Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1874-09-25

OVER TWENTY PERSONS KILLED AND A
LARGER NUMBER WOUNDED.

"A terrible calamity occurred NJ ran
River, Mass, ON Saturday morning last.
At about 7 o'clock fire suddenly start
ed in the fourth story of the spinning
room of large cotton mill, from an un-
oiled band, spreading with great rapid
ity from the very combustible material
about. Several hundred operatives were
employed in the mill, The alarm was
was given and those in the lower stories
all got out safely, but those in the fit h
story were cut off from the usual way of
egress by the fire, in which over forty
persons were employed, mostly young
girls and children who did light work,
and Of these over twenty we're victims to
the fire, largely due from the terrible
panic which seized them on discovering
their situation. Some of the poor crea-
lures jumped from the windows and we're
killed by the fall. The cries OF the vic
tins, as they writhed in agony in the
burning building was horrible aud most
heart-rending. A few were taken from
windows by firemen and saved. A most
fearful scene ensued. The fire had gain
ed tremendous Roadway before any
thing was done to check it, and it seemed
that the entire building vita Its contents
must fall an easy victim to its fury.
Around the burning mill were hundreds
of frantic relatives and friends of the
terrified operatives in the upper stories.
The flames rushed up in great column
through the center Of the building, and
the smoke poured in clouds through the
windows AT the southern end of the
top floor, sixty terrified men and women
were hanging out of the windows striv-
ing to escape suffocation, while the fire
came nearer, every moment, and the
smoke grew denser. Every one both in
and out of the burning building appear
ed distracted with terror.
For long time after the operatives of
the sixth floor were driven to the win
dows at the south side of the the build
ing, none dared to jump, although the
fire was approaching rapidly, and the
smoke was already pouring out in clouds
about their heads. Beneath them was
crowd of people bringing bundles of
straw and strewing it on the ground. 1t
seemed as though the terror-stricken wo-
men at the windows would be sufioeated
rather than jump to the earth AT last
one of the women let go her hold at the
window and fell to the ground. She was
followed by most of the others. Some
were fortunate enough to fall on the
straw or on mattresses held up to receive
them, and were not severely injured, but
many we're instantly killed by their fall
or fatally injured. Some dared not leap
and suffocated before the eyes of their
distracted relatives below. The women
on the fourth and fifth floors were more
successful, A few got down by the stair.
way, Others by jumping. Those who
jumped were nearer the ground than
those above, and had better chance.
although some were killed and Others
badly injured. Many were thrown down
on the floor by the panic-stricken crowd,
and trampled upon, and some were suf.
located and burned to death before they
could bring themselves to jump from the
window. The building was provided
with reescapes by which many could
have been saved had they been cool and
collected, but, in the distraction that fol-
lowed the panic at the first discovery of
the fire it seems that scarcely any at
tempt was made to use them. The fire
worked slowly toward the lower stories
of the building, and gave the employees
on the lower floors time enough to es-
cape without injury, except a few
scratches and bruises.
The fire ragged till ia o'clock, when
the building was almost entirely destroy
ed, and then the sad work Of recovering
the bodies began Immediately with ap.
palling success. The remains of those
found were in some cases go much burn
ed as to be entirely unrecognizable.
The dead presented a most horrifying
appearance, and the agonized expires.
sion of those who died by sufioca-
ton was almost as terrible as the sick
ening spectacle presented by those who
had been burned to death.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
AT this sad fire there we're spectacles
Of heroic bravery such as emanate only
from natures noblemen. John N. Bos-
worth is surely the hero of that awful
morning. By quiet persistence in the
face of danger he reached the roof and
told a woman who thought her dying
hour had come, to cling to him and he
would save her. Taking a firm hold of
the rope which he held he brought her
safely to the ground, and returning again
L.