The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-10-02
APPALLING DISASTER,

| RIVER, OF SIXTY PEOPLE
KILLED AND INJURED-FULL PARTICULARS
OF THE SAD CALAMITY.
A terrible disaster, rivaling, and in some
respects parallel to, the fearful Pemberton
Mills calamity. at Lawrence, on the 10th Of
January, 1860, occurred at Fall River, Mass,
on Saturday, the 18th Of September. Tho
dispatches give the following particulars Of
the disaster:
Abou. Z o'clock this morning an alarm Of
fire was sounded, but its location could not
properly be understood. consequently the
iremen did not reach Granite Mill No. 1, ON
Twelfth and Bedford streets, until the flames
had made fearful Roadway. Finding them
selves unable to cope with the flames, q
second alarm was struck, and the remainder
of the department were brought to the spot.
In the meantime the results had become
heartrending in the extreme. AS far as can
be learned under the present excitement and
turmoil, the fire originated at the tower in the
fourth story, and an attempt was made to ex-
tinguish it with pals of water. but ineffectu-
ally. During this endeavor a door leading to
the spool-room, which opens south on the
tower staircase had to be closed to keep the
help back and prevent q panic but when the
flames had gained such strength that it was
found impossible to quench them, the escape
Of the girls had been cut off. The fright
ened and terrified creatures, with the roaring
flames on the lower staircase. rushed in q
body for the fre-escape, but the dense vol
umes OF smoke that poured into the room,
and the biting flames. forced them to ths
northeast end of the department. st which
end, unfortunately, there were no means Of
escape.
Many. in the meantime. had become suffo-
Gated. Others, preferring death by falling
to the ground, spraEg recklessly from the
windows, and were picked up mangled, bleed
ing, dead, and dying. The excitement was
terrible, every mill, nearly, emptying its con-
tents to swell the sympathiZing crowd. All
the medical men in the city were promptly on
hand. Mattresses, wagons, stretchers, and
all the paraphernaiia OF the hospital were
promptly furnished, and the dead, and dying,
and suffering were attended to.
Later investigation seems to prove that the
fire originated in the mule-room, having start
ed FROM unoiled muleheads in charge Of a boy
named Samuel Young. AS soon as the flames
were discovered by the lad, he shrieked out
fire. and made his escape. The spinners in
the room tried to check the spread of the
flames with boxes and sticks, which broke all
the threads attached to the machines. Efforts
were made to subdue the fire. but iueffectu-
ally. and. when it was at last found necessary
to sound the alarm. the flames had gathered
such strength that they were darling from the
lower windows.
The upper story or attic, used as e SPOOL
room, was at The time occupied by sixty per-
sons. and the first intimation they received Of
danger was a cloud Of dense, binding, and
suffocating smoke that swept up the staircase,
forced them to seek safety in the northern sec
ton of the building.
A young girl named Katie Smith states that
her first announcement of danger was received
by girls from the other end of the room
rushing to her, shrieking and crying. Many
OF them were so terror-stricken that
their limbs became almost useless. Some
of the girls were praying and lamenting
their situation, while others were so possessed
with fear that they stood in mute agony,
watching the brave conduct Of one man, who,
regardless of his own safety, worked with
heroic ardor, and by means Of a rope landed
Oh the ground a number of the girls in safety.
One man being completely cut of, made his
exit to the roof by means Of a %scuttle, and
with a rope lowered himself over the roof and
to the ground in safety. He stated that his
companion, who was behind him, had fallen
back suffocated.
Many Of the girls became unconscious from
fright ere the flames reached them, and
though the number Of lost at this writing is
unknown, it cannot but be great. Some
leaped from the windows, preferring to be
crushed and manned than burned, and Shrek
ing, heartrending sights that met the eye on
all sides were agonizing. The wailing OF
mothers, brothers and sisters over their dead
was terrible to hear.
The property loss by the fire is about $780,
coo. The Granite Mills were incorporated in
1868. and the burned mill had 1858 spindles.
s. 400 looms, and employed about AIS oper-
atives. Latest advices place the total number
of killed and injured at titty-eight. The
calamity appears..to have been the result of
criminal carelessness and inefficiency. In the
first place the mill employees attempte
to extinguisb the fire without calling out the
department., and so allowed the flames to oh
tain great hesdwsy. When the engines ar
rived at the scene there seemed to be a total
lack Of discipline, and no attempt was made to
use the ladders Of the department for the res
cue of the roasting operatives. The fire es-
cape attached to the mill did not reach the
sixth story. where it was most needed, and
for this the proprietors are censured.