The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-12-15
By Telegraph.
A FIGHT FOR LIFE.
Desperate Rush Of Employees from a
Burning Mill at Mana
yunk, Pa.
Nearly a Score of the Frightened
Throng More or Less Seri-
ously Injured.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec 13.-The Enterprise
cotton and wooden mills at Manayunk were
totally destroyed by fire yesterday afternoon
Owing to the absence of fre-escapes, sixteen
persons we're injured, at least three of whom
are expected to die The total loss is
estimated at $4,000, with about $780,
600 insurance The origin of the fire
is unknown. The Enterprise mills were
on Main street, between Schurr's lane
and Wissahicken, and were built in 1878
They were Of stone and brick, very substan-
TALLY built, and were owned by Samuel s
Kelley, whose loss is placed at $4,000 fully
covered by insurance The mills were two
In number, the larger one being 1870 feet long,
40 feet wide, and five stories high. The other
was 40 feet square. with an addition 20x40 and
and dye-house 20x50, one story
attached. The two mills were connected by q
light bridge built of wood, and there was
but one staircase in each mill These
staircases were built Of wood and ran from the
fifth floor to the ground very close to the
bridges which connected the two mills The
picker room, where the fire originated, was in
the smaller mill The first floors of both mills
were occupied by Joseph Adams, wooden and
cotton yarn spinner He employed about
thirty hands, and his loss is estimated at
$4,000, with 1880 insurance. The second
and third floors were occupied by Wilhere &
Kelley, cotton spinners, who employed twenty
four hands and who also used the dye-house.
Vi. II. L.. Al a mn
insurance Lord & Conner, carpet yarn man
ufacturers, occupied the fourth floor. They
employed twenty weight persons, and their loss
is placed at from $4,000 to $4,000 with but
SO, 800 insurance. The upper floor was ten
anted by John Wild & Brother, carpet yarn
Bpinners, who employed sixteen hands.
John Wild estimated the loss Of his firm.
including stock on hand, at $4,000 with
$4,000 insurance, There were ninety-eight
persons employed in both the mills The fire
started in the picker-room, on the fourth
story of the mill occupied by Lord & Conner.
Spontaneous combustion is believed to have
been the origin of the flames In an instant
after the fire blazed up in the picker-room,
the wooden bridge connecting the two
mills was in flames, and all egress by
means of the staircase was rendered
impossible At tho end of the mill Oppo-
site TO that whore the fire began was u long
rope, reaching to the second story, which was
used to hoist bales of goods to the upper
stories Upon the end of this rope was a big
iron hook, AS soon as the cry of fire was
heard in the mill general rush was made for
the wooden stairs, the only means of egresB,
but all were driven back by the rapid advance
Of the flames. AS soon as it dawned upon
the panic stricken inmates that their
only means Of escape was cut off,
and others, with more elf-pos,
session, slid down the hoisting rope, and
dropped to the ground from the second story,
sustaining but slight injuries comparatively
William Dempsey tried to escape by the stair
way, but driven back by the flames he slid
down the ropes and got away with severe
burns, all the hair on his head having been
burned of, Robert Marsh, who attempted to
slide down the rope, met with sspoor success
His arm was caught near the muscles, above
the elbow, ON the iron hook Mt the end of the
rope and gashed his arm to the wrist making a
dangerous and ugly wound Mary Hoffman
tried 70 catch the hoisting-ro rope from fourth
story window, and did succeed in catching it.
but when about twenty feet from the ground
abe had to let go her hold and fell to the
earth, breaking one of her ankles Susan
Hoffman slid down the rope in safety and
escaped with a few burns Mary Conner, q
bright little girl of ii, jumped excitedly from
the window and struck on the side
walk, fifty five feet below, breaking
her back and sustaining injuries
that the physicians say will probably be fatal.
William EvecTnan and his son William escaped
down the rope, the former sprainiug his ankle
and sustaining other slight injuries besides
severe burns Walter Trout, of SCOTS lane,
jumped from the fourth-story window, and
was picked up with a broken hip James
Wiley, of the same place, Jumped to
catch the rope but his grasp was so light that
he slid to the ground as rapidly as
if he We're falling without a hold of the rope,
tearing the flesh from the palms of his hands.
lie was also burned. Yesterday was the first
day that he had worked in the mill, having
been taken on as a new hand in the morning.
William Kane and James Conner slid nearly to
the ground without sustaining any serious in
jures as did also Thomas Pawnell.
The list Of injured includes:
William Dempsey, aged l8
Walter Trout ~
James Wiley, Is
Maggie Quinn, Is
Mary E, Hoffman, 16
Susan Hoffman, 90
William Everman, 80
William Everman, Jr., 16
William Keed II.
James Conner, 50
Thomas Parnell, %
John Kelly, 40
John Downing, 80, the engineer
Girl named Hoops.
Mr.. Quinn, aged SO, father of Maggie Quinn.
is supposed to be buried in the ruins. The
mills are insured for $4,000. The occupants
are insured for SAL 600