The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-04-30

minutes before II o'clock last night Ere
broke out in the kitchen Of the St.
Charles hotel. A large audience wan
leaving tho St. Charles theatre at tho
time and in few minutes the widest
excitement prevailed in the street. As
tho blaze was in the court formed by
tho hotel and near the rear Of tho build
ing the impression prevailed that the
fire was in one Of the buildings on or
near Carondolet street, as the reflection
was thrown brightlyupon tho bacade OF
the Cotton Exchange, but in few min
utes the true state Of affairs became
known.
As the fire was raging in the interior
OF tho court the flames made 4 COM
paratively email showing from the
street, and, rs tho fire brigade re-
sponded promptly, hopes were enter
tanned for some time that anything like
n serious disaster would be prevented,
but those within the walls realized
that the whole building wGs doomed.
Guests and employees OF the hotel
were seen dashing out Of the burning
building hall clad, with such personal
effects as could bo suatched up in their
hurried exit from their sleeping rooms,
and it soon become ascertained that the
whole interior was ablaze. Tho streets
werc .hronged with people for two or
three squares from the hotel, while the
squares where n view OF tho flames
could be obtained were packed with
humanity.
A CAULDRoN OF FIRE.
Hundreds mounted the roofs Of the
buildings in adjacent streets. and these
looking over at tho burning building
saw what looked like an immense
cauldron within whose dark smoking
sides ragged sheets of flames, lenping up
high and about the burning building.
The block OF the st. Charles hotel was
the important portion and was one OF
the most valuable in tho city, contain
ing. bcsides the costly hotel, banks,
stores. railway offices, one Of tho largest
turf exchanges in the country, and
finely furnished offices.
As nearly as could be ascertained four
lives have been sacrificed. Ono man
leaped from tho fourth story and was
almost instantly killed, while four men
and one woman were seen TO leap from
tho iron staircase and were lost to view
in the court, which looked to be almost
solid mass oil flames. One man made
his cscape.into the street, but nothing
was seen OF the others. 1t was also re-
ported that child was missing, but
this lacks confirmation. The scene in
side the hotel was one OF terror aud
confusion that well nigh dedes descrip.
ton. Terror-stricken, half clad guests
were flying from the flames which
were roaring. Some were dragging
their trunks with them, and offered ex-
travaeant prices for help to convey
their valuables to q place Of safety.
Meanwhile the fire continued to ad-
vance toward tho front OF the building,
the facade Of which was still intact.
By n. IN. the last Of the interior Of
the building had tumbied in. leaving
only the St. Charles street walls Intact.
On Gravier street, the flames were eat
ing their wayinto three buildings, which
intervened between the great wall Of
the hotel and tho old Union bank at the
corner.
TIE LOSS.
The loss is estimated ut from $780, 900
to 100000. Besides the St. Charles
hotel, there are other losses. The first
outside building 10 be ignited was No.
100 Gravier street. tho ground floor oc.
cupied by tho New Orleans Electric
Company and tho upper floors as 4
boarding house. The building was gut
ted in short time. Several ladies
were rescued from tho third story by
tho police. No. III Gravicr street was
badly damaged. Numbers los and 100
Common street were almos. destroyed,
and numbera l02 and lGi badly dam.
aged. Nearly all tho houses in the rear
OF the hotel in the same square and
fronting on Carondoet street wcre more
or less damaged by fire and water.
Alexander Levy, Taylor Turf Ex-
change, the ticket aud freight Office of
the Texas & Pacific railroad. loss SIS
500; barber shop, Rosenaeld 4 Herrick;
shoes, Joseph Smith; shirts, Tapoline
tailor; E. D. Ponne; ticket office OF L. {;
n. railroad; Piedmont railroad ticket
office and W. II. Brown, coal. Tho mau
who was killed by leaping from the
building was John Riley, baker.
Tho first St. Charles hotel was built
in 1888, tho work OF construction hav-
ing been commenced in 1885. Tho cost
OF the building was 100000 and tho
grounds 100000. This building was
destroyed by fire in 1851. The building
OF the new hotel swas at once com.
menced and the building when com.
pleted was the one destroyed last night.
HISTORIC IorsE.
At the time i, attracted attention
throughout tho world through the fac.
that /. was tho finest hotel in the
world und tho frs. great hotel in tho
United States.
In parlo. "H" Jefferson Davis and
the leading southern politicians me,
aud agreed upon the courae to be pur.
sued at the Charlcaton convention Of
1850 aud since thcn tho hundreds OF as.
piranss for public konors wcre seated in
these historic precincts. Since the war
the St. Charles hna been tho cen.
trail point OF very stormy politics OF
Lousiana. Mr.. Hildredth. one Of the
proprietors, at tho commencement OF
the war. was a relative Of General But.
ler's wiic, whose maiden name was