The New York herald., 1879-07-15
IMPRISONED BY FIRE.

coNPANYs MILL AT PATERSON, n. J.-TERRI-
BILE POSITION OF THE employees IN THE
+ BURNING BuILDING-THEY SAVE THEMSELVES
"'. BY JUMPING INTO THE PAssAIc RIVER.
About seven O'Clock last night extensive conha-
grafton occurred Paterson y. j. the property de-
stroyed being the extensive shoddy and fock
mills of the Union Manufacturing Company. sit
uated on River street and running through to the
Passaic River. The mills had been running day and
night for time and the day gang had just left.
their places being taken by the night gang. when a
cry of Fire resounded through the building. and
in an instant all excitement. The hands
well knew that fire among dry wool
in an old frame building. whose timbers
In the forty years service they had had been
well saturated with oil, meant danger and regn-
lar panic ensusd. the frightened employees fleeing in
all directions from the place whence the
cry of fire had issued. The knowledge
that there stored in the building o
large quantity of oil and benzine only served to in
the terror and heighten the confusion. Most
OF the hands betook themselves to the
starcases and main exits. but these be-
came crowded and blocked up. and the
flames were spreading with terrible velocity, a
large number, together with those employed in the
rear part Of the mill. were soon shut OF from any
egress their fright fed to the part of the
mill which faces the river.
A TERRIBLE ALTERNATIvE.
Soon the windows there filled with terrified
employ yes hestating between the leap into the dark
current Of the Passaic, which lowered some twenty
i've feet beneath them. and the possibility OF
the flames being subdued in time to
them. The latter alternative soon assumed
q look of impossbility and nothing but leap into
the water was left. Charles Graham, the watchman
of the mill. was the first to raise the window and
take the lead. With splash his body fell
int he w n. u
second, then rose to the surface, and to the de-
light of the anxious faces and throbbing hearts
watching his fate from above he discovered that the
water not more than four feet deep. He at once
waded father into the river, where the water
lii the middle of the river which pre-
sented dry surface on account of the extreme low
ness of the water. John Berdan, OF the work
men, was the next and mis- experience was the same
that OF Graham AT this the rest took heart, and
the men remained near the shore to assist the boys
who could not swim, and in short while an anxious
crowd with papitating hearts were assembled on tho
island in the centre of the But the dan
ger was not all over yet.
IMPENDING.
The mill which they had just left i'm
mense mass of flames, the roof csving in SIM
nltaneously with the tall of of the last op
approaching the foundations OF the building,
the heat becoming too intense for endurance.
wthal the side of the nearest them was threat
enng fall in which event they would certainly be-
come victims to the very death they congratu-
latnp escaping Below them the liver
wa deeper, above them dam fifteen feet high
and the other shore was some fifty yards distant,
channel of water OF considerable depth intervening.
The bravest at took to the water and through
rapid current gained the shore and safety,
hut it some time before boat could be brought
from distance down the river to rescue the rest.
The crowd which had assembled in the meantime
the shore and the Main and Arch street bridges
drew sigh OF relief the last OF the operatives
landed.
In the meantime the Fire Department had been
battling with the fiery element from River street,
and putting forth their utmost endeavors to
spread OF the conhagration. In this they
were successful and soon the immense columns
of light yellow smoke which had issuing
from the burning wool, and rising heAvenward.
like giant co.onnades became smaller The sides of
the building fell. ana i'll thirty minutes from the
time the fire first discovered only tho tall
chimney and a heap of smouldering ruins marked
the place which had been metamorphosed from q
OF industry and thrift to of ruin and desc
lation.
The heat engend cred by the burning of the wool
and other easily inhammable stock presented
curious scene from the opposite shore and the two
The bricks and lime in the foundations of the mill
nearest the water were brought to incandescent
state. illuminating the scene with a giant calcium
and giving the daylight which still prevailed
appearance OF dusk. AS the water in the river
grew hot lively commotion perceivable
ing foot two above the surface Of
the water in their endeavors to escape being
boiled alive. Finally panic seemed to break out
among them and they made rush for the shoals
below them. Here they could be crossing the
river was of greater depth. their silvery scales
shining like many twinkIing stars in the light Of
the burning mill.
The main building was frame structure three
stories high, $50 ieet wide and 200 feet long. 1t
was the proptery of Mr. Benjamin Bailey.
who had just renewed the lease to the
Union Manufacturing Company at yearly
rental of sl.sOO. AS the building was old
the loss is not very heavy but its exact extent
could not be ascertained last night owing to the alb
known that neither this any OF the smaller
buildings destroyed was there any insurance.
The Union Manufacturing Company is stock
nf w h1eh Mr. hHaR Rda fnnfI Inlrn
son Is president. Mr.. Austin secretary and Mr.
Chase general superintendent The principal ar
ing were shoddy and substance known
to the trade as extract" The latter
which destroy the cotton and other foreign Abres
without, however, affecting the wool. The extract
The market Of this there was quite quantity on
hand. and Mr.. Chase estimates the loss OF the
psny on stock and machinery at $4,000 to
$4,000 The company had just put in u new card
ing machine at cost Of s1,s0O. The company's
insurance. principally laid in Western and
Canadian companies, is between 500 and $l2 DOO
but the exact figures could not be ascertaned
last night. the insurance papers were locked up
in the companys Office in New York city. The in
surance effected through Jersey City insurance
hrm, Paterson agencies declining to take the risk
except at very high figures
Luckily the wind blew favorably across the river
or the loss on property would have been immense.
The roofs of the Merrill -four MILL Frsncke's silk
mill, Vanderburgh Wells Co. s printers furniture
manufactory and other large and smaller buildings
1tuated in the vicinity of the conhagration repeat
edly canght fire. but were saved by the vigilance of
the owners and the Fire Department
The IRE first perceived in the drying room,
situated in the centre OF the main building the
River street front. The probability In that it orig
mated from goods which had become superhcated
while the different gangs relieving each other.
Several small explosions occurred in the burning,
but confined their force to the structure. no
being injured At time the prospective ex-
plosion OF the boiler created panic and stampede
among the assembled multitude; but their fears
were soon aayed when the engineer assured them
that there not tho slightest posi- blity of any
such occurrence
In going to the fire Mr.. Peter Bradley. member
Of Steamer No. 5, was by the steamer
The Main street bridge and quite severely, but it is
thought not fatally. injured. This IL the only
casualty reported.
WAS DEATH DUE TO CHLOROFORM?