The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-04-06
LIVES LOST.
A Fire In the Planters House,
st. Louis, Results i'm
Four Deaths.
ALI the Guests Escaped Unframed
Loss on the Building
Only So, 900.


night clerk, who turned in an alarm
through the district telegraph service. In
the meantime Mike, the Waterman, and
Frank, csll-hoy, ran through the building
alarming the guests and 1T the same time
allaying all apprehension By their cool and
self-possessed behavior. Many remained
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 Con-
trsry 70 all precedent, there was little con-
fusion and the guests found their way 20
the main exit and with admirable courage
plscidly awaited the result. SEINE Of the
To the staircases and tnmbled down with dis
ordered costumes bundled in their arms.
Deshsbille was the prevailing style, but
with the advent OF the ire department
there was no time 70 criticise toilets or in
stitute ihyidious comparisons. The de-
partmeut was promptly on the ground, and
Assistant Chiefs Berry and Finnerty took
charge, and line Of hose was taken up
the main staircase to the fourth floor, where
a powerful stream was played across the
arcade with telling effect. Another line
was carried into the alley of Pine street,
under the storehouse and taken directly
into the laundry, where the flames we're
blazing fiercely In the rafters overhead.
The FIRE had secured good Judgment, but
with several we'll directed streams il was
soon overcome. and the Babcocks were
brought into play TO extinguish the
smouldering embeS. At the first symp-
toms of danger the
NURSES ATTENDING GOV. PHELPS
were informed of the real situation and
notified that there was no imminent dan
ger. rhe long-sufering patient accepted
the situation calmly and instead OF grow
ing exceedingly nervous, as was an
ticipated, he chose to abide by the
situation and trust IN his attend
ants. The governors room Is on the main
floor at the Chestnut street side, nearly a
block away froIn the fire. The greatest
danger that developed after the FIRE had
gained headwsy 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 10 greater
danger from suffocation.
On the lower halls and In the rotunda
and on the streets the scene was piteous.
1t was early reported that many people
were In the building who could not be
accounted Tor and that they were evidently
lost, but this giving way to a feeling that
all had been saved the fears of those already
out of danger lessened, but they had not
been taken away when IL was discovered
that there had actually been
loss OF LIFE.
The scenes then became sgain vi the Wild
est character and some OF the people hung
around breathless TO see how maEy had
been lost.
The others cried out piteously for friends
who had been separated from them for the
moment The chambermaids and servants
were particularly panic stricken. The
missing people were all from their number
and it was heartrending as they called out
piteously for their friends to answer. The
friendships Of the work girl were very
plainly demonstrated. One young girl
was particularly distracted because she
; could not find her friend and con6dsntt
whom she called frequently among the
crowd "Kittyl Kitty" and afterwards
when IL was known that Kittie Cassidy had
been sutiocated her grief was almost un-
, bearsble. There were several instances oil
this character. The lost are;
Kittie Cassidy,
Mary Cooney,
Mary Coogan,
Maggie Reardon.
In room 246 lay Mary Cooney, a cham
bermsid Oh the fourth floor, who had eyi
IDENTIFY made frantic efforts to escape by
rushing through the hallway and dowr
stairs. She was found lying in the hall
ysy on the third floor and carried into 246
. where every effort was made to resuscitst,
her, without result
HER FACE WAS BEGRIHNED WITH sNoKl
8 and on either side Of her neck the skin ant
flesh was torn as though In the agony o
suffocation she had tried to tear the chok
ing sensation from her neck. Her RICH
arm was bruised and torn and there was
wound on her left ankle, but none bad
enough to warrant any theory other thar
that of suffocation. The victim was abou
TWENTY-FIVE years of age, dark hair ant
> ewes and had been faithful employee o
n the Planters house for many years.
r Scarcely had the discovery OF the frs
body been announced when two more un
fortunates were found locked in escl
others arms, suffocated. One proved to b
: Kitty Cassidy, aged seventeen years, ar
v employe OF the linen department.
I The other was Mary Coogan, % years o
{ age, who was also employed in the linei
4 department rs an ironer. She had been Ii
the employ OF the Planters about two
weeks, having come from the Souther
hotel
Kitty Cassidy was an orphan and has
[ sister living in the city, but no other know
e relatives. She was mere child, small G
I stature and of delicate mould. Her lea
r lures were in calm repose in death, an
{ beyond the tell-tale marks on her thros
}, where she had torn the skin away in he
+ agony, and bruise on the ankle, she wa
as though in life, and the features as peac'
full as il asleep.
BY her side lay Mary Coogsn, her roor
i mate, who preserved . horrible appearance
5 Her face Was blackened and features draw