Hide Article Text (OCR)
t Ureat Consternation among the Quests.The Damage to the Building Comparatively Trilling.Other Fires in Former Years in the Same House.St. Louis, April 3.—At 3:50 this morning a tire was discovered in tne rear of a portion of the Planter’s fiouse, corner of Fourth and Pine streets. An alarm was turned in at 3:52 and another at 3:57 and still a third at 4:05. Upon the arrival of the lire apparatus it was found that the laundry room as well as the drying room of the hotel was in flames and burning tierceiy. A watchman and the night clerk ran hither and thither, awakening the guests (164 in number,) and calling out “lire, lire!” The greatest excitement prevailed and for a time a panic was expected, but as some of the guests reached the ground floor and found no immediate danger in that portion c# the building the excitement grew les» and some of the guests returned to their rooms to procure such valuables as had been left In their hurry to escape. Several trunks were throwi i from the third and fourth floors to be dashed to pieces.One lady appeared at a third stor window and throwing out her grip reached for one of the tire escapes and landed in short order on the side walk.The firemen worked vigorously and at about 5:20 the tire was extinguished and but for a complete drenching the main portion of the hotel suffered little. After the guests had been awakened and all thought to be safe, the firemen, in making theii rounds through the building, made a horrible discovery. On the fourth floor, in the north hall, they came across* the bodies of two women servants, stumbling over them as the} made their way through the smoke They were conveyed to the dining room floor, where a doctor was called and every effort made to resuscitate them but it was a hope less task, and after working over them for half an hour they were pronounced dead. The bodies were clad merely in night robes. Their bodies were blackened by smoke and the skin on their hands and arms peeled off'at places, showing where they ran against obstacles in their efforts to escape. One was immediately recognized as Kate Cas-sid}r and the other is though to be Mary Burk.In room 246 another pitiful scene was witnessed. Here a third unfortunate was found, who proved to be Mary Cooney, another employe of the linen department. She was found lying with her head near the west door at the extreme end of the hall. On being conveyed to a room there was just the slightest indication that ' life was not extinct, but after half an hour’s work by a physician and a fireman to resuscitate her she was pro- j nonnceddead. 'The dead girls were employes of the ! house and were not over twenty years of age.
Newspaper Details
Muscatine Saturday Journal
Muscatine, Iowa, US
Sat, Apr 03, 1886
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Susan C.
USA 29 Jan 2024
Other Publications Near Muscatine, Iowa
Muscatine Journal and News Tribune
New Indexed Atlas of Muscatine County Iowa
Atlas of Muscatine County Iowa
Muscatine Daily Journal
Muscatine Weekly Journal
