St. Landry democrat., 1882-12-02
LEApING FOR LIFE.

a Fire In Providence Building Pens In
About Forty Persons, Who Are Com
PEELED to Jump for Their Lives-Two OF
the Victims Killed, Three Others Fatally
and Sixteen Seriously Injured.
PROVIDENCE, r.. l., November Il.
A disaster of a far more appalling nature
than this city is accustomed to happened here
this forenoon. At 1880 ire broke out in the
four-story brick building, corner Calender and
Mason streets, in locality occupied by a large
number of manufactures of jewelry and small
wares. The third story Of the building in
question was occupied by Melvin's ale Jolly
dye-house. Here the fire originated, being
caused by ignition of yapor from ten-gallon
can of naphtha. The flames spread with al
most the rapidity of lightning, cutting off
from escape the forty people working for
William Ell. Robinson, manufacturing jeweier,
on the fourth floor. The flames rushed up a
narrow stairway and imprisoned the terrified
mortals above. Those employed in shops on
the same floor with the fire and below get out
safely.
There being no flre-eseapes available the
forty people in Robinson's shop could do moth
ing hut wait for relief from the tiremen-relief
which was OF no avail me aepaasamena ,lla,5 re,
sponded quick enough, but their ladders would
not reach. Then followed q terrible slgnt. IN
the windows were screaming ana shrieKlng
women and girls fear being depicted on t.alr tnelr
could be got into position two ladders were
thrown Off one of which was placed agalnst
the building and one was left on the ground.
The firemen then turned their attention to the
patent truck. and there is where the trouble
seems to have begun. Below were the firemen
laboring with the cumbersome confrivance:
above was the distressed humanity waiting
waiting moments that seemed as hours. Whar
delay there seemed to be!
Suddenly from the ranks fireman sprang.
Like a squirrel he went up the ladder that
rested against the building, and, standing on
the topmost round, he lenned over against the
bailding. He told the girls to slide down ms
back. They did so and, taking one under
each arm, he made his way to the ground.
These were the first of the girls rescued from
the building. BY the time he got to the ground
the patent truck had