Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 April 1877 — THE ST. LOUIS HORROE. [ARTICLE]

THE ST. LOUIS HORROE.

Tk« Buraias the Soath«rn Hotel —Appalling Midnight Scene* of Horror and P—,lh. , Hr. Loots, April 1L 1 The moot frightful calamity that has ever befallen B't. Louis took place at a very early hour this morning, involving the destruction of (he Southern Hotel by fire, and the loss of a large number qf lives. From the beet information at hand, it seems the fire caught in the store-room in (he basement, and waa first seen coming through the ground floor, just north of the office, and in ten minutes it had ascended the elevators and rotunda, and spread itself over the sixth floor, under the roof. This floor was occupied entirely by em. ployes of the hotel, the largest part of whom were women. The fir© spread rapidly, filling every room and hall with flames and smvke, and the scene was of the most terrible description. Frantic men, women and children ran through the halls, shrieking in the most heart-rending manner, in their wild and desperate efforts to escape. The smoke was so densq in some of the halls that the tinguished, which rendered egress even to those most familiar with the building a matter of great difficulty. « The Fire Department was on the spot promptly, and hundreds of people congregated at the scene, ready and willing to render any aid necessary. The density of the smoke in the halls drove many guests and boarders back into their rooms, and they rushed to the windows as a means of escape. Ladders were raised as soon as possible, and women and children, with only their night-clothes on, were thus taken from the burning building. Some fainted from fright and others sunk exhausted to the ground from nervous prostration. The ladders eenerally were too short to reach to the fifth and sixth stories, but by hoisting some of them on the one-story balcony, on the north side of the building, these floors were reached ana all those at the windows rescued. The Skinner FireEscape was also brought promptly into service, and was the means of saving many lives.

While this work was going on, some frightful scenes occurred. One, man, who had been occupying a window on the Walnut-street front of the hotel, became desperate at the seeming delay in effecting his escape. With nervous hands he tore the sheets from his bed into tied them together, and fastened this improvised rope to the window-sill, and, disregarding the fact that it did not reach more than twenty feet, he let himself down hand over hand. The men below who saw his position turned away their heads to avoid the sickening event that was inevitable. Finally he reached the end of the sheet, and then, for the first time, he seemed to realize his position. He stopped, threw his head back, revealing a ghastly face, and swung slowly to and fro, swayed by the breeze which the roaring flames above created. His limbs swung around convulsively, as though to catch upon something, then he let go, and groans went up from hundreds as he whirled round and round, and finally struck on the stone- flagging with a sickening thud. He was carried to a saloon across the street, and died in a few moments. Two other men jumped from the fourth-story windows, one of whom seemed not to be dangerously hurt, while the other expired in a few moments. A woman in the fifth-story window on the Fifth-street front became panic-stricken and jumped out. She alighted on her feet and was carried to the St. James Hotel still alive. Her husband, who had been standing by her side, then tore up the bedding and let the strip, so made, out of the window. To this firemen attached a rope which the man hauled up, making it fast to the window-sill, and safely descended by it. A man named J. E. Wilson jumped from a fourth-story window and was killed. Andrew Ensmen and Mrs. Scott met their death in the same way. The mortality among the female help of the hotel is feared to be great. There were some two hundred of them, all of whom were lodged in the upper story of the building. The panic among them was terrible, and a number of them jumped from the upper windows on the Elmstreet or rear siae of the house. The loss on the building and contents will be from $750,000 to $1,000,000. _

A later telegram (10:30 p. m. of the 11th) says: Dr. Wiler, Coroner, gives the following list of killed as reported tohim and thinks it comprise* all known to be dead: The Kev. A. R. Adams, of Stock Cross, Berkshire, England. Geo. Frank Gouley, Grand Secretary Masonic Fraternity, this State. Kate Reiley, Kate Doolan and Mary Moran, servants. Henry Hazen, of Auditor’s Department Missouri Pacific Railroad. He wa& formerly from New Castie, Pa., whither his remains will be sent. Mrs. Stewart, wife of W. 8. Stewart, of the firm of Derby & Day, this city, Andrew Eistman, of the firm of Techman & Co., this city. Chas. G. Feenan and Sidmore Hayden. Wm. Felix Minister, said to be a member of the English House of Commons, who was married in this city a few months ago. He was residing at the hotel with his wife, became separated in the confusion, and under the impression that she was killed, he became intensely excited, and evidently lost his mental balance. About six o’clock this afternoon he went to the room of a friend, corner of Fourth and Olive streets, and shot himself. The Coroner held an inquest, but could not decide whether death was caused by suicide or accident. There are various reports regarding the matter, one to the effect that, he knew his wife was saved, and that ue killed himself while laboring under mental derangement.