The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-09-22
TERRI.SLE CATASTROPHE.
'6URNING OF A MILL.
GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.

GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.
<srRUCuoS OF ONE OF THE GRANITE
MILLS OF FALL RIvER-FATE OF THE oP-
ERATIvEs-CUT OFF BY THE FLAMES
HEART-RESDISG SCENES.
BosroS, sept. IA special dispatch to the
Traveller. from FAN River, dated 7:f5 a. NJ, says
that al this morning fire broke out In the Gran
lite Mill No. 1, in this city, and spread with great
rapidity. The operatives had Just commenced
work, and there was great panic amongst
them. Many persons escaped by jumping
thr ugh the windows. Others were killed or In
Others were burned In the buiding, being I'M
able TO escape by any means. Many lives were
lost by attempting 10 jump from the roofs OF
the burning houses. The loss already is esti-
mated at from $1,000 TO 100000, but the excite
ment is 20 intense that il is almost impossible
TO obtain any information at this writing.
Boston, Sept. l9.-1he agent Of the old Colony
railroad at Fall River sends the following dis
patch In response 10 an offer to send aid: No
help required. The fire is under control. Prob
ably eight ur ten lives were lost, mostly by
jumping from the fifth story.
FALL RIVER, MASS, Sept. l9.--The loss by the
burning of the Granite Mill No. is $4,000. All
the operatives in the spooling room. in the fifth
story, were panic stricken and jumped from the
windows or were suffCcated. About thirty per-
sons were killed AMI injured. and the number OF
dying Is Il. as many my more: dispatch from Fall
bodies 81 killed, and number OF wounded. save
been recovered thus far. part of the machin.
cry ia the lower stories will be saved in a dam
aged con 1Ition.
PROVIDENCE, r. l., Sept le-The Journal has
dispatch from Fall River saying that some
twenty five blackened charred dead bodies thus
| far have been re covered from the ruins of Gran
ite Mill. Mapy of them are unrecognizable.
James Turner Is among the killed. The body of
| Ellen Jane Hunter vas Identified by fragments
of IA r dress. The head was burned of. TIE in
suranc. In Providence on the Granite MIL Is as
$1,000; Rhode Island, s4J0O; State, $4,000;
| Blackstone, $4,000.
RosroN, Sept. I9.-The Herald has the follow
| Ing special dispatch nom Fall River: About =
o'clock in the morning an alarm of fire was
! sounded, bat the locality could not be properly
understood. Consequently the firemen did not
reach Granite Mill No. !, on Twelfth and Bed
ford streets, until the flames had made fearful
| Roadway Finding thesnse yes unable 20 cope
successfully with the flames, second alarm
ment brought 10 the spot. In the meantime
| tn result had become heagtrending in the ex-
| ent excitement nd turmoil, the fire Originated
at the tower in the fourth story, and an attempt
| was made 10 extinguish ii with pals o. water,
but inefiec ually During this endeavor door
| leading to q spool room, which opens
south on the lower staircase, had to be closed To
keep the help back and 10 prevent panic. but
wnen the flames had gained such strength that
1T was found Impossible to quench them, the es.
cape of the giris had been cut of. fright
a. ed and terrified creatures, with roar ng flames
on the lower staircase rushed in a body for the
poured into the room and the biting flames
| forced them to the nor beast end of the apart
ment, a, which end, aniorit tn there were
| been suffocated, and others. preierring death by
falling 10 the, ground; sprang, reck-
picked up mangled, bleeding, d. ad and
dying. The excitement was terrible, every
| mill nearly emptylng It's contents 10 swell the
| sympathizing crowd. Ali the medical men in
| wagons, stree cheers and ali he paraphernaIia OF
| the hospital were promptly furnished, and the
| dead and dying and suffering attended to. IL il
srIs have been lost. while the list Of Wounded
| is probably as great The Granite Mills were in
CO poraIed in 1855, and mill No. / had 35.6i8
as male and female operators, The directors
| are William Mason,J p. Slade, Edmund Chase,
j. :. Brayton and Ira VI, Smith.
LATER INVESTIGATION
seems to prove that the fire originated in the
mule room, having started in some unused mule
heads in the charge of a boy named Samuel
| Young. AS soon as the flames were discovered
by the lad he shrieked out fire, aud made hi.
| escape. This spinners In the room tried to check
the flames with boxes and sticks. whic oh broke
il was at last found necessary 10 sound an alarm
the flames had gathered such a
strength spe that 1hsy were dTsSrng from
story or attic used as a spool room was at the
time occupied by 60 persons, and the first init
mafian that they received of their danger was
| the cloud of dense, binding aud suifoca' ing
smoke that swept up the staircase, forced them
TO seek safety in the northern section of the
building. A young gir named Kate Smith
states that her first announcement of danger
was received by The girls from the other end of
the room rushing towards her, shTieking and
crying. Many OF them were so terror stricken
that u cir limbs became almost useless. some OF
the girls We're praying and lamenting their
Isituatton, while olhe were possessed with
fear that they stood in mute agony, watching
| tie brave conduct of one man who, r gardlesS of
his own safety, worked with heroic ardor, and
by means Of rope landed on the ground a
number OF girls Ia afety. One han being COM
pleleiy cut III, made his exit to the roof by
means of the scutile, and with q rope 10 wered
himself over the roof and to the ground in
safety. He stated that a companion " no was
Just behind him had fallen back suffocated.
/ Many of the girls became unconscious from
fright. ere the haries reached Them, and
though the number the lost al this
writing is unknown, 1t can no. c;,dt be great.
Some leAped from the windows. preferri g TO be
crushed and MANNED than burned, and the
shocking. heart-rending sights that met the eye
| on all sides were sgonizing. The wailing of
mothers, brothers and sisters over their dead
| was terrible TO hear.
BosToN. sept. i9.-The loss of life by the fire at
Fall River, SO far known, is 20. The loss on
| the property is S5OO,v00
|