Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-04-08
A ST. LOUIS HORROR.
FIRE and Loss Of Life in the Plant
ers' House.
rh. Victims, -Four In Number. Part Of the
Female Help-An Exciting Time
Among the Guests-Damage TO
the Building Light.

Among
the Building Light.
Sr. LOUIS, April Sat $3.50 this morning
Rosa Sloane and Kate Dooley, scrub girls
of the Planters House, discovered names
;ssuing from the rear of the house near the
laundry. Without losing any time the
girls, with great presence OF mind, notihed
Mr.. James O'Connell, the night clerk, who
turned in an alarm. In the meantime
Mike. the Waterman, and Frank, call
bow. ran through the building alarming
the guests and at the same time aliaying
all apprehension by their cool and self
possessed behavior. Many fingered In
sheir 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
lie 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.
elemen rushed to the stair-cases and tum-
hled down with disordered costumes bum
lied 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 moor,
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
fercelv in the rafters overhead. The nre
had secured good Judgment, but with sew
eral well directed streams it was soon
overcome. and the Babcocks brought into
plav to extinguish the smouldering en-
hers. At the first symptoms of danger the
nurses who were attending Governor
Phelps were informed of the real sItua-
lion and notified that there was no inn
minent danger. The long suffering patient
accepted the situation calmly, ana instead
If growing nevous as was anticipated, ne
chose to abide the situation and trust in his
attendants The Governors room Is on
The main floor at the Chestnut street side,
,r nearly a block away from the fire.
The greatest danger that developed, after
he fire had gained headwav, 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-
ion. On the lower halls and in the ro-
+nnda and on the streets the scenes were
niteous. It was earlv reported that many
neople were in the building who could not
he accounted for and that they were evil
lentlv lost. but this giving way to feel
ing that all had been 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 heen
loss of life. The scenes then became again
1T the widest character, and while some
Of the people hung around breathless to
see how manv had been lost. others cried
out piteonsly for friends who had been
separated from them for the moment. The
chambermaids and servants were particu-
'arly panic stricken. The missing people
were all from their number. and it was
heart-rending as they called out piteously
for their friends to answer.
In room A6 lay Mary Cooney, chamber
IDENTIFY made frantic efforts to escape by
rushing through the Railways and down
the stairs. She was found lying on her
face in the hallway on the third floor. and
carried into No. 246. where every effort
was made to resuscitate her. without re-
suit. Her face was begrimed with smoke,
and on either side of her neck the skin and
flesh was torn, as though in the agony
OF suffocation she had tried to tear
the the, choking m ,u, sensation from her her
and torn. and there was wound on her
left ankle. but none bad enought to war;
rant any theory other than that of suffo-
cation. The victim was about twenty five
years of age, dark hair and eyes. and had
been faithful employee of the Planters
House for MANY wears.
Scarcely had the discovery of the first
body been announced when two more I'M
er's arms, suffocated. One proved to be
Kitty Cassidy, aged seventeen years, an
employee 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 roner. 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 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 a death by fire and suffoca-
ton.
The next body found was that of Maggie
the linen department in the capacity Of
ironer. She bore no mark upon her face or
body, but was begrimed with smoke and
dirt. She died from suffocation. Maggie
an the support Of an aged mother and an
invalid sister. Her body was placed in the
dining room. alongside the two victims
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 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 ia
located in the rear, on the alley running
from Pine to Chestnut. 1t is supposed thai
the fire originated in either the laundry OF
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.
'nents of the help, who occupied small.
close rooms situated on the second and
til ird Roors.
1t appears that wherever the flames start.
ed they at once started upward and RACED
more furiously in the second story than
anywhere else. The rooms here are badly
burned, as well on the third floor. and
OF one place the flames have eaten a hio
hole from the first floor to the roof. Tt IL
not known what the fire originated from.
New Colorado Railroad,
FORT KEOGH, Mont. April 9-Mon