The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-04-30
New ORLEANS, April %.
ANLN VNIllNNoi NVIII ~
7PHE imposing front Of the St.
Charles hotel with Its spacious
pGrlors mounted by dome Of

NEW ORLEANS, April 90.
! 6PHE imposing front of the st.
Charles hotel with Its spacious
parlors mounted by dome Of
u majestic dimensions and classic
] architecture in the center of the block
are all that is left of the rooms of the
most fastidious hostelry in the United
States-within whose walls jefferson
Davis. Judah P Benjamin and the
other leading figures OF the Confeder-
aey formed the first plans for the es-
tablishment of the new republic before
they started for Richmond, where no
less than six congressional committees
have sat, trying to solve what became
known as the Louisiana question after
| the war, where countless political rail-
road, commercial aud social meetings
of national Importance have been held.
4 The fire that ragged between these
walls from II o'clock last night was
one of the fiercest this city has ever ex-
perienced. Starting in the kitchens,
which front on small court in the
very heart OF the square, the flames
ate their way along woodwork with
hhAhAAhh lAlAhANy anu pNlAk W Aut
J inability Of tiremen to get a, them ii at
! once became manifest that their efforts
4 would prove futile.
The hundred or more guests had
about retired, and Night Clerk Mason
sent messengers to every room Occu-
pied and thus there was no posi- bility
! Of any OF them having been cut oil
! from escape as the flames did not reach
the main portion OF the structure for
full half an hour after the fire was dis.
covered. Panic seized them however.
and they rushed about irsntically,
most Of them in their night clothes
men. women aud children. and al
| though there was ample opportunity TO
get down the broad stairwsys, it took
all the efforts of the cooler heads TO
prevent the most impetuous from
Throwing themselves from the second
windows
The only man who did jump from a
window was an unknown, who jumped
from third story window to shed,
but was not injured, as he got up and
walked off
UNAyALING STRUGGLE FOR LIFE
John Riley, employed as a baker in
the hotel, occupied room on the
fourth story of the rear portion Of the
building, A number OF persons had
stepped into the open court yard in the
rear OF the rotunda and were watching
the progress OF the flames. A great
fame of fire suddenly burst from one
OF the rooms when a scream was heard
and from the door next to the one from
which tue flames We're seen to escape,
man was discerned through the glare.
He made a rush for the head Of the
stairway. AS he passed the flames
again flashed from the door The full
force Of the fire did not strike the man
and he made his way in the hall TO the
stairway but he stumbled and fell
Rolling several times over hs finally
rolled partly off the stairway and re-
mained holding TO the broken banis-
tiers. lie attempted to regain bis foot.
hold but it seemed that he was blinded
by the heat and was unable to pull
himself up.
As he hung there several gentlemen
went in search Of ladder, but while
they were gone the unfortunate man
fell so that he was holding with his
hands to a bSnister suspended fully fifty
feet in the air At last, after making
several efforts to throw himself on the
stairway, he fell with crash upon the
stone pavement beneath. His body
scarcely moved after it hit the pave
ment He was sixty years old aud
leaves a wife and four children.
PERSONS MISSING
Bridget Mulligan, chambermaid
Mrs. Ross, domestic, and John Fin
lay, an assistant barkeeper, are the
) lonly ones now missing The hotel
register was saved and all the guests
are accounted for. The other hotel.
keepers Immediately opened their doors
to the unfortunates and all were &C.
commodated.
From the center Of the square the
flames ate their way in all directions.
touching the rear Of the row Of Office
buildings on Carondolet street and
burning clear through to the street
on Common and Gravier and leaving
nothing but the imposing front on ST,
Charles street Before the fire had
attained any great progress, Mr.. Nc
Dermott would have saved the life OF
the man who fell from the spiral stair
way had not Patrolman Fitzgerald not
pulled him away in order to prevent a
double sacrifice. As it was, McDermott
was burned badly.
But few moments after this Fitz-
gerald climbed to the second story of
the hotel on Gravier street and
reached four teen women who were en-
ployes in the building and who had
their only avenue of escape cut off by
the flames. These women slept in the
hotel and were not, it seems, awakened
in time 10 get down the stairway. At
one time it was feared that the Ma
tional bank was doomed, as the sparks
fell fast and thick upon it. Indeed,
but for the protecting wall. this build
ing would have been destroyed.
Chief OConnor took two women off
Gravier street side and the mem bers of
Hook and Ladder company No. sue.
ceeded in saving number Of laundry
women.
The Western Union Office is situated
on the corner of Gravier and st. Charles
street and the employees stuck to their
positions until ordered out by the fire.
men. The heat had become intense
and there was imminent danger of the
west wall of the hotel toppling over at
any moment All the instruments were
taken to q place Of safety and at