Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-01
NEW ORLEANS FIRE.
FOUR LIVES LOST At THE BURNING
OF THE ST. CHARLES HOTEL.
Tho Famous Hostelry Almost Tosai
Loss-Only Its Front Wall Now
Standing.


street. As the blaze was I'm the corit
formed by the hotel and near the rear
OF the building. the impression prevailed
that the fire was in one Of the buildings
on or near Carondelet street. as the re-
Election was thrown brightly upon the
facade OF the Cotton Exchange, but In =
few minutes the true state Of affairs be-
came known.
As the fire was raging In the interior OF
the court, the flames made compara-
and. as the fire brigade responded prompt
ly. hopes were entertained for some time
that anything like serious disaster
would be prevented, but those within the
walls realized that the whole building was
doomed.
Guests and employees of the hotel were
seen dashing out OF the burning building
half clad. with such personal effects as
could be snatched up in their hurried
exit from the sleeping-rooms. and Ii
soon became known that the whole inte-
rior of the court was ablaze. The
streets were thronged with people for
two or three squares from the hotel.
while the corners, where a view OF the
flames could be obtained, were packed
with humanity.
a NUMBER OF LIVES LOST.
The block OF the St. Charles Hotel was
the most important portion, and was one
OF the most valuable in the city. con-
talning. besides the costly hotel. banks.
stores rat of the
largest turf exchanges in the country. and
frely-furnished Offices AS nearly as
could be ascertained four lives were lost.
one man leaped from a fourth-story win
dow. and was almost instantly killed,
Willie four men and one woman were
seen TO leap from the iron staircase
leading from the rear of the building.
and were lost To view in the court, which
looked TO be almost solid mass OF
flames. one man made his escape into
the street, but nothing was seen Of the
others. 1t was also reported that a child
was missing, but this lacks confirmation.
The scene inside the hotel at this time
was one Of terror and confusion that we'll
nigh dehes description. Terror-stricken.
half-clad guests were flying from the
flames which were roaring behind them.
Meanwhile the fire continued to advance
toward the front Of the building. the
facade of which was still intact. st.
Charles street looked dark and sombre,
though the upper stories Of the buildings
opposite the hotel were lit up By the re-
Election Of the flames.
The upturned faces I'm all directions
looked awfully at the fearful havoc going
on within the fated square. The hopeless
ness OF the situation. as far as saving the
hotel was concerned, became evident al
most as soon as the fire broke out. At
the centre Of the vast pile of masonry,
which forms the hotel and occupies over
half of the square In which it is situated.
was a kind of cylinder amphitheatre,
built for the purpose of giving air TO the
rooms which did not face upon the street.
Having got a fair start over the en-
gines. the fire spread with alarming
rapidity. Rising at the windows of the
hotel. the flames made their way into the
rooms. and then. finding such iniiamma-
bic material as bedding and light furni-
turc. increased the wild riot of its adj
vance.
TELEGRAPH WIRES SUFFER.
About . A. NJ. a portion of the wall on
Gravier street. as we'll az section on
Common street fell in, and a small por-
ton on the Gravier side fell outward,
wreckng about fifty telegraph wires By
z A. NJ the last of the interior OF the
building had tumbled in. leaving only the
St Charles-strect walls intact. On Ora
yler street the flames were eating their
way into three buildings which inter-
yened between the great wall of the hotel
and the old Union Bank at the corner.
These buildings on Grayier street were
occupied by a number of firms engaged
in the insurance and machinery agency
business Fortunately for the interest OF
these firms. most of their representatives
or their clerks appeared upon the scene
and saved the valuable books and papers.
No fire that has ever been known IN
New Orleans was accompanied by
greater shower Of sparks, which were car
rle,I by the wind distance Of three or
four blocks. 10000.
The loss is estimated at from S3oo,VO to
siO0Gg). Besides the St. Charles Hotei
there are other losses. The first outside
building to be ignited was No. 100 GraNler
street. the ground floor occupied by the
New Orleans Electric Company ana the
upper floors as a clearinghouse. Inc
building was Quilted in a short tline'
Several ladies' were rescued from inc
story by the police.
M III Grayier street was badly dam
aged while is and 100 Common street
were almost destroyed. and l62 end l5i
were considerably damaged Nearly all
the buildings in the rear Of the hotei, IN
the same square and fronting on Caron-
delet street, were more or less damaSeu
by fire and water.
At noon to-day a gang or men were SCI
10 work removing the debris IN search
Of the bodies OF the missing employees.
The man who was killed by leaping from
the building was John Riley, "A baker.
A FAMOUS HOSTELRY.
The first st. Charles Hotel was built In
1898 the work of construction having
been commenced In 1895 The cost Of the
building was 10000 This building was
destroyed By fire in 1851. The building OF
the new hotel was at once commenced,
and the building then completed was the
one destroyed last night.
At the time II attracted attention
throughout the world because OF the fact
that it was the finest hotel in the world,
and the first great hotel Of the United
States. The new building was OF the
same style and architecture as the old
one with the exception of the cupola
The new hotel was leased by Messrs
Uildreth and Hall, elegantly fitted up, and
opened for business in less than year
after the fire. Then followed a long era
of prosperity for the State, the city, and
discovery of the fire last night. the his
toric building was closely associated with
the history Of this State and city.
In parlor "P" jefferson Davis and the
leading southern politicians met and
agreed upon the course to be pursued at
the Charleston Convention Of 1859. and
since then the fate Of hundreds OF
aspirants for public honors has been
sealed within its historic precincts. Since
the war the 81. Charles has been the CEN
trial point OF the very stormy politics OF
Louisiana.
Parlor "P' also made for itself ma
tional reputation. 1t has been occupied
by not less than six congressional investi-
CATION committees, trying 10 understand
that chaotic condition of affairs when at
that became known over the country "a
The Louisiana question" But 1t Is not
in political history alone that parlor "P'
is famous.
Countless other associations to discuss
great questions OF trade and commerce
have been held there; railroad meetings TO
build new railroads, and meetings OF ladies'