The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-22
MET DEATH
BY FLAMES
IN A HOTEL
Five Persons Perish
at Clairville.
RAPID SPREAD OF THE FIRE
TWO PERSONS ESCAPE BY JUMP
ING FROM WINDOWS.
A Chinaman Suspected of Having
Caused the Terrible Disaster.
The Pecuniary Loss Is
Light.
RAPID SPREAD OF THE FIRE
TWO PERSONS ESCAPE BY JUMP
ING FROM WINDOWS.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

RECKW1TH, Oct. 21.-A representa-
tive of The Call arrived here this even
mig from Clairville, a small village
twelve miles west of here and the west
ern terminus of the Sierra Valley Rail-
road, with the following particulars of
a fire which resulted in the death Of
five persons:
The fire, which was discovered in the
Clairville Hotel at an early hour this
morning, spread so rapidly that five
persons were burned to death and the
other inmates barely escaped with their
lives by jumping from second story
windows.
The dead are:
MRS. CORONADO, mother-in-law
of Charles E. Roberts, the proprietor
of the hotel.
FLORENCE ROBERTS, the six
year-old daughter of the hotel
keeper.
CARSON BURNEY, fireman on
the Sierra Valley railroad.
POMPEY PERDINI, owner of a
sawmill and ranch.
A waiter-girl from Carson, whose
name cannot be ascertained.
Chat Roberts, a rancher and notable
character of the neighborhood, escaped
by jumping from a second story win
dow, but was injured to an extent
which cannot be determined until med
icaI aid reaches here; but it is feared he
may not recover.
Joe Mccormack, a conductor on the
Sierra Valley road and son of Con-
ductor Mccormack of the Virginia and
Truckee, escaped without serious in
jury by jumping from a window.
Mccormack gave the following ac-
count OF his experience:
II was awakened by some one yell
ing fire. l opened the door and saw
that l could not get out that way, as
the stairs were on fire. Almost before
1 could think what to do, the flames
burst into my room and / jumped out
of the window, with nothing on me but
my nightshirt. BY TIE. time l could
look around 20 SEQ If all were saved
the entire building was in flames. and
IN Short time we made the horrible
discovery that the others had per-
ished."
Charles and Mrs. Roberts were awak-
ened by the alarm of fire, but the flames
had not only cut off all possibility of
their escape by the stairway, but the
passa geway leading to their daughter
rooms was in flames. They had little
time to even think what might be done
before the flames were upon them and
they were forced to jump for their
lives.
They were horror stricken on falling
to find their daughter and Mrs. Rob
erts' mother, and as the building was
then a mass of seething flames, the
awful truth dawned upon them that
both Florence and Mrs. Coronado were
victims to the fury or the fire. 1t is
supposed the aged woman and child
were overcome by the smoke and were
cremated in their room.
Mccormack and Chat Roberts lost
their clothing-in fact, nothing was
saved from the building. The pecu-
mary loss is probably $1,000, with but
little insurance. The origin of the fire
may never be definitely known, but the
few who escaped are inclined to be-
lieve it was caused by an incendiary
and suspicion points toward a China
man as the miscreant.
The Roberts family have quite his
tory. Chat Roberts is the father of
Charley, Joe. Bedford and Bill Roberts.
who composed the once notorious gang
of outlaws known as the Roberts
gang" and who, a number of years
ago, were implicated in a Southern Pa
cific hold-up near Reno.
Two of the boys have since died The
father and the other two sons have
been engaged in the hotel and other
business enterprises in Plumas County
for a number of years.