THE FIRE AT ST. LOUIS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 119, 22 May 1877, Page 2

THE FIRE AT ST. LOUIS.

The following additional particulars of this frightful catastrophe are from the Auckland Star:— The fire caught in the storerooms in the basement, and was first seen coming through the ground fioor just north of the office, Iu ten minutes it ascended the

elevators and rotunda, and spread itself over the sixth floor under the roof. This floor was occupied entirely by the employes of the hotel, the largest part of whom were women. The fire spread rapidly, filling every room and hall with flames and smoke. The scene was of the most terrible description. Frantic men, women, and children ran through the halls shrieking in the most heartrending manner in their wild and desperate efforts to escape. The smoke was so dense in some of the halls that the gas jets were extingnished, which rendered egress to those most familiar with the building a matter of great difficulty. The density of the smoke in the halls drove many guests and boarders back iuto their rooms, and they rushed to fche windows as a means of escape. Ladders were raised as soon as possible, and women and children, with nothing on but their nighfc clothes, were taken from the burning building. Some fainted from fright, and others sunk exhausted to the ground from nervous prostration. While the fire was going on some frightful scenes occurred. One man who had been occupying a window on the street in front of fche hotel, became desperate afc the seeming delay in effecting his escape. • With nervous hands he tore sheets fronrhis bed.into strips-and tied them together, fastening this improvised rope to the window : sill. Disregarding the fact thafc .it did nofc reach more than twenty feet, he let himself down hand over hand. Men below, who saw his position, turned away their heads to avoid witnessing the sickening event that was inevitable. Finally he reached the end of the sheet, and then for the firsts time he seemed to realise his position. He stopped, threw his head back, revealing a ghastly face, and swung to and fro, swayed by the breeze which the roaring flames above created. His limbs swung around convulsively, as though to catch arouud something; then he let go, and groans went up from hundreds as he whirled round and round, and finally struck on the stone flagging. He died in a few moments. Two other men jumped from the fourth storey windows. One of them seemed not dangerously hurt; fche other died in a few moments. A woman in the fifth storey became panic stricken, and jumped out; she alighted on her feet, and was carried to St. James Hotel, still alive. Her husband, who had been standing by her side, tore up the bedding, and let the strips oufc of the window. To this the firemen attached a rope, which the man hauled up, making it fast to the window sill. He safely descended by it. Three other persons jumped frora the fourth storey and were killed. The mortality among the female helps of the hotel, it is feared, is great. There were some two hundred of them, all of whom were lodged.in the upper storey of the building. The panic among them was perfectly terrible, and a number of them jumped from the upper windows. About half an hour after the fire was discovered, the entire roof was ablaze, and the flames were rapidly descending to fche lower storeys. Half an hour later the floors and interior walls began to fall. The roof fell in, and there was nothing left of one of tbe finest hotels in the country ercept the Walnut-street; front and parts of the Fourth and Fifth streets faces. April llth, 2 pm.— The engines are still playing on the fire, and a force has been organised to search for dead bodies. Several bodies have already been taken oufc from the debris in a more or less burned state, but the names are not. yet ascertained There are also several bodies at the Morgue awaitiug identification. Chicago, April lith.— The Journal's St. Louis special estimates the killed at 125, and says 40 are.afc the. Morgue, and 20 have beeen recognised by friends taken away, ; The hotel cost 1,00^,009 dollars at the beginning of the. war. . The insurance is 2.-2,000 dollars and 200,000 dollars -on the furniture-.