The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-19


ganum Manufacturing Company, was
taken out alive and sent TO the hospital.
The dead body of j. G. Hill, a CONNER
cial traveller, who occupied room 20, has
also been taken out. Daniel Morrison,
brakeman, and Fred Haines, fiagman on
the New England Railroad had rooms in
the hotel and are undoubtedly in the
debris. No additional dead bodies have
yet been recovered. The force of the ex-
plosion shattered all the glass in the adj
joining buildings and broke single pains
in buildings a block away. It's cause is
still a mystery and it will take some time
to uncover the boiler
Mrs. Frank Wesson and children are
reported to be in the ruins.
Thus far most OF the bodies recovered
have come from the tier OF sleeping-rooms
on the south side. The persons rescued
alive are naturally in very exhausted
condition and the physicians refuse to al
low them TO be interviewed. They were
all asleep when the disaster occurred and
OF course knew nothing except the horrors
OF their imprisonment and miraculous es-
cape One young man. a guest, was vio-
lently i'll on account OF a spree. He had
left his room about a minute before the
disaster TO 90 to the bathroom in the an
mex and thus escaped.
THE ARRIVAL or THE NATIONAL GUARD,
ordered out by Mayor Root, has been OF
great benefit in keeping the rabblc at
distance and giving the workmen good
chance. The soldiers have also aided the
police and iiremen in removing the rub
bish. Workmen are now arranging cleo
trio lights so that the work OF rescue may
continue tonight. The fires which have
been raging under the wreck aud caus-
ing binding smoke are now well under
control.
MIR j. NJ. Allen, prcShent Of the Steam
Boiler Insurance Company and an expert
on boiler explosions, will not accept the
explosion theory till there is more definite
/ evidence, which cannot be had until the
boiler is reached II the disaster was
caused 10y the boiler, II was probably
caused by the night engineer going away
/ about midnight drunk, leaving a heavy
| drlught on the furnace and little water in
| the boiler. The engineer probably turned
| on the water when lac came back and
caused the explosion. He is dead, how
ever, and nothing can be learned from
| him. Ii is said hc was OF irregular habits
and all sorts OF rumors are ail0at. There
| is general sorrow over the death OF the
Rev. DIR. Perrin aud Dwight Buell., the
latter a popular jcwclcr.
Up TO 3 O'Clock sixteen bodies have
been recovered from the ruins-cight dead
AMI eight still alive.
Mrs. kclchum, wife Of the proprietor,
| Il is thought, will not survive. She Is sui-
iyring from severe confusion Of the spine.
The catastrophe was devoid OF the har-
| rowing details, the halt-brcadth escapes,
the thrilling rcscues attending an uncon-
trOllcd contlagration.
ONE TERRIBLE CRASH,
smoke, flame, quick, rushing streams Of
water, and all was over. For tins reason
the community docs not feel tumultu0us
| grief, but 10 Is horror strickcn-tlc disas-
Ter simply oycrwhcms. The magnitude
OF the calamity cannot be realized. And,
IN fact, lis extent IS not yet known. The
| register oi the hotel hus not been found,
and young Perry, the night clerk, Is buried
Ia the ruins. But from the best estimates
ithaca be- procured from the landlord aud
Others. ills probable that there were not lar
from fifty people In the hotel proper. OF
these perhaps five may have escaped un-
injured amid the confusion oi tile early
morning hOurs, leaving i0riy-hyc TO be
accounted for Ten are la the hospital,
aud up 10 this writing On O'Clock pm.
sixteen dead bodies have been taken from
the ruins, leaving nineteen still missing.
But there may be- several more than this.
Mr.. Andrew 4. Whiting, aciuary OF the
Hartford Life and Annuity Insurance
Company, aud wife; the Rev. Dc. Lava.
lclte Perrin, agent OF the Memorial Hall
Association, and wife, aud Edward Parry,
the night clerk, are known 20 be still in
the ruins.
The cause Of the disaster was undoubt
cdly the explosion ~ the boiler in the
basement. This boiler Of sixteen hors,
power was built by the Pitkins, Of thi,
city, IN 1852. II was not insured by th,
Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and In
surancc Company, but was inspected by
an officer OF that company last August
and was then pronounced all right NC
engineer WIS on duty at the time II th,
explosion, the custom being Tor the night
engineer 10 bank his fires ~ midnight, aud
70 10 bed. lie docs not sleep In the hotel
This engineer, Alexander Thucr. was ar
, rested this afternoon on an indictmon
,, changing mansaughtcr, and Is locked M
/, at the police station. IL is conjecture,
Gaines, the colorcd porter, may hav
started the pumps, throwing cold water ID
[, an overloaded boiler hut this is onl.
conjecture. and Gaines IS dead.
/ The force Of
I TuE EXPLOSION WAS TERRIFIC.
, People la all parts oi the city wer
! awakened 10y the shock. Huge stone
r were shattered and iron pipes bent AM
| twisted. Windows Ia adjoining building
! and across the street were demolished
g aud pancs IT glass two blocks away wcr
Q crashed. Al the new railroad depot,
block away, huge pane Of plate glass VI
cracked, aud many states were dislodgc
from the newly completed roof. Nigl
!, employees In tie railroad station and office
u fled to the street in terror
IL Is believed that Mrs. Wcsson,
x Springfield, the widow Ut Frank McssOi
vino WIS killed ut the White River Junl
y ton railroad accident, was In the hoic
u together with a'l OF her family. five Chi
drcn, aud probably servant or two.
J. People from Springfield were in the cit
today. anxious 10 lind her, knowing NJ
y stayed Ia Hartford over sunday, but III
y name cannot be- found on any hotel rcgi
u ter, and Il il feared shc was In tnc rui
Central. II 80, her death aud that OF b,
y family would raise the aggregate loss
y life probably seven additional.
" A New York drummer, whose home
- In Portland. Me-, aud who slept last nig
10 In the annex Of the hotel, q part Of whiJ
Is still standing, says be- felt somcthil
Of a shock and heard a sound, but not III
nr what accompanies boilerexplosions He'd
not believe that had been one, aud did n
c, even deem Il advisable TO get up. ~
the next momontho heard piercing shire
aud felt the floor trcmble. lie jump
II opt OF bed and escaped in his mig