Between four and five o'clock this morning, March 5th, 1887, the
alarm of fire was given, which aroused the inhabitants of the town from
slumber so profound, that the fire was beyond control before guests of
the Gallison Hotel, and its proprietors, could be aroused. The fire was
caused by the explosion of a lamp in the hall of the second floor, which
was kept burning at night for the convenience of guests. The first to
give the alarm was a Mr. Emmerson AUSTIN of Coulterville, who cried
fire, arousing all sleepers of the hotel. On either side of upper hall
are bedrooms, nearly all of which were occupied. The occupants who
appeared in the hall and run the gauntlet of fire, that we learned the
names of, were, Abe MANN and wife, Capt. B. F. MEYERS, J. H. LAWRENCE
and J. B. LITTLEJOHN. The fire evidently raged with great rapidity, from
the fact that a few who were some seconds behind time, were cut off by
the flames from the stairs, and compelled to jump some twenty feet from
a back window. Among them was Mr. R. B. STOLDER, a young lawyer, who
evidently was very much frightened, for he made a square jump from the
window, striking on his back across a railing, injuring him so seriously
that he was unable to move, and but for the exertions of Mr. James
McCAULEY, would of perished in the flames, At this writing, Saturday
10:30 A. M., Mr. STOLDER lies in a very critical condition. His parents
who reside near Coulterville have been notified.
        The next two most seriously injured are Captain MEYERS of
Mariposa and Mr. J. B. LITTLEJOHN of Hornitos. Captain MEYERS, who has
probably not slept away from home a night for twenty-five years, staid
last night at the Gallison Hotel. He was just about starting back on a
visit to his old home and children in New Jersey. And in order to be on
hand and in readiness for the stage in the mourning, he stopped at the
Gallison Hotel over night, where the stage starts from in the morning.
The Captain, in his endeavor to escape from the fire, had his feet,
hands and face pretty badly scorched and he at present lies at Mrs.
Giorgiana ADAMS'. The Captain had to traverse a path of flame and
falling cinders fully thirty feet, before he reached the stairs, and in
his haste, dropped his pants containing $700 in twenty dollar pieces,
besides some other valuables. He will probably be about in a few days.
        Mr. LITTLEJOHN jumped from the back window of his room a
distance of about 25 feet, spraining his ankles and disabling him all
through his body. He was taken to Schlageter's hotel, the extent of his
injuries is not known. Mr. Jas. H. LAWRENCE was the last to leave the
upper story and passed through a perfect arch of fire with his pants in
one hand and his valise in the other. When he passed down the steps they
were enveloped in flames. His speedy exit, probably saved him further
injury, other than having his hair singed on top of his head, also the
soles of his feet were slightly burned. He lost his coat, hat, vest,
watch, books and $17 in coin, and valuable papers. He, together with
other occupants, who are not otherwise injured, are perfectly satisfied
with their escape.
         Abel MANN had one of his feet burned but not seriously. Mr.
MANN and Mr. PRATT, each had a double responsibility on their hands, and
it is said it was with the strongest efforts that they saved their wives
from perishing in the flames.
         The Gallison Hotel was a splendid wood building, and had been
fitted up in the most complete manner; besides it was one of the chief
ornaments and headquarters of town. Its loss creates a sad vacuum and
gives it the unfortunate " Butterfly Village" another black eye. The
hotel was insured for $2,000, probably one third of the entire loss. The
only thing saved was the organ. Mr. and Mr. GALLISON with others, were
turned out to the street with nothing but their night clothes. It is
said, that it required a strong effort to get GALLISON awake and get him
out of danger.
          FRITZ's residence and butcher shop was on a adjoining lot,
about fifteen feet distant. They saved most of their furniture, but the
buildings were reduced to ashes. There was a light insurance. Mrs.
FRITZ's little girl, who is quite sick with the scarlet fever, was
carefully removed to some of the neighbors.
           Doctors TURNER and KEARNEY have been in close attendance upon
the injured and sick ever since the occurrence.
            The alarm of fire brought out male and female alike, and all
lent a hand, more particularly the ladies, who were ready, God bless
'em, to do any work, from carrying water, to administering to the
wounded. It would have astonished a San Francisco fireman, to have heard
them giving orders to some of the men, who were standing around,
apparently not knowing how to take hold.
           Conspicuously to be observed assisting, most heroically, in
the great emergency were the Misses Mamie and Julie KERRINS, Mrs. John
GROVE, Mrs. ELLINGHAM and several others, whose names we cannot call to
mind, they were packing water and passing the buckets as familiar as
though they had been there before. The two young WALKERS, sons of Judge
WALKER, were noticeable, and rendered good assistance. Our San Francisco
boys know just how to go through a fire, it is a part of their
education.
            Mariposa cannot afford to spare any buildings, and we hope
this will be the last conflagration we will have to record. Later on, we
learn that Mr. STOLDER is resting easier, and instead of his back being
broke, as supposed, it proved to be a broken rib, broke off from the
backbone. LITTLEJOHN's ankle was found to be dislocated, and is
otherwise considerably jarred and shook up.

