The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1900-11-15
TERRIBLE FIRE At POPLAR BLUFF,
Fear Killed and Three Fatally iHlured
By Burning Of the Clifford House.
Many Others In.~rrsi--Ifatsl PILED With
riecplaE 0ucsts-Otssr bodtca
May ue Foand.

run lfNN NAig Eo4hg INV fN1tH1bN
were fatally injured, six others received
serious burns aud hurts, aud dozei
more received slight injuries IN irS
which destroyed the Clifford House Al
Poplar Blud, Mo, last Monday morn.
ing at 1880.
Tho LET Of known dead Is a. follows:
Heck Clark, Doniphan. Mo back
broken by jumping irom third story
window.
Rebeeea Owens, Poplar Bluff; ere
mated.
Shelby Dehar,, Poplar Blun; Gre.
mated.
Curley Berry; body supposed to be
In the ruins.
The following were fatally injured
Eta llargroye; back broken by
jumping from third story window.
Winslow Stove, Tennessee; back
broken.
Unknown woman; terribly burned,
The seriously Injured arc;
r. A. Smith, Poplar Bluff; right
hand, back Of neck and face terribly
burned.
Barney Bernard, DsSotO, Mo. ankle
sprained aud body burned.
Charles SlFadley, Poplar Blufi (;
bruised and burned.
Mrs. benjamin Shelby, Poplar Bluff I;
back severely injured.
Pink Berry, Poplar Bluff; right
hand burned.
Elmer Freishour; badly burned
about hands and face.
The Clifford House was one of tho
largest and oldest frame hotels in the
Slate. II was completely flied with
guests, most Of whom were sleeping
when tho lire broke OUT. The wonder
is that more lives were not lost, under
the circumstances, for the fire de-
youred the old aud wooden structure
fcrociuusly, aud the greater number Of
the guests had no warning Of danger
until the smoke and iamcs burst into
their bedrooms.
The shTieks Of the guests who were
awakened by the smell OF nulvSv aud
the heat Of the flames alarmed other
inmates, and wild scramble for safety
WAS begsn. Those In the front part
Of the building made their escape by
means of the porch, which extends TO
the top Of The building. Some jumped
and others slipped down the posts.
Those who occupied rooms In the
center and rear parts Of the building
were placed in the greatest peril, the
interior Of the building being 80 con
struoled as TO cut of their escape BY
means of the stairway.
Their only means Of escape was to
jump from the second and third story
windows. Those who lcapod out Of
the sccund-story windows escaped with
slight bruises, but the occupants Of
rooms In the third story were no, so
fortunate.
Heck Clark, one Of the latter, in
jumping, broke his blck, aud died
shortly after being carried 10 m adj
joining house.
The woman Eta lIargrove also
leaped from window in the upper
story. One Of her legs was broken
aud she was hurt internally. She Is
still alive, but the doctors have no hope
for her.
The inmates Of the house were ter.
aud many had hairbreadth
escapes. There was nc time to dress,
and men and women ran from the
burning building in their night dresses.
Some threw their clothes out OF the
window before they leaped, aud dressed
themselves after they had reached q
place Of safety.
There Is n strong belief that when
he ruins are cleared away eight or ten
more bodies will be found. There
we're foriy.iiye rooms 10 the house, and
~ OF them were occupied.
Some Of the guests were registered |
md some were not; therefore, Il Is
mpossible to tell how many people |
net death In the fire.