Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-12-23
4 FIERY GRAVE.
Over A Score of People Perish.

\ FACTORY WRAPPED IN FLAMES IN LESS
THAN TWENTY MINUTES MANY OF THE
EMPLOYEES BURIED UNDER THE FALL.
ING WALLs-JuMPING FROM THE
WINDOWS TO MEET DEATH.
BUFFALO, December Il.
A serious fire, attended by heavy loss
OF lite, occurred here this evening.
About o'clock fire was discovered in
the third story Of the immense tive-story
building, owned by George w. Tiff, on
Perry street, and occupied by BIrge 4
Sons, wall paper manufacturers. The
building is eighty feet front, by about
three hundred feet in depth, and about
one hundred and fifty men and boys
were employed at the time, the business
demanding extra help. All of the
number were at work, and in less than
twenty minutes after the alarm was
given the building was mass OF flames.
The walls crumbled and fell and proba
bly, buried from twenty to thirty of the
employees. The doors Of the different
rooms were hung TO swing in, and each
had heavy spring closing it, thereby
retardlng the cgress OF the occupants.
The building was without fire escapes of
any kind. The terrified workmen took
to the windows and many of them e..
capped with broken bones and bruised
bodies. Those in the upper stories,
unable to escape, appeared for mo
mcnt at the windows and then sank
back, suflocated in the smoke and
flames.
The following is a list Of those known
to bc killed
Thomas Fields, one of the workmen
in the fifth story, was badly burned and
jumped to the ground. The body is
unrccognlzable, being smashed to Jelly,
but is supposed to be that of Thomas
Fields.
John Malone, aged II years, jumped
from the fifth story and was killed
William Berry was fatally injured in
the head, spine and internally. He
jumped from the fourth story.
The injured are:
John Griffin, who jumped from the
fourth floor. He had his right arm
broken and was badly injured inter.
nally.
Moses Maloney, leg fractured by
jumping from the fifth story.
Patrick O'Brien, badly burned about
the head and back: had an arm broken.
Edward NJ Cormick, jumped from the
fifth floor and Was badly cut on the
head.
Moses Malone, brother of John Ma
lone, who was killed, jumped from the
fifth floor and fractured his leg and
broke his arm.
Mike q Brlen broke his right leg.
The following are known to be miss.
ing and supposed to be in the ruins:
stephen Hockett, Martin McGee,
Peter ). Wander, John and James Stout
(brothers) and Jay Noltz.
The flames next communicated to the
Union Malt House adjoining, and also
the property of George W. Tiff, which
was destroyed. The building was three
stories IN height, sixty feet wide and
two hundred feet long, containing $25,.
600 worth Of grain, the property of John
i. Manning. The losses can only be
estimated at present and are placed at
the following figures: Geo. w. Tiff. on
buildings, 100000; Blrge & Sons, on
machinery and paper stock, $l50.0O0;
John i. Manning, on grain, 5000:
city engine house, by falling walls,
50 900. The insurance is estimated as
follows: Loss on buildings, covered
Birge's loss, one.half insured. James
Ryan and John Kennedy. employed on
the fourth floor of the Birge building,
both jumped to the ground, escaping
with only slight bruises. A small boy,
name unknown, was seen to Jump from
the fifth floor, catching hold OF the tel.
epraph wire, which broke, and sliding
down the wire, escaped with only a
badly cut hand. The buildings are
mass sofsmoking ruins. The parents and
friends OF the dead and missing ones sur
round 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 ruins can be removed.