           The foregoing, which constituted a
                  " GAZETTE EXTRA"
Was issued on last Saturday (afternoon) immediately following the fire.
It was prepared in great haste, hence all the particulars and minor
incidents occurring at the fire were not noted. Compared with other
great fires, such as we are in the habit of reading about in the city
papers almost daily, this was but a spark; but to our people, and
particularly to the sufferers, who don't often witness or experience a
conflagration of any great magnitude; this fire, which consumed a large
two-story hotel, besides an extensive basement, full and complete, with
a excellent outfit of furniture and provisions, as before intimated, the
fire, was no small affair. Besides, FRITZ's butcher shop and residence,
which was well furnished and in running order, was also reduced to
ashes. FRITZ, however, saved some of his household goods, while Mrs.
GALLISON saved comparatively nothing, so rapid was the fire in a huge
tinder box, for that was what the hotel amounted to, for every room,
above and below, was lined and papered, and with cloth ceiling. The
hotel was so neatly fitted up, papered and painted, that we do not
suppose there was one in fifty who knew it was entirely ceiled with
cloth. Another feature which was objectionable, there was equally
objectionable, there was but one ingress and egress to the second floor
of the hotel, which contained  a dozen sleeping rooms divided off by two
walls ; one running lengthwise of the building, and the other at right
angles across the building. The ingress was from a pair of stairs,
starting up from the front door which opens out onto the street, and
running up and striking the second floor about one third of the way of
the building as it stood upon the lot. Had there have been a set of
steps constructed from the back end of the hall, and run down upon the
outside of the building, no accident would have occurred. It was natural
to supposed that there was a outlet in the back to so large a building,
but the only escape was either to come back downstairs to the front as
you went in, or jump from a window, full thirty feet, on the hard ground
and rocks as STOLDER and LITTLEJOHN did to save their lives. Twenty five
dollars would have built steps sufficient for lodgers to escape by in
case of fire. Be that as it may, we hope there will never be another
hotel built or constructed in such a manner as might be deemed
inexcusable neglect to build escapes at the rear and sides of their wood
structures and that cloth ceilings will be entirely ignored, both by the
public and the insurance companies.
 
 

Gallison Hotel Fire Part 2 March 12, 1887 Mariposa Gazette
The Sick.

      On Wednesday last, the editor of the Gazette, accompanied by his
wife, made a tour of inspection among the sick and wounded, resulting
from the late fire, which, although serious, might have ben worse. In
our rounds, we met with quite a number who discussed freely the point, "
the origin of the fire." It seemed to be almost unanimous with all
present at the fire, that it originated in the room occupied by Captain
MEYERS. This being the case, we made a point to visit the Captain early
in the forenoon, who had returned to his home, about one-half mile above
town, where we found him in a sitting attitude close by his kitchen
stove where he was being waited upon by attendants and appeared to be as
comfortable as the circumstances of his case would admit of. His feet
are so badly burned that he is quite helpless and he has to be helped
whenever a change of position is required. Also his face, neck and ears
are badly burned, and so covered up with bandages, that he is scarcely
recognizable. But he can talk, and we were disappointed, as also pleased
to find the Captain ready and willing to converse. He denies most
emphatically that the fire ever originated in his room. He says he was
awake, heard a roaring noise, sounded like a chimney on fire. He was
lying on his back looking up at the ceiling when a light suddenly
flashed through his room, and in less time than it takes to tell it, the
whole ceiling was on fire and dropping down into the room. He attempted
to put on his boots, but had to abandon them as the fire was dropping
down upon his back. He then grabbed his coat and vest; was delayed a
moment in finding the latch to the door-lock and getting the door open.
As he opened the door, he observed a shower of fire falling, from
overhead, the entire length of the hall to the head of the stairs. His
room was the most distant of any from the head of the stairs. He had to
run though fire the whole length of the hall till he reached the head of
the stairs. From this point to the foot of the stairs there was no fire,
and as he arrived at the bottom he was nearly crazed with burned feet
and fright, but remembers meeting with a gentleman, known as the
tourist, who in some manner caught him in his arms. The tourist either
took his coat and vest which contained his money, or he dropped them. It
ws yet quite dark, and the last he saw of the tourist he had gone back
towards a back door, or room, as if looking for something. He, MEYERS,
then attempted to pick up his coat and vest, and in doing so picked up
another coat, which he said belonged to the tourist. He then went for
his trunk which was in the bar room close by, and pulled it half way
across the street. By this time the fire had made such progress that he
sought shelter, which was found in the residence of Mrs. Georgiana
ADAMS. The Captain was found to be so badly burned that the doctors were
called to relieve his suffering. It seemed so determined  by many that
the fire originated in the Captains room, that while he was under the
influence of the fright and extreme suffering of the burns he had
received, he was asked many questions. He was, no doubt, under too
severe mental strain to give the strait of it, as he could a few days
afterwards, when the fright and misery had in a measure subsided. The
theory of the cause of the fire seems to be settled upon the Captain's
first statement. He told that he got up about 4 o'clock and lit a candle
to see what time it was. He now contradicts that, and says he never
lighted a candle after he went to bed, about 10 o'clock. It is thought
he lit the candle which was sitting on the table near a window which had
been raised a short distance to admit of fresh air, and that a gust of
wind had blown the lace curtains into the blaze of the candle, which
would ignite as quick as powder and find its way to the ceiling before
the captain could realize the fact. When he got up to examine his watch,
it was so near morning that he left the candle lit, so as to be ready
for the call of the stage passengers. As before stated, the Captain was
on his way to New Jersey his old home, where he has two daughters and a
son now living, and had come down to the hotel, a distance of about one
half mile from his residence and orchard, to start. Hopes were
entertained that as soon as the fire cooled down his money would be
found, but it was evidently found by some one on the night of the fire,
for not withstanding the place had been well guarded ever since, not a
trace of it could be found. According to the Captains version now of the
amount there was $680, divided into two parcels, one package was in his
vest and one in his coat. It seems impossible to obtain any satisfactory
clue to the money, the nearest was the contact with the tourist in whose
arms he fell as he reached the bottom of the stairs. But the tourist
lost all his own wearing apparel and was running about the street in
almost a nude condition. He was found by Mr. REID who took him to his
store and furnished him with a suit of clothes. The tourist claimed that
he saved an aged man from the fire by dragging him him out and across
the street. This MEYERS denies as being him. Some one gave the tourist
some money and he went off on the stage without being the least
suspected of anything wrong and it is not generally believed that the
tourist had swapped coats with MEYERS, or found his money. Since the
tourist left he sent back money to pay for the suit of clothes and the
amount he borrowed.
        A book agent named ERICKSON, lost his clothes and canvassing
outfit, but, we understand, some fifty-five dollars of his money has
since been recovered.
         Able MANN, with his new wife, were extreme sufferers. They were
stopping at the Gallison Hotel  where they had concentrated all their
worldly effects, prior to making a permanent settlement. Mrs. MANN was
quite sick and confined to her bed at the time the fire occurred. Her
husband had not a moments' time to spare to save his goods, when the
alarm of fire was given in a stentorian voice, since ascertained to be
Emmerson AUSTIN, sounded through the hall like a thunder clap and
brought every slumberer to there feet, and his only chance of escape was
to penetrate the flames to the stairway. As quick as thought he gathered
up his wife in his arm and rushed through the fiery element, barefoot,
and without trousers or coat. He carried  his wife safely to the street,
and then conveyed her to Mrs. HIGMAN's. At this point it was observed
that Mr. MANN was destitute of wearing apparel, except his hat, when a
pleasant incident was ascertained to have occurred in their flight from
the hotel. It appeared that when Mr. MANN lifted his wife to carry her
out, she gathered some clothes that were hanging near the bed and kept a
tight grip on them without knowing what they were, till the subject of
something to wear was brought up, when it was discovered that Mrs. MANN
had unconsciously saved a full suit of clothes belonging to her husband.
Mrs. MANN was less fortunate, for she was left entirely destitute, but
though the kindness  of the ladies and acquaintances she was immediately
provided for. Mr. H. F. MARSH was authorized by Mr. MANN  to rake over
the embers where the last of his exchequer might lie, and luckily found
a twenty dollar piece partly melted. Mr. MANN had one of his feet
severely burned, which will make him a cripple for some time. Mrs.
MANN's health is improving. They are at present stopping at the
Schlageter Hotel.
      We next visited Mr. James B. LITTLEJOHN, who, together, with R. B.
STOLDER, had in the excitement  leaped from the same window to the
ground, about thirty feet. They were occupying adjoining rooms and at
the alarm of fire they rushed into the hall and ran against each other
with such violence that is either knocked one or both down. STOLDER, it
appears, ran back into his room followed by LITTLEJOHN. STOLDER broke
out the window and taking the lead, they both let themselves down as far
as they could by their hands, and dropped to the ground. STOLDER must
have struck the ground in a sprawling condition across a rail or a stick
of timber, as it was found under him when he was picked up my James
McCAULEY. Mc says he was lying upon his back across the timber with his
hands back under his had and ws calling for help when he found him. The
fire was approaching rapidly, and Mr. McCAULEY in carrying STOLDER over
the rough ground fell some two or three times. Dan GALLISON, a young
man, packed LITTLEJOHN over the same ground, which was down towards the
bank of the creek.
       We found Messr. STOLDER and LITTLEJOHN, both similarly injured in
the spine- except Mr. STOLDERS injury is much greater. He is paralyzed
from the hips down, but since, the flesh of his legs and hips became
sensitive to touch which is said to be a good sign. His father and
mother are here with him. He is lying at Mrs. HIGMAN's where he has very
comfortable quarters. Mr. LITTLEJOHN has a pleasant room at the
Schlageter Hotel where he receives good attention. His brother is with
him and his wife has been daily expected.
submitted by William Disbro

RETURN TO MARIPOSA DISASTERS
GO TO MARIPOSA COUNTY HISTORY AND GENEALOGY 

November 4, 2002
cferoben
November 23, 2002