The Monticellonian., 1895-03-01
A FIERY VISITATION.


 Springs, Ark.-Three Women Perish in the Flames-Hundreds of Visiting Board- CTS Driven from Their Homes-Lost Her Life In Trying to Save Her Jewels-Tho Losses.
 HoT SPRINGS, Ark, Feb. 23.-At 4:15 o'clock yesterday morning fire broke out in the Ledgerwood bakery on Qua chita avenue, in the southern part of the city, where boarding houses abound, and in an hour three women had been burned to death, six board ing houses, several store houses and fifteen cottages, all worth Sf00, 900, had been swept away. The dead are:
 Mrs Laura Scammon.
 Mrs. Henry J. Mcleod.
 Austine Stivette, a colored woman.
 Mir. and Mrs. c. H. Brownson, of Ma con, Mo; Mrs. Peacock and others were injured, though none danger ously.
 There was . strong wind from tho north which famed the flames, but prevented them from moving in the di- rection of the principal business part of the city, where the big hotels and bath-hous ses are located The streets covered by the fire are Ouachita, where 1t originated; Sealcy, Malvern, Wood- bine and Orange.
 The Ledgerwood bakery was frame building, in the second story of which Mrs Scammon had furnished apart ments to let.
 Charles Ledgerwood first saw the flames, and in his efforts to extinguish them neglected to warn people in the neig hborhood.
 Nothing was heard of Mrs. Scammon until the fire was over, when her bones were found in the ashes of her house
 Mrs. Mcleod was guest of the La clede boarding house. She was aroused and with her husband started out of the house, but before reaching the door, remembered some jewelry she had failed to save, and returned for it, against the advise of her hus- band. Her husband tried to reach her and almost lost his life in the unsuc- cessful effort. She endeavored to rush through the flames, but fell down in their midst and perished.
 The body of the colored woman was found in a partly-saved room in the same house.
 MT. and Mrs. Bronson, of Missouri, had thrilling escape. They lived on the third floor of the Ouachita board ing house, and when aroused found the house wrapped in fire and all prospect of escaping by the stairway cut off. They rushed to the widows and cried to the people below for help, but lxa tied several sheets and blankets together, making rope long enough to reach down to the window below. She went dow n first, entered the sec ondhoor window and escaped by a back stairway. When her husband reached the second floor the stairway was blocked by the fire, and he had to jump. He received severe bruises, and the woman was badly lacerated in sliding down the rope.
 The buildings burned are twenty eight in number. There are fifteen cottages of an aggregate value of S25,- 900. The boarding houses destroyed are the Ouachita, Illinois, Laclede, Missouri and Bloomington. Each of these was worth about S5,00O, with the contents. The other losses are the E. Randolph residence, worth S6,OOO; the Tennessee stables at the West house, the latter worth &, 900; E. Joplin's grocery, s5,OoO; R, L. Will Hams store and building, 1000; P. NJ. Hudgins' residence, Sl0, 900.
 There are at least 300 men, women and children driven to other quarters for lodging by the destruction of the boarding houses, and most of them lost all their clothing