Southern Hotel Fire - St. Louis, Missouri
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 38° 37.452 W 090° 11.357
15S E 744689 N 4278823
Famous hotel fire in St. Louis in 1877.
Waymark Code: WM1RYQ
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 07/04/2007
Views: 128
The Southern Hotel was a six-story luxury hotel located on the block bounded by Fourth, Fifth, Walnut and Elm Streets. On the night the fire broke out, April 11, 1877, the hotel had more than three hundred guests. Many guests became trapped on the upper floors. This is when Phelim O'Toole, a firefighter, came into action. When the ladders would not reach the upper floors, O'Toole had the guest lower bedsheets down. He then climbed up and was able to save 12 guests by swinging from room to room and lowering them to the ground. His final rescue happened only minutes before the entire building collapsed. Twenty-two people were killed in the fire. For his heroism in rescuing the twelve individuals Phelim O'Toole was rewarded $500 by the city, a considerable sum considering the monthly pay for a fireman was $75. He donated his reward money to help orphans. Ironically Phelim O'Toole was killed when he went to a minor fire and the fire extinguisher he was using exploded into his chest.
The site is now occupied by a parking garage.
Type of Structure: Public building
Fire Date: 04/11/1877
Structure status: Plaque
Cause of Fire:
Unknown
Documentation of the fire: [Web Link]
Other: Not listed
Construction Date: Not listed
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