Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-12-30

BUFFALO, December ~.
MOST disastrous conaagration occurred
here this evening. the sad ana oDplorable fea-
ture Of which IL that &c wss attended by tho
greatest loss Of life known upon . similar occa--
sion ip very many years Tho. building in
structure. 900 feet I'm depth and eighty feet
wide, owned by George w. Tint, and occu-
pied by n. H. Birxe q Sons, manufacturers OF
wall paper. About ten minutes before six
o'clock one OF the men employed IN the third
story reported 20 the foreman, Thomas Henry,
who was on the floor below, that one OF the
printing machines was ON fire. He speedily
made his way upstairs, and saw tho press nc.
the rear Of the room cnvelopcd I'm flames,
which had, by this time, spread TO tho ada
cent woodwork. while the place was filed with
dense smoke. As q temperature OF ninety
degrees is maintained continually Throughout
the factory, to INSIST the drying procees and
ms this had rendered everything as dry m tin
der, Mr.. Henry realized that the spread OF tho
flames would be terribly rapid. and IL was folly
to think that anything could be done 10 avert.
IL. He turned and ordered the employees to
fly for their lives, Immediately wa nins rs
best he could those who were In the
fourth and NTH stories, they being prin-
cipaily boys. In the meantime an
alarm had been sounded, TO which
portion of the department responded, and =
second and general alarm brought the remain
der. The scene now presented was one tnst
would touch the stoutest heart. The building
was wrapped In seething flames. Employees
jumped from the highest windows, while many
boys in the two upper stories. who had been
unsuccessful I'm their efforts TO esoape, or bc-
came too bewildered to follow the example OF
their companions, appeared at the windows
with white and terrified faces, and frantically
shouted for help. But their torture was OF
brief durstion, for, almost simultaneously
with their cry for aid. they sank back, over
come by sunocation from the smoke. and.
within twenty minutes from the time the
alarm was sounded, the walls crumbled and
fell with crash. One small boy whose name
could not be learned, coura9eously Jumped
from the nfth' story. and, catching the tsls-
graph wires, which then gave way, slid down
one OF them. and escaped with badly out
hands. John Malone, aged nftceu yearu
jumped from the NTH story. struck thS
sidewalk, and was almost INSTANTLY
killed John Fields, employed q oyerpeer
among the boys, jumped from the fourth
story and was picked UP dead. John T. Berry
Jumped from one Of the upper stories and
sustained fracture Of the spine and of both
arms He viii probably die. With the falS-
ing Of the walls the nremen were REQUIRED 70
give their attention 20 the Union Malt House.
an extensive brick structure. also owned By
George w. Tint, and occupied by John u.
Manning. 1t was already in - fair way for
destruction, and, though every effort WA
made. the best that could be done was in pre-
venting the further spread OF the fre.
Wild rumors were anoat In regard 20 the loos
OF life, and anxious parents crowded around
with bianched countenances and weeping BIT
teriy, while they tremblingly inquired for
their missing boys. when the excitement
had subsidized somewhat, an effort was made 60
get some knowledge OF the wounded. The list.
"a hu a.