St. Louis, MO Southern Hotel Fire, Apr 1877

THE ST. LOUIS HOTEL FIRE.

SEARCHING THE RUINS FOR BODIES.

SLOW PROGRESS OF THE WORK -- THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS STILL IN DOUBT -- RECOVERY OF PROPERTY IN A DAMAGED CONDITION -- SOME ADDITIONAL NAMES OF PERSONS WHO WERE KILLED.

Special Dispatch to the New York Times.
St. Louis, April 12 -- The public excitement over the burning of the Southern Hotel has been almost as intense today as it was yesterday, multitudes crowding around the newspaper offices and Police Headquarters in quest of news, and vast crowds visiting the ruins at all hours of the day. At 1 P.M. a force of 100 men began the work of removing the debris, but progress has been very slow, the rubbish being still so hot that streams of water are kept constantly playing on it. A deep trench has been dug from north to south across the ruins to facilitate the operation of the workmen tomorrow, and some excavations have been made near the foot of the main stairway, where many persons are supposed to have perished. One little body, with head and feet burned off, was found at 6 o'clock this evening, so badly burned and charred, as to be unrecognizable. It is now at the Morgue. Around the body was wrapped the burned remains of a quilt, showing that it must have been asleep in bed at the time the floors fell in. A squad of men have been searching during the afternoon in a spot under the room occupied by H. G. CLARK, wife, and daughter, but have not yet recovered the bodies. The heat was so intense and long continued that it is feared that many bodies were completely incinerated. J. H. MORRILL, of New York who is reported to have lost $17,000 in jewelry, has had a squad of men at work near the main entrance during the day, and has succeeded in taking out about $600 worth of jewelry. He had three barrels of ashes containing treasure gathered up and shipped by express to his firm in New York, to be smelted. This morning MISS KATE CLAXTON visited the ruins, and had the good fortune to recover the manuscript of her play "Conscience" and several contracts with different theatrical managers. The papers were badly scorched, but were still legible. MISS CLAXTON is very much prostrated by the excitement attending her escape from the fire, though she appeared last night and tonight at the Olympic Theatre in the role of Louise. She lost $2,000 by the fire and her entire wardrobe, including a splendid costume she had received a few hours before the fire. A performance for her benefit and that of ROSE OSBORN and MARION CHIFTON, two other actresses who are impoverished by the fire is announced for Friday night.

The Missing.
The number of those who perished is not definitely known, though there is good reason to believe that it exceeds the original estimate of 50. The hotel register for Thursday was lost in the confusion, and it is impossible to ascertain the number of names of the arrivals on that day, and consequently it is not practicable to estimate the number missing. The hotel had 204 employes. One hundred and forty of these have been accounted for up to 10 o'clock tonight. Of the remaining 60, it is quite certain that many of them lie burned in the ruins, though some were in the habit of sleeping away from the hotel.
W. J. L. HALLIDAY, editor of the Holly Springs (Miss.) Reporter, is among the missing, and his friends feel assured that he is lost, as he had an important business appointment which he should have met if living.
J. C. KEELER, of Cincinnati, first reported dead, is safe. He was struck by a pistol ball fired from a six-story window of the hotel to give the alarm, but the ball had spent its force and did him no serious injury.
JOHN RANDALL, of Boston, not previously reported, is known to be among those burned to death.
MILTON NOBLES, the actor, now playing an engagement at DeBar's was a guest at the Southern, and lost a valuable written contract with some manager during his escape. Today the contract, intact with the exception that the edges were slightly burned, was picked up a mile and a half distant, and restored to him.
LITTIE ALTON, the actress, lost her new play entitled "Wares," which she was under contract to produce shortly in New York.

Speculations Regarding The Origin Of The Fire.
The origin of the fire is still undetermined, and promises to continue wrapped in mystery. It undoubtedly started in the store room, as it was first discovered in that vicinity, but no theory of its origin has yet been advanced. No suspicion of incendiarism has been suggested. The only conjecture yet made is that it originated from natural combustion of articles packed away in the store room. There is more or less complaint that those in charge of the hotel at the time of the fire allowed it to get too much headway before giving the alarm, and that there was not a sufficient number of attendants on watch to alarm the guests in time to escape. The hotel proprietors say that there was not a sufficient number of attendants on watch to alarm the guests in time to escape. The hotel proprietors say that this latter charge is not true, there being seven men on watch in the cellars, a night clerk, two bell boys and two bootblacks on the first floor, and three watchman on the floor above. Chief SUTTON, of the Fire Department, says that, from whatever cause, the alarm was delayed so long that it was impossible to save the building. Six engines were on the ground within five minutes of the first alarm, and the entire department was there in 15 minutes, and on the arrival of the first engines the flames had spread so rapidly and the building was so filled with smoke that the only work for the firemen to do was to rescue the inmates.

Reports From Another Source.
St. Louis, April 12. --It is now found that SIDMORE HAYDEN and BRIDGET MEAD were not killed. This reduces the number known to have lost their lives to 11. How many bodies there may be in the ruins is, of course, a mere matter of conjecture. Some persons think that 20 or 25 may be found, while others believe that none will be discovered. Persons was went through various parts of the hotel just before the floors began to fall say that the building was clear of living people, still, there may have been a number suffocated and lying on the floors in rooms or in the halls. When the interior of the building falls today a search will be instituted and the facts will be known.
It is apprehended that several of the female domestics of the hotel are buried beneath the debris, as a number of them have not reported to the proprietors, and no account has been received from them. It now seems quite probable that H. J. CLARK, his wife, and child were among the killed. MRS. SCOTT, who was reported as dead yesterday, was still alive at a late hour last night, but there is no hope of her recovery. MISS FRANKLIN McCLELLAN is in a very critical condition. She jumped from the fourth story to the roof of a one-story saloon adjoining the hotel, sustaining a severe concussion of the brain and spinal cords. She also has cuts on her face and head, two penetrating wounds in the groin, a fractured rib, and several minor injuries.
From 60 to 100 men have been put to work on the ruins by order of Mayor OVERSTOTZ, and this force will be increased to 150 or 200. Search is now being made just under the rotunda, which was a rallying point for a great number of the terror stricken inmates of the hotel, and it is expected that some bodies will be found there. Several of the interior walls which were unsafe have been pulled down, and all will be levelled so that the men can work all over the ruins without danger.
MR. MORROW, agent of a New York jewelry house, lost a sample trunk containing $17,000 worth of jewelry. This morning the remains of the trunk were unearthed, and between $400 and $500 worth of the contents recovered in a damaged condition. The remainder of the jewelry is melted, and is valuless except as old metal.
Of the 200 employes of the hotel, 159 have reported, and others are expected to report tomorrow. It is not believed that many of them are lost.
MR. WILLIAM FELIX MUNSTER, who escaped from the fire, but who a few hours afterward shot and killed himself in the home of a friend, at the corner of Fourth and Olive streets, while laboring under mental derangement, at the supposed loss of his wife, represented the Borough of Mallow, in the County of Cork, Ireland, the the Liast Parliament. He was only about 28 years of age at the time of his death.

The New York Times New York 1877-04-13
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!