The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-09-21

j, eating smoke that swept up the staircase
and forced them 10 seek safety In tht
northern section Of the building,
A young girl named Katie Smith statel
y that her first announcement oil danger
was received by the girls from tho othel
end Of the room rushing towards hel
shrieking and crying, many oi them &C
terorsiriCken that their limbs became
almost useless.
Some Of the girls were praying and 10
menting their situation, while others were
so possessed with fear that they stood
still In mute agony, watching the brave
conduct Of one man, who, regardless oI
: his own safety, worked with heroic ardor,
and by means OF a rope landed on the
ground number of girls in safety.
Ono man being completely cut oH
made his exit to the root by means OF the
J sCuttle, and with n rope lowered himself
over the roof and TO the ground in safety,
He stated that o companion who was Just
, behind him had fallen back sutiocated.
Many OF the girls became unconscious
from fright, ere the flames reached them,
and though the number Of lost at this
writing is not known, 1t cannot but be
great,
Some lcaped lrem the windows, prefer
ring 10 be crushed and manned than burn.
ed. The heart rtrending sights that met
the eye on every side were agoniziDg.
The waiing Of mothers, brothers and sis
tcrs over their dead, was terrible to hear.
Boston, Sept. 1O.-The loss Of lie by
tho fire at Fall River, 80 lal as known, is
twenty.nine. Loss Of property, $5OO,OOO.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.
Boston, Sept. 10.-The following &C.
count OF the fire 10 Fall River to-day is
taken from q dispatch TO the Boston
Journal.
"AIilIs Nos. i and 3 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 warp spinning department, and
there were nearly one hundred girls at
work under male Overseers. On the upper
floor, or fifth story, about twenty girls
were employed spoOling and warpiUg cot
ton. These were tho youngest OF the
operatives With the alarm 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. The fire caught in the
mule spinning room in the northwest end
OF the mill, from friction in the mule
heads, and spreading by means Of oil on
the floor and about the mSchinery, with
great uuickness rushed toward the centre
tower, the only means OF escape tor those
in the fourth and fifth stories beside four
fire escapes, two on each gable end. Once
getting into the tower, the flames ran up
to and through the eingle entrance to the
fifth story, then springing TO the root tim.
bers filled two great rooms, 45O by 0O
feet, with dense black smoke and
flame.
While the flames were making such
terrible headwsy, the operatives became
fairly wild. The ovCrseers saw there was
no way possible 10 check the fire, and
gave their sole attention 10 those whom
they had at work, They called to them
to save themselves, and pointed out the
ways Of escape, principally fire ladders.
The overseer of the spooliDg room, who
remained till nearl y suttOcated, states that
the scene in his rOOm-and it must have
been worse in the room below-CAn not
be depicted.
Children ran about crying and begg-
ing piteously to be saved, yet wrenching
themselves away when taken iOrclbIy 10
the tower while yet there was some
chance, or 10 the iron ladders that reached
from the two sCuttlC windows of the south
end, opening upon the roof balcony al
the head OF the Twelfth street fire ladders
1t was impossible to get the great ma
; jOrity 10 take even this method 10 save
, their lives. Some wanted clothing
others something else. AS the fire fright
ened them away from these ladders, they
rushed TO the windows at the south gable
end, nearly sixty feet from the ground
but dared not jump down. Cotton ropes
were put out Tor them to slide down by
but no sooner would rope be lowered
than there was rush for it from the
story below. Too many would take hold
, when it would break, and all clinging tC
: it would come down In bunch.
Similar scenes were going on in the
mule spinning.roOm..
: The flames had ascended rapidly to the
entrance OF the tower on the fourth floor
: cutting of this means OF escape, but the
operatives had two ladders OF the south
D gable before them, and were urged by the
Q overseers and citizens below to take them
d, Some did, but others rushed headlong
/ upon the balcony and dropped or threw
themselves from the guards. There was
ample time for every one 10 have beer
saved had the girls taken the course di-
} rected. The Superintendent, as soon as
the alarm was given, rushed 10 the upper
story, and, with the overseers, did oil he
/ could possible 10 save life.
t When the means provided for escape in
the mill were rendered unavailable by
/, heat, flames and smoke, the people pro-
r cured beds and mattresses for the pool
0 unfortunates to jump upon, and many did
D throw themselves from the windows 10
: in almost every case, receive fatal or ter
l rible injuries. The tiremen worked t
. keep the flames out OF the south end
. whittier many OF the operatives had fled
= Ladders, as long as at command, weI(
7 used to rescue the girls, and 1t Is said ioul
Y fremen lost their lives while thus enIag-
p ed. One fireman was lowered from the
roof by brother iremen into the building
i andIremained so long in trying TO drive l6C
Q girls forth that he had to lei go by thosl
n who held the rope, being driven away By
!. smoke, and he was lost.
9 Morgues and hospitals were speedily
!. improvised, Mission Chapel being tAkeI
:, for the latter, and as fast as the girl
o could be picked from under tho window
i OF the mill, stretchers were ready Il
+ carry them 10 either the Chapel or th,
Central Station. At the latter 1placO
n twenty-five dead bodies were soon lying
s and other unlortunstes had been taken L
3 the station or their homes. In numhe
/. OF instances they could not be recognized
d they were so disfgured, begrimed ant