Weekly national intelligencer., 1863-08-20
THE CALAMITY AT COH0ES-FIFTEEN OR
TWENTY GIRLS BURNT TO DEATH.

The Albany Argus OF Tuesday publishes the following
account of calamity which briefly referred to yes
tertay in telesraphic despatch;
About haEpast ten o'clock yesterday morning the
shoddy mill of Mr.. Richard Hurst, at Cohoes, dis
covered to be fire. and in Few minutes the greatest
CONSERVATION prevailed throughout the village The mill
large fve-st, ry brick building, either side of
which extensive wooden structures One Of these,
which used elevator reached to the top of the
ma building.
The fire. it is said originated on the lower floor Of
the main building ard the oily combustble material with
which covered fed the flames with fearful rapidty
Most of the operatives engaged the upper fors
the flames made such rapid headSsy that tne ordinary
means Of cut of from most Of them before
they were priced Of their danger
when notified by the ascending smoke and flames Of
their imminent peril it is sad by those who escaped that
the the upper floor most beart-rendIg
The widest excitement prevailed and all rushed for the
windows But it was impossible for those Rai hered on
the outs de to reach them. Some becoming perfect y
errorstricken sauk down and resigned themselves
their terrible fate without making eJrt escape
Others jumped from the windows upon the adjoining
wooden building and reelng off, fell to the ground
tanning very it not fatal injuries Others it is
ported, jumping upon the structure few minutes
later, fell in the flames below the roof giving way under
their weight while others il is feared fell in the narrow
space between the two buildings, and perished We
OF whom known 10 have been destroyed by the FIRE.
The mil entirely umed, aud the loss to the
owner is estimated at thirty thousand dollars
The Troy Times says:
II
employed, under charge Of Peter McHugh Before
intelligence cord be to them they entirely
hemmed in and Of them could escape by the stairs
IL therefore became necessary for them escape by the
windows Mr. HcHugh remained as long a it was pos
sble for him TO do and then escaped by jumping
1.-The spectacle presented at this time was perfectly
horrible and made by the impotence Of those who
it to render any help some # the poor creatures
accepted the alternative OF their fate and dashed fan
caly from the windows. One struck upon her head ter
neck broken and she died instantly. Others had
limbs broken by the conclusion of their falls One, a
young named Donnely, her descent caught
by her hoops upon ladder, and in full sight Of the
screaming horrorstrcken spectators roasted TO death
her backened body falling to the ground Another spa
through the flames and she descended her garments
ook re aud she burnt TO death upon the ground be-
lore u was possible TO reach her Others TO the win
dOws and stood there wildly calling for help until the wild
sea o ame behind swept upon aud wrapped them in lis
snroud o death, sLd they dropped out Of sight.
Inc number OF the killed - variousy reported in the
excitement us lowest estimate is fifteen, the highest
twenty-five ln addition to these number were very
oaoy hmrt Dy jumping from the windows, and Of
them will no doubt die"