The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-12-23
In A BURNING HOUSE.
ABOUT TWENTY PERSONS EN-
TRAPPED IN A BLAZING BUILD
ING AND BURIED IN THE
RUINS.
The Shocking Death fMen and Boys Who Jump
ed From the Top Stories to the
Ground.

Buffalo, N. Y, December 17-A serious fire at.
tended by heavy loss Of life occurred here this
evening. About O'Clock a FIRE WIS discovered
in the third story Of the immense fve story buld'
ing owned by George W. Tiff, on Perry street and
occurred by Birge & Sons, wall paper manufac.
turer. The building is so feet mont by about 800
feet In depth, and about $50 men and boys we're
employed at the time, the business demanding
extra help. All Of the number were at work aud
In less than twenty minutes after the alarm was
given the building was mass of flames The
walls crumbled and fell, and probably bnried
from twenty to thirty OF the employees. The
doors to the different rooms were hung to swing
in, and each had heavy spring closing It, there
by retaGding the egress Of the occupants The
building was without fire escapes Of any kind
The terrified wOrkmen took to the windows and
many Of them escaped with broken bones and
bruised bodies. Those in the upper stories, un'
able to escape, appeared for moment at the win.
dows and then sank back sutfocated in the smoke
and flames
One of the foremen in the fifth story was badly
burned and jumped to the ground; the body a
unacceptable, being smashed to Jelly, but it is
supposed to be that Of Thos Fields, John Malone
aged fifteen years, jumped from the fifth story and
was killed. William Berry was fatally injured in
the head, spine and inwardly; he jumped from
the fourth st ry The ipjared are John Griffin
who jumped from the fourth floor: he had his
right arm broken an / was badly injured intern
ally Moses Maloney, leg fractured by jumping
from the fifty story; Patrick o 0Brien, badly burned
about the head and back aud had an arm broken
Edward Mccormick jumped from the fifth floor
and was badly cut on the head. Moses Malone
brother Of John Malone, who was killed, jumped
from the fifth floor and fractured his leg and
broke his aim. Mike 0'brien broke his tight leg,
The following are known to be missing and sup.
posed to be in.the ruins: Stephen Hockett, Martin
MCGEE, Peter swsnder, John and James Stout
(brothers) and Jay Voltz. The flames were com.
municated to the Union Malt House sdjoining,
also the property of George W. Tiff, which was
destroyed.
James Ryan and John Kennedy, employed on
the fourth floor Of the Birge building, both jump.
ed to the ground, escaping with only slight bruis
es. A small boy, name unknown, was seen to
jump from the fifth floor, catch hold Of tele.
graph wire, which broke, and Gliding down the
wire escaped with only badly cut hand. The
buildings are now mass Of smoking ruins. The
parents and friends Of the dead and missing ones
surround the ruins. The streets are full Of rumors
and probably the list Of those known to be killed
will be more than doubled when the debris can
be removed.
The building was Ave stories high, SO feet
wide and 200 feet long, containing s25,OOO worth
of grain, the property Of John B, Manning. The
losses can only be estimated at the present and
are placed at the following figures;
The insurance is estimated as follows, Loss on
buildings covered; Blrge's loss one half insur
ed.
Geo. W. Tiff, on buildings, slO5OO1 Birge &
Sons, on machinery and paper stock, $3.50 0OO John
B. Manning, on grain, $4,000, city engine house,
by falling walls, SO 900.