the discovery Of the first
body been announced when two more I'M
fortunates were found locked in each 9TH
er's arms, suRocated. One proved to he
Kitty Cassidy, aged seventeen years. an
employe in the linen department: the 9TH
er was Mary CoOgnn. twenty-five years
of age, who was also employed in the lin
en- department rs an ironer. She had been
in the employ of the Planters about two
weeks. having come there from the South
err Hotel. Kitty Cassidy was an orphan,
and had sister living in the city, but nc
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.
tSt dkOuV. ueT uuuuS we're ClcuCUcl, anu
the position her body had assumed was
plainly indicative Of the terror preceding
the agony of . death by fire and sufYoca-
ton.
The next BODY found was that Of Maggie
Reardon, aged forty years. an emplOve of
the linen department. in the capacity Of
ironer. She bore no mark upon her face or
body, hut was begrimed with smoke and
dirt. She died from suffocation. Maggie
Reardon was a steady, industrious wom-
an. the support Of an aged mother and aps
invalid sister. Her body was placed in tho
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 convex the guests TO other hotels.
The burned portion OF the building is
located in the rear. on the allev running
from Pine to Chestnut. 1t is 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 nj the hotel. besides the kitchen AMI
Laundry. is used for the sleeping apart
ments Of the helD. who occupied small.
close rooms situated on the second and
third floors.
1t appears that wherever the flames start
ed they at once started inward aud ragged
more furionsly in the secnn.l story than
anywhere else. The rooms here are badly
burned. MS we'll rs on the third floor. and
at one place the flames have eaten q big
hole from the first floor to the roof. 1t is
not known what the fire originated from,