Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1874-09-26

and without good spacious STAR
cases at each end, as there should
he, for the safety and protection of
all operatives.
fsThere were some five or six hun
drcd operatives in the building. the
most of whom were women and
children. The building itself was
32S feet long by 20 wide, was five
stories in hight, surrounded by II
pitch roof aud having II tower in
the front OF the centre of the build
inc. The first story was occupied
by the Goth aud weaving rooms, the
second story for weaving, the third
by the carding, the fourth and nth
by mule spinncrS, the attic by slash
ers, warping and spooling machines.
There are four exterior iron lire eS-
capes reaching from the ground to
the fifth story, but the attic, where
fifty persons, nearly all girls from
eight to twenty years Of age, were
employed, was without any exterior
fire escapes; though at each end
| lltIt were lul't NlINloN ibphi'e =
down sixty feet to the ground.
There were some fifty people,
mainly young girls, at work in the
attic, whose first knowledge OF the
fire was by the sutlocating volume
Of smoke that filled the rooms. The
excitement was intense us they rush
ed to the staircase, situated between
the north and south wings. which
unfortunately was burned off, cutting
off the means of exit. The overscer
of this room, who himself remained
till he was nearly suifocatcd in the
smoke, states that the scene in his
room cannot be depicted. Children
ran about without any knowledge
of what they were doing, crying
and begging piteously to be saved,
vet wrenching themselves away
when taken forcibly and carried to
the tower while yet there was some
chance, or to the iron ladder at the
two scuttle windows of the south
end, which opened upon the roof
balcony at the head of the Twelfth
sire ct fire ladders. 1t was impoSsi-
bic to get the great majority to take
even this method in order to save
their lives. Some wanted clothing,
others this or that thing, they knew
not what. AS the fire frightened
them away from their deliberations
at the foot of the roof ladders, they
rushed to the windows (two) at the
south gable end. They were nearly
sixty feet from the ground and dar-
ed not jump. Cotton ropes were
put out for them to slide down by
and some took this means. But in
the effort several met with death,
or injury to body and limbs, for
hardly would a rope be lowered De-
fore others would try to get on from
the story below, and this would
cause a swapping of the strands and
the parting OF the rope, sending all
down together.
Similar scenes were being enact
ed in the mule-spinning room. The
flames had assembled with he quick
ness of thought, aud with like rap
idity did they work for the entrance
of the tower to the fourth floor,
where the filling spinning was done,
thereby cutting off this means of
escape. But they had the two lad
ders of the south gable directly be
fore them, and were urged 10y the
overseers and the populace on the
ground below to take them. Some
did ; Others rushed upon the balco-
MES, and like mad girls dropped or
threw themselves from the balcony
guards with hardly look at the (
IRON ladders.
Many jumped from the Windows
to the ground and received terrible
or fatal injuries, for the distance to
the pavement was some fifty feet,
and when the means provided in
construction of the mill were rem
lered unavailable through the heat,
flames and smoke, people on the
ground provided beds and mattress
SEES for the poor untOrtunateS to
Jump upon. While the fire drove
the terrified inmates to the north
end of the building and cut off all
hope of escape, many were suffocat-
ed ere they could muster courage
to face the terrible leap, as their
bodies were seen in various positions
dropping back from the windows
which they had vainIy struggled
for to gain Il flesh breath of air.
Even while the fire was raging
aud hospitals were impro-
viscd. The Mission Chapel near by
was taken for one Of the latter, and
as fast as one would be picked from
under the windows of the mill,
were ready to carry her
to either the Chapel or the Central
Station. In a number of instances
bodies were not recognized, partly
from the fact that they were so dis
figured, begrimed and dirt covered,
and partly from the fact that their
friends and relatives were looking
elsewhere. In the Mission Chapel,
were those whose stuff, rings were
The injuries were various,
but of course largely to the limbs of
the individual. Every doctor IN the
city was summoned at the earliest
moment, and exhibited the greatest
for the sufferers. Some re-
NAMED at the church, others accom-
panied ambulanceS to this or that
place, while the others worked with |
out cessation at the chapel. So