The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1874-09-27

| SUI ONoh tuO IOOI W bDo BTOuu0 III Safety
When he reached terra frma he stated that
a companion who was just behind had
| fallen back suffocated.
JULIA coFFEE's STORY.
A young girl named Julia Coffee states
that she was first alarmed by the cry of
Fire J" and at the time heavy columns of
smoke burst through the spool room door.
The overseer was surrounded by a crowd
of little children, and as eoon as the alarm
was given he rushed for the staircase, but
was forced back by the incoming flames.
He then rushed for the elevator. still sur
rounded by the shrieking, terrified opera
tives. A crowd of the children were
placed on the elevator. bat when he at
tempted to send it down it would not
work. A number of the children were
taken off, but even then it failed to re-
spond to the belt. A rush was then made
for the window, and a number of men in
the room began uncoiling a long rope to
let the terrified crowd to the ground.
Quite number had been passed down in
safety, when the rope, about twenty "A We
feet from the ground, was burned in two.
The overseer had in the meantime de-
scended the line and reached the ground
with but few injuries. By this time the
smoke had become so dense that all who
remained were compelled TO crowd to the
windows for-atr, many of them plunging
head foremost to the ground, and their
yards. The impression of the young girl
Coffee seems to be that if an attempt had
been made to descend the staircase it
would have been successful but when the
help saw the overseer fail to attempt the
feat they gave mp all hope, and sought
safety at the windows at either end of the
building. 1t being in the attic, low win
dows were on the side. This girl also
states that she sat for several minutes on
the window sill of the south end, and by
her side was an elderly man, who, when he
found the rope burned in two, started
then grasped the rope and slid down several
feet, after which she lost all consciousness
and fell to the ground.
WHERE WERE THE MENP
A man named Harrington states that be
saw the fire and rushed into the mill. Pass
ing up the first flight of stairs he tried the
door ofothe room, but found it locked. He
then hastened to the ground. At this time
the upper story was in q blaze and the help
we're jumping from the windows.
johanna Healey corroborates the story
aud narrates with thrilling effect the terror
of the women. She sprung from the win
dow, and her sister, who did the same
thing, had her brains dashed out. Isabella
Moorhead, who escaped with few bruises,
gives the same account, adding that the
overseer reached the ground long before
of Providence, saw the breaking out of the
flames and tbs help jumping from the win
dow and crowd of men attempting to save
cloth. On his order they turned their
labors to the saving of iife Before his
eyes six women, one boy and four men
dropped to the ground and were instantly
killed.
THE AGONY OF DESPAIR.
About one hour after the Gre had en-
| veloped the entire story below the attic
and had worked its way, preceded by i'm
| mense volumes of smoke, to the spool
room, a young girl was seen to present
| herself at q window of the fifth story, in
the south end, and, throwing up her arms
in pitiful, agonizing way, her lips moving
apparently in prayer, fell back in the burn
ing room and disappeared. In other win
dows the same heartrending scenes were
enacted, and the people far beneath, un-
able to aid the poor, suffering creatures,
looked on in horror. The men aud boys
were the first to commence jumping from
the windows in the fourth and fifth stories,
| but soon after the girls employed in the
different rooms began to leap to the ground.
Every window was crowded with excited
persons, all eager to jump out, but upon
stepping on the window sill they wonId
hesitate a moment about the distance, aud
then with wild shout spring as far as pos
sible out into the air only to fall to the
ground frightfully crushed. Many who
had sustained only slight injuries by their
fall would be rendered almost helpless by
some one jumping upon them.
THE CRIES OF LITTLE GIRLS
in some of the rooms for assistance were
awful. One girl, apparently about nine
years of age, was observed to crawl to an
upoccupied window in the third story, lay
her little hands on the window sill, and
then with weak cry she fell back ex-
hausted. Another girl endeavored to de-
scend on rope, but as she was noticed
three or four others attempted to lower
| themselves at the same time, the rope was
broken and the young women fell to the
ground. The operatives continued jump
ing from the burning building, aud bat
few, if any. We're rescued by the fremen,
as some difficulty was experienced in get
ting the ladders above the second story.
One woman was observed running about
among the killed and wounded, excIaiming
in pitiful tones, " Oh, where's my Nora ?"
She had found one of her daughters who
had been almost instantly killed by Jump.
ing from the buiidiur and at last arrnur+