The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-09-25
4 Terrible Ca1esnifY.
BURNING OF MASSACHUSETTS COTTON
MILL-FEARFUL LOSS OF LIFE-FRANTIC
ATTEMPTS TO EsCAPE-HEARTRENDI
sCENES-oRIoIN OP FIRE, sc.

| MlBfs-F EARFUL LOSS OF LIFE-FRANTIC
! ATTEMPTS TO EsCAPE-HEARTRENDIN
/ sCENES-oRIeIN OP FIRE, sc.
BosToN, Sept. ia dispatch from Fall
/ River Mass, to the Rostor Journal gives
! the following account of disastrous fire
which occurred in that place OH the morn
ing of the day indicated, and which result
/ ed I'D a great loss of life and property:
Mills Nos. and 2 of the Granite Works
had been running about twenty minutes
when the operatives in No. l were startled
with the cry of fire and the escape of smoke
from the fourth story. In this, next to the
upper floor, was the mule warn spiDnino
, department, and there were nearly one hun
dred girls at work under male overseer.
ON the upper floor (the fifth about thirty
girls were employed spooling and warping
! COTTON. hese were the youngest of che op-
eratlves. With alarming speed the flames
seemed to leap to this attic, coming from
the windows below, and up the great tower
In the centre OF the building, in which were
all the stairs communicating with each
story.
OcIGIN OF TIE FIRE.
The fire caught in the mule spinning
story, IN the northwest part of the mill
from friction III the mule head, and spread
ing 10y means of oil on the floor and about
the machinery, with great quickness rush
TEE ONLY MEANS OF ESCAPE
for those in the fourth and fifth stories. be-
side four lire escapes, two on each gable
end Once getting into the tower, the
flames ran up TO and through the single en-
trance to the :ifth story. and then, springinc
to the roof timbers, filed the two great
rooms, 400 by 80 feet, with dense black
smoke and flame. While the flames were
making such terrible headway,
OPERATIVES BECAME FAIRLY WILD
The overseers saw there was no way pos
sible to check the fire and gave their sole
attention to those whom they had at work.
They called to them to save themselves and
pointed out ways of escape, principally fire
ladders The overseer of the spooiing room
who remained till nearly suifOcated. states
that the scene in his room, and it must have
been worse in the ruem below. cannot be
depicted. Children ran about crying and
begging piteously to be saved, vet wrench
ing themselves away when taken forcibly
to the tower while vet there was some
chance, or to the iron ladder that reached
two scuttle windows Of the south end opeD
ing upon the roof of the.balcony at the head
OF tue Twelfth street fire ladders. 1t was
impossible to get the great majority to take
even this method to save their lives Some
wanted clothing, others something else.
As the fire frightened them away from
these ladders, they rushed to the windows
at the south gable end, nearly sixty feet
from the ground, but dare not Jump down.
cotton ropes were put out for them TO slide
down by, but no sooner would the rope be
lpwe ed than here waSa rush for it from the
story below. Too many would take hold
when 1T would break, and all clinging to it
would come down in a bunch
Similar scenes were going on in tho mule
spinning room. Flames had ascended rap
idly to the entrance of tower OF the fourth
floor, cutting off this means of ESCAPE. but
operatives had two ladders of the south ga
bic directly before them, and were urged
by the overseers and citizens below to take
them. Some did, but others rushed head
long upon the balcony and dropped or threw
themselves from their guards. There was
ample time for every one to have been saved
had the girls taken the course directed.
The superintendent, as soon as the alarm
was given, rushed to an upper story. and
with the oyerseers. did all possible TO save
life. When means provided for escape in
the mill were rendered unavailable by heat,
flames and smoke, the people procured beds
and mattresses for the poor uufOrtunates TO
jump upon and many did
JUMP FROM THE WINDOWS
to them. In almost every case however
they received fatal or terrible injuries. The
firemen worked to keen the flames ont of
had fled. The ladders as long as at their
command were used to rescue the girls, and
1t is said four fremen lost their lives while
thus engaged.
BRAVE FIREMAN.
One fireman was lowered from the roaf
by brother fireman into the huilding and
remained so long trying to drive the girls
iorth that he had to be let go by those who
held his rope, driven away by the smoke,
and he was lost.
MOrgues and hospitals were speedily
imprOvised, the Mission Chapel being ta-
ken for the latter, and as fast as girls cosld
be picked from under the windows of the
mill, stretchers were ready to carry them
to either the Chapel or Central Station.
A: the latter place twenty-five dead bodies
were soon lying, and other unfortunates
had been taken TO stations or to their
homes. In a number of instances, bodies
could not be recognized they were so dis
figured, begrimmed ana Girt-covered In
Mission Chapel were til ose whose
sUrFERlNGS WE'RE INTENSE
Every doctor i'll the city was summoned at
the earliest moment. 1t is not too high to
place the number of killed at forty, and the
injured at twice that number
THE RUINS
The fire was under control shortly before
half past eight clock. Then the entire
roof had not fallen, nor had the walls
crumbled much below the caves of the
north side. The flames had been kept al
most wholly out of the building south of
the tower, and SO portion of the fourth
aud fifth floors were left. The roof north
OF the tower fell in and took with it the
tops Of the gable end wall, a portion ofthe
fifth floor and some of the side walls.
crashing through the third story. The
cordlng and two weaving floors remained
intact.
he Granite Mills have been for some
time running or fun time, and turns out
oo,oOo pieces of print cloth per week, and
1t is supposed that considerable amount
OF stock is ruined either by fire or water
and smoke. a large amount of machinery
is also rendered useless, principally, how
over, in the two upper stories The most
expensive is still good, and the engines
and boiler are not damaged. The i1su1.D
ance, 1t Is therefore expected, will cover
all loss to property. 1t is renorted how