Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-10-01
THE FALL RIVER HORROR.
Burning ola Cotton Mill At Fall River,
Mass.-Twenty Lives Lost and Many
Other Persons Injure Some Fatally.

Other Persons I'M q red Some Fatally.
BosToN Sept. 10.
The following account of the fire in
Fall River to-day is taken from dis
patch to the Boston Journal:
Mills Nos / and of the Granite Works
had been running about twenty minutes when
the operatives in No. were startled with
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 100 girls at work I'M
der male overseer. On the upper floor,
the fifth, about thirty girls were en-
ployed spooling and warping cotton. These
were the 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 center of the building,
in which were all the stairs communicating
with each story. The fire caughtn the mule
spinning room, in the northwest end OF the
MILL from friction i'm mule-head, and spread
ing, by means of oil on the floor and about
the machinery, with great quickness, rushed
toward the center tower, the only means
of escape for those in the fourth and fifth
stories besides four fire-escapes, two on
each gable end. Once getting into the tower,
the iames ran up TO and through the
single entrance to the fifth story, then
springing to the roof tinbers filled the two
great rooms, 450x90 feet, with dense black
making such terrible Roadway the operatives
became fairly wild. The overseers saw there
was no way possible 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
spooing room, who remained till nearly suf-
located, states that the scene in his room
and it must have been worse in the room be-
low--cannot be depicted. Children ran
about crying and begging piteously to
be saved, yet wrenching themselves
away when taken forcibly to the
tower while yet there was some chance, or to
the iron ladder that reached two Of the scut-
le-windows Of the south end opening upon
the roof of the balcony at the head of the
Twelfth street tre-ladders 1t was impossible
to get the great majority to take 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 OF The south gable end, nearly
sixty feet from the ground, but dared not
Jump down. Cotton ropes were put out for
them to slide down by but no sooner
would rope be lowered than there was
a rush for it from below. Too many
would take hold when it would break, and
all clinging to ii would come down in bunch
Similar scenes were going on in the mule
spinning-room The flames had assembled
fourth floor, cutting off their means of escape,
but the operatives had two ladders of the
south gable directly before them, and were
urged by the overseers and citizens below to
take them. Some did, but Others rushed
headlong upon the balcony and dropped or
threw themselves from the guards. There
was ample time for every one to have been
saved had the girls taken the course directed.
The Superintendent, as soon us the alarm
was given, rushed to the upper story, and,
with the ovcrseerS, did all possible To save
| life. When the means provided for escape in
| the mill were rendered unavailable by heat,
flames and smoke, the people procured beds
and mattresses for the poor unfortunates to
jump upon, and many did throw themselves
from windows, to, in almost every case, re-
ceive fatal or terrible injuries.
The iremen worked to keep the flames out
of the south end, whittier many operatives
had fed. Ladders, long as at command, We're
used to rescue the girls, and il is said that
four fremen lost their lives while thus en-
gagged One fireman was lowered from the
roof by brother iiremen into the building and
remained so long trying to drive girls forth
that he had to be let 20 by those who held
his rope, driven away by the smoke, and he
was lost.
Morgucs and hospitals were speedily inn
provised, the Mission Chapel being taken for
the latter, and as fast as the girls could be
| picked from under the windows of the mill
stretchers were ready to carry them to either
chapel or Central Station. At the latter place
! twenty-five bodies Were soon lying, and other
| unfortunates had been taken to stations or to
| homes. In number of instances bodies
| could not be recognized, they were so dis
| figured, begrimed and dirt-covered. In Mis-
| sion Chapel were those whose sutlerngs were
| intense.
| Every doctor In the city was summoned at
| the earliest moment 1t is not too high to
| place the number killed at forty, and the in.
| jurcd at twice that number.
Julia Cotley states that when she first heard
| the alarm of fire heavy columns of smoke
| burst through the spoo-room floor. The
| crowd of little children surrounded the over
| seer, and with him rushed for the
| staircase, but they were forced back by
the flames. Then all made for the
elevator, but it would not work. At this
| uncture the leaping from the windows com
| menced. \ number of men in this room be
| gan uncoiling a long rope to let the operatives
| TO the ground Several were landed in safety
when it was burned oil twenty-five feet from
| the ground. The smoke had become st
| dense that those who remained crowded tC
the windows for air, Some, leaping heae
| foremost, were killed Others, su.tocated
fell back and persisted in the flames.
The Boston Hcralds account says:
As far as can be learned under the prescn
| excitement ana turlnoli TIE Hrc originated Il
! the tower in the fourth story, and an attemp
was made to eXtingush it with pals OF water
but Intellectually During this endeavor
door leading to the spool,room, which open
south on the tower staircase, had to b
closed to keep the help back aud prevent
panic: but when the flames had gained sucl
strength that it was found impossible t,
quench them the escape of the girls hat
been cut off The frightened and terrified
creatures, with the roaring flames on tn
lower staircase, rushed IN body for the fire
| escanc. hnt the dense volumes of smoke tina