Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-11-22
PURSUED BY FLAMES.


FACTORY GIRLS DRIVEN TO DEATH
Souo Thrilling Scenes That Wero Witnessed
Daring n Panic tn u I;hoio Island
Death-: rap.
The Calender building in Providence,
II. l., which was destroyed by fire on
Tuesday morning was a regular DEATH
trap. 1t was owned by Amos G. Harstow.
The lower floors were occupied by the
Providence button company, the PrOvi-
dence cigar works, the Providence saw
works and other firms. The flames did
not fastcn upon tLese floors, aud the loss
Of these firms is from water lt was on
tho third and fourth floors that the havoc
was wrought. \ stairway. beginning at
tho street in the front of the building, ran
to tho top. There was no other means Of
emptying the building i'll :. panic. The
building was of brick. On the third floor
was the workshop OF Charles L. Melvin,
dyer. His rooms opened ont on the staff
way. Or the floor above were the firms Of
W. II. Robinson ~ Co. manufacturers of
gold chains, and JOS. Grant Il Co., jewel
crs. The gold Chaiu manuf..ctory was i'll
the front part o: the building and directly
over the dyeiug establishment. Grants
lbCLOI "sSo III luC lCA'
The fire started il Melvins placs. Tho
room WAS filled Wiz, compustible material.
The woodwork was dry. -; tinlar. 4
lighted match touched almost anywhere
wOnId have started cont! .gratiOn. There
were chemicals and Cloths saturated viii,
nillmmablc preparations. by soma means
can Containing: ten gallons OF naphth::
was overturned. It caught fire. The
flames sp.ans uptSrd and seized upon
everything near 1T hand. They ran over
tho floor and the saturated cloths added
to their fury. They caught the dry wood
work, ami :,n alarm had hardly been give,
before the Whole room wds in o blaZe.
They rushed out OF the door and caught
upon :ha stairs. The air currents swep.
them upward, and in a moment iii: stair
way was ci,Oked with smoke u'! WAS il
roaring tunnel Of savage flame
1t was 1890 o'clock when the occupants
Of the fourth floor OF the Calender build
ing heard tho alarm. They were Tor tae
most part young girls. Robinson < Co.
alone employ twenty, and tine firms entire
roll of employees numbered forty. When
the smoke rushed up.ths stairway and into
the factory there was 4 terrible panic.
1t is iDdescribabie. A rush was made
for the door, but smoke and flame drove
the frightened operatives back. AS they
realized their position they gave wa7 TO
shrieks for salvation. The flames en-
croached upon them with frightinl rapid;ty
and drove them to the windows. There
was no fire escape. Not q ladder was at
hand. The engines had not arrived. At
tho end ~. the binding was en- alley,
| Is feet wide. The windows Of Robinson S
place looked out upon this. Just across
the alley Was \ small wooden building,
| two stories in height. The Single roof
was 20 feet below the fourth story windows
| of the Ca!ender building. The operatives
were too panic stricken to wait for aid.
| The roaring flames were too near them
1t vas death to remain behind. The only
hope was to mako the leap froi,. the WIN
dows to the frame building.
There vas 70 method about it. Bat
| few of the frightened operatives had CON-
| trO. of themselves. George Clark. en-
| ploycd by Joseph Grant Il Co.. did bis
best to allaT the excitement and nearly
lost his life in trying to stay the flames.
While he, with few companions, was
| fighting the fire, the others rushed to the
| windows and threw themselves o:l:. Their,
was no time to think about it. During
| the first rush several girls were pushed
out or lost their footing. They fell to the
ground a..:i were either killed or badly in
iured 1t vas 4 frightful scene for those
who stood il, tho street. Bodies OF men
aud women wiiiled through the air as
thick rs snowilakcs Many OF thosn who
jumped succeeded in landing upon the
roof of the building across the alley.
Hardly would they g,iua footing wlio..
others would fall upon them. In this W ty
several operatives we,o injured. On: of
the first to fall Was Emma Gasse:.. The
pressure Of the panic stricken crowd be
hind her was SO great that she dropped in
the alley between the buildings. Her
body wlirled around in the air and struck
heavily. She died almost instantly.
Bessie Cobb was another unfortunate vie,
tim. She met her deatl, in precisely the
same manner. Both were young girls
Mary McSoriey missed tho roof. Her
body was caught on :. picket fence aud
terribly mutiIated. She was taken 10 the
hospital in dying condition. Thomas
Mann. foreman Of Grants jewclry shop,
made tho leap, but failed to reach the
roof. lie struck the side OF the building
and nj; body bounded OF to the ground.
When he was picked up it was found that
both ankles were broken and that the
shock 20 !i; system wa; such that he
died.
As soon as the !iiomsn arrived on the
scene they did what they could to save
the livss Of tho unfortunate operatives.
But for tho most part tho frightened en-
ployess of tho chain and iewslry factories
had been driven from tho windows and
had either met with fatal injuries 0: h;:d
escaped with their lives to the neishbov'
ing roof. The roof was covered with hu
man beings, many OF them suffering from
painful! if not serious injuries. One mai
swung himself o,;t OF :. window with Doth-
ng to support him but q telephone
wire. He hung on like grim death
1t was an anxious and exciting time
for those in the street. Everybody expect
ed each instant TO see him fall. Bat there
he hung, crying for help, While above al
arose the cracking Of the flames and thu
shricks and cries OF the wounded. 4 lad
der from fire company truck was raised
1t was the longest ON hand, but as it tt
touched the wall Of the Building ths
crowd in tho street saw that it was too
short. A groan went up, 70: the man.
strength was almost exhausted. Tht
wire cut his hands. Just then u nimble.
footed fireman ran. up the ladder. Ht
reached the top anddDaught the man IN
his arms just as heN ready to drop te
certain death.
Tho injured persons were removed to the
hospital as rapidly as possible. 1t Is
thought that at least ten OF them viii
die. Nearly all received injuries Of some
sort, but were glad to escape with thcil
lives at the expense Of broken limbs ant
bruised and burned faces. When tht
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