Fire At New Orleans

New Orleans, April 30. - A few minutes bef ore 11 o'clock Saturday nighl flre broke out in the kitchea of the St. Charles hotel. A large audience was leaving the St. Charles theater at the time and in a few minutes the wildest exciternent prevailed in the street. Aa the blaze was in the court formed by the hotel and near the rearof the building the impression prevailed that the fire was in one of the buildings on or near Carondelet street, as the reflection was thrown brightly upon the facade of the Cotton Exchange but in a few minutes the true state of affairs became known. As the fire was raging in the interior of the court, the flauies made a comparatively small showing from the street and as the fire brigade responded promptly, hopea were entytained for gome time that anything like a serious disaster would ha prevented, but those within the walls realized that the whole building was doomed. Guests and employés of the hotel were seen dashing out of the burning building half ciad with such personal effects as could be snatched up in their hurried exit from their sleeping rooms and it soon became ascertained that the whole interior of the court was ablaze. The streets were thronged with people for two or three squares from the hotel, while the corners, where a view of the flaines could be obtained, were packed with humanity. The block of the St. Charles hotel was the most important portion and was one of the most valuable in the city, containing, besides the costly hotel, banks, stores, railway offices, one of the largest turf exchanges in the country, and finely furnished offices. As nearly as could be ascertained four lives had been sacrificed. One man leaped from the fourth storv and was almost instantly killed, while four men and one woman were seen to leap from the iron staircase leading from the rear of the building and were lost to view in the court which looked to be almost a solid niass of flames. One man made his escape into the street, but nothing was seen of the othera. It was also reportad that a child was missing, but thia lacks confirniation.