The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-09-22
FLAMES.
Destructive Fire al Fall River, Mass
The Granite MillS In Ruins,
Great Loss Of Life and Property
Forty Operatives Burned 10 Death.
Railroad Property Burned-Ra'ages OF
the Fire In u Kentucky aud
Georgia Town.

FALL RIVER, MASS, September q. -
IL was about seven o'clock when the
alarm OF fire was given, but the fire.
men were unable to get the correct To-
cation. II was ten minutes later be-
fore they succeeded In discovering II,
during which the flames spread with
such rapidity that they We're pouring
out of the fourth and nth story win
dows of the tower OF the mill whore
the only stairway was. Julia Coiley
states that she heard the first alarm,
and at the same instant heavy col
umns of smoke burst through the
spool room door. The crowd Of little
children surrounded the overseer and
with him rushed for the staircase, but
were forced back by the flames. Then
all made for the elevator, but II would
not work. AT this juncture leaping
from the windows commenced, when
number of men in this room began
uncoiling u long rope TO let the terror
stricken operatives to the ground. Sew
eral were landed in safety by this rope
when it was burned off twenty-five
feet from the ground. The smoke had
become so dense that those who re-
manned crowded to the windows for
air, some leaping headlong from the
building, their brains flying many feet,
while Others sullocated, fell back ana
expired in the flames.
New YORK, September 2l.--Eall
river dispatches say the feeling of in
dignation ut the way the fire was man
aged is growing very bitter. Chief
Engineer Gurfee is censured for inca
pacity by many and accused of losing
all control over himself and his men.
The mill company is blamed for the
Inadequate means of escape from the
building
There IRE two hook and ludder com
panies provided with ladders thirty
five feet long, which could have been
splioed so rs to reach the upper stories,
the highest of which was but Sixty
three feet from the ground. NO at
tempt was made during the flre TO
splice them and save the women III the
top story. Many declare this could
have been done and would had not the
firemen and their chief been paralyzed
with fear. The chief says that box
seyenty-two, over a quarter OF mlle
from the fire, was first struck and al
ter that there was interference between
the alarm from box seventy-two and
the box in the mill, so that it was inn
possible to count. lie believed the as
nster was due to the cowardice OF the
workmen in the fifth story, VINO knew
they were to blame for not having the
machinery oiled and thought toput ont
the fire without an alarm and save
themselves from censure. They must
have waited at least fifteen minutes
before sounding the alarm, lie was
sure of this for be noticed that all the
barrels of water had been emptied.
The foreman of one of the compa-
MES declared that the cause OF the loss
of life was the keeping OF the opera
tives on the sixth floor shut up toe
long. This story was told from the
first, aud was corroborated by the dy
ing statement OF ,he Ooiiee eill ILL, WE
morning, vino declared she begged
and prayed to have the door opened
but it was refused. :,