Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1874-09-24
THE FALL RIVER FIRE.
The Granite Cotton Mill Burned
Forty Young Women Burned TO
Dents
Desparing Girls Fling Themselves
irem the Upper Windows.


dispatch says, a feeling of indignation at
the way the fire was managed is growing
very bitter. The Chief Engineer pusfee,
is censure1 for incapacity by many, and
accused losing all control Yer himself
and his men.
The mill company is blamed for made,
quate means Of escape from the building.
There were two hoop and ladder compa>
MES provided with ladders ~thirty>fve feet
long, which could have been spliced so as
to reach the upper stories, the highest of
which is but GO feet from the ground. No
attempt was made during the fire to
splice them ind save the women in the
top story. Many declare that this could
have beer done and would, had not the
fire men aud their chief been paralized
with fear. The chief says that box ~,
over a quarter Of 3 mile from the FIRE was
first struck. After that there was inter.
ference between the alarm from box No.
Y ana tie box IN the mill, so that it
was impossible to count. He beliSyed
that the disaster was due to the coward>
ice of the Sorkmen in the 9Th story,
who know they were to blame for
not having the machinery oiled and
thought to put out the fire without alarm
and save themselves from censure.
Tivy naust have Visited at least niteen
minutes before sounding the alarm. He
was sure Of this, for he noticed that all
the barrels of water had been emptied.
The foreman Of one company declare d
that the cause OF the loss Of life was keep
ing the operatives on the sixth floor shut
up too long. This story was c~orroborated
by the dying statement OF the Cotiey girl
this morning, who declared she begged
and prayed to have the door opened, but
it was refused. These statements are
somewhat at variance with those made By
the agent Of the Granite Mills. He said
there was no lock dT means os fastening
the door, and no attempt was made to
shut them up.
BosToN, Sept. 81 The Granite Mills
have been for some time running full time
ana turning out five Thousand pieces print
cloth per week, and it is supposed that a
considerable amount Of kccE is ruined
either by the fire or water and smoke. A
large amount Of machinery is also rendered
useless. The loss Of life is 40 persons
mostly young women,
FALL RIVER, Sept 2l.-It was about
Z o'clock when the alarm was struck, but
the fremen were unable to get the cor
rect location, and it was 70 minutes later
before they succeeded in discovering it,
during which time the flames spread with
such rapidlty that they were pouring out
of the fourth and fifth story windows 81
the tower of the mill, where the only
stairway Vas.
Julia Cofey states that she first heard
the alarm of fire and at the same instant
heavy columns Oe smoke burst through
the spool room door and a crowd of little
children surrounded the oyerseer and witt
him rushed for the staircase, but they
we're forced back by the flames, then all
rushed for the elevator, but it would ner
work. AT this juncture escaping from
the windows commenced. 4 number Of
men IN th is room began uncoiling a long
rope to let the terror>stricken operatives
to the ground. Several were landed il
safety BY this rope when it was burned Of
rs feet from the ground. The smok,
had become SO dense that those who re
NAMED crowded the windows 6r air
some leaping out head foremost, theil
brains flying many feet, others suffocated
and fell back and persisted in the flames
CARoLToN, KY, Sept. 21.-Half o.
the most valuable block is burned.
CINCINNATI, Sept. 21.-Private ad,
vices report the burning of the Marietta
& Cincinnati Railroad machine shops al
Parkersburg, West Virginia, yesterday
with the round house, one locomotive anC
blacksmith shop. The loss is not les
than $4,000. The fire was a work Of
an ~incendiary.