The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-04-08
A ST. LOUIS HORROR.
Fire and Loss Of Life in the Plant
ers' House.
rhs victims, Fonr In Number. Part OF the
Female HelP-An Exciting lime
Among the Guests-Damase to
the Building Light.

Sr. 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, notlhe0
Mr. James O'Connell, the night clerk, who
turned in an alarm In the meantime
Mike, the watchman, and Frank, calS
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 gen
tlemen rushed to the stair-cases and tum--
bled down with disordered costumes bun
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 HoOr,
where p nowe-ful stream was PLAYED across
the arcade with telling effect. Another line
was carried into the allev off Pine street un-
der the storehOuse and taken directly into
the laundry. where the flames were blazing
fiercelv in the rafterS overhead. The FIRE
had secured good lodgment. but with sew
eral well-directed streams il was soon
I overcome. and the BahcOckS BROUGHT into
play TO exiinguiSh the SmOuldering en-
bers. 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
minent danger. The ng-sufferng 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 danger that developed, after
the fire had gained headwav. was from the
fear-Stricken women and some men. In
many instances thew had hung around the
halls. afraid to venture awav, for fear of
meeting the flames and all the time being
subjected IN greater danger from suffoca-
tion. On the lower halls and in the rO-
tunda and on the streets the scenes were
piteOuS. It was earlv reported that many
neople were in the building who could not
he accounted for and that they were evi-
IDENTIFY lost. hut thiS giving way TO n feel
ing that al had been saved. the fears ot
those already out Of danger lessenad. hut
thev had not heen taken away when II was
discovered that there had actuailN been
loss of life. The scenes then hecHTo = gain
of the widest character. and whila some
of the people hume sroUnd hrn~thlNSS to
see how many had been lost. others cried
out piteOuSlv for friPndS who had been
separated from IN m for tho moment. The
oh amhermaidS and Serv"nts were particu-
I 1rlNy ra MI triC Da mis-
were all from THEW number. and it was
haart-reuGinq thev called out piteOusly
for their friends 70 answer.
In room 24G lav Mary COOnev, chamber
maid on the fourth floor. who had evil
, IDENTITY made frantic efforts to escape by
rushing through the hallwnvs and down.
the stairs. She was found living on her
face in the hallway on the third floor and
carried into No. 2i6. where every effort
was made to resuScitate 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 sulrocation 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. hut nOnA bad enOught to war
rant anv theory other than that of sufPo-
cation. The victim was about twenty-five
wears of ace. dark hair and ewes. and had
been faithful emplOve OF the Planters
House for MANY wears.
Scarcely had the discovery of the first
hodv been announced when two more un-
fortunates We're found locked in each 9TH
er'S arms, SuffOcated. One proved to he
Kitty Cassidy. aged seventeen years. an.
emplOve in the linen department: the 9TH
er was Mary COOgan, twenty-five years
of age, who was also employed in the lin
en- department as an irOner. She had been.
In the employ of the Planters about two
L.
ern Hotel. Kitty Cassidy was an orphan,
and had sister living in the city, but nc
other known relatives.
By her side lay Mary COO2an. her room
mate, who presented a horrible appear
nnce. Her face was blackened and features
drawn rs though she had died in the great
est agony. Her hands We're clenched. ana
the position her BODY had assumed was
plainly indicative of the terror preceding
the agony of a death by fire and suffoca-
tiOn.
The next BODY found was that Of Maggie
ReardOn. aged forty wears. An employe of
the linen deDar tment in the capacity of
irOner. She bore no mark upon her face or
body, but was begrimed with smoke ami
dirt. She died from suffOcation. Maggie
ReardOn was n steady. industrious wom-
an. the support of an aged mother and aII,
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 -incrrsted 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
emrlOyes 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 building 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 help. who occupied small.
close rooms situated on the second and.
third floors.
II appears that wherever the flames start
ed they at once started onward and ragged
more furiously in the second story than
anywhere else The rooms here are badly
burned, well on the third floor, and
at one place the flames have eaten a big
hole from the first floor to the roof It is.
not known what the fire originated from.
New Colorado Railroad.
FORT KEOGH, Mont. April 2.-Mon-
tana is booming with new railroad