The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1874-09-25
FALL RIVER.
Scenes and Incidents Of
the Great Disaster.
Fall River Dispatch Sept. 20.J TO ,h
Boston Postl
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.

lhat the IRE peSap IN the mue.rOOm on
the sixth story, and was caused by some
cotton taking fire by the friction of
mule head. This part Of the machin-
cry was in charge Of lad named Sam
uel ioung, and his principle duty was
to keep all of its bearing well oiled.
For some unexplained reason the lad
failed to perform his task, and the irie-
ton caused by the velosity OF the shaft
| or mule head set fire to some loose
threads of cotton. The boy was the
first to notice the fire, and Immediately
| gave the alarm. He had scarcely done
! so before tbe fire was communicated TO
a pile of the same materials which lit
up with oIeetric-Lke rpeed and then
flashed from spindle to spindle, until,
as one OF the operatives expressed it,
the whole room was ablaze, and 1--WE
we're all running to and fro in u sea of
flame" Had there been other modes
of egress than that of the tower TO the
mule-room, 1t seems highly probable
that the employees who now lie cold
10 death or stretched upon their beds
writhing in pain and torture would
have been saved. During the early
part of yesterday report was 10 circu-
lation that the officers of the various
departments locked the doors, and thus
prevented many from succoring the un-
fortunate people in the pool-room.
This is positively denied by the super.
lniendent and overseers, and is corrob-
Grated BY many of the operatives, who
were then in the building. Mr.. Nc
Creery and several Of his subordinatcs,
upon hearing the first shout of fire, ran
through the first, second and third sto.
ries, beseeching the hands to be calm
aud pass orderly, but quickly from the
mill. As might be expected under
such fearful circumstances, men, wo-
men and children came pouring down
the stairways, all panic.stricken, and
choking up the avenues of escape, hot
hearing or needing the cautions Of the
officers. So rapid were tho flames that
swept down the broad staircase from
the tower that several people who were
about to leave the mill by the central
passageway were caught by the pillar
of fire, and some were burned to death,
and others seriously wounded.
A HERO.
While the flames were raging, and
the poor victims in the upper rooms
pitiously calling those below to rescue
them, Mr.. John NJ. Bosworth, fire.
man, reached the roof and by means of
a rope lowered a number of women and
children in safety to the ground The
gallant and noble man continued his
heroic work until the flames almost en-
circled him and the lettering roof al
most gave way beneath him. Then,
and then only, did he deslst from his
saving work, and with great difficulty
reached his ladder and descended to
the ground, which he barely reached
when the roof fell in with a tremen-
dous crash.
AMONG THE RUINS.
AT an early hour this morning |
crowds of people assembled in tn. vi |
,inity Of the ruins of the mill, the scr. |
rowful faces of many plainly telling |
that some loved friend was numbered |
among the dead or missing. Long be.
fore daybreak woman named Mrs.
Harrington, whose daughter Margaret, |
10 years old, was reported missing. Wis.
ted the superintendent house, and
Implored him to be allowed to search
'nong the ruins. "Oh, sill" said she.
do please let me look for nv poor
Maggie. know she lies buried there.
" else she would long since have come
ZONE" She was kindly told that
ii possible search would be made for
Ter child. This did not seem to salts
y her, and she stood about, sobpipp
nd repeating the name Of her daughter.
'emoaning her sad fate. An hour
alter, the charred and blackened re-
Mains OF little Maggie were found un.
Ter some machinery in the spinning.
Dom. When told that her child had
een found, Mrs. Harrington gave
ent to her grief in heartrendiug tones.
nd was tenderly borne away from the
lace to her home by kind friends.
toward evening the work of searching
or the missing was concluded, and out.
ide the gates were groups of people
alking over the melancholy event.
he story of Mr.. Robert Smith, whose
little son persisted almoLt before his
yes, caused many to be vinbly affeo.
ed. 81 was employed" he said, sin
he mule room, near the door, and
ew minutes before tho cry OF fire was
,lven, little James started to ono of The
mules in the centre Of the room" II.
tates that as soon as he heard the al.
'rm, he started toward his son, who
vas some distance from him, but he
lad not gone 20 feet from his post
when cloud OF blending smoke drove
lin back, and when this cleared avav /,
he poor lad was encrcled with the liy. G
ng flames, and was burned to crisp.
Tomorrow large gangs of men will !
esume work in clearing the debris !
way, preparatory to rebuilding that /
ortion Of the mill destroyed.
BURYISG THE yIcTIMs.
This afternoon the funerals of nearly ,
u the victims took place. All but
4 Of the tweuty-four bodies were in t
'red by relatives and friends. Ofths .
I bodies unrecogDizsd one was that !
"a man, one Of yonng girl, and the ,
hers Of children varying in ages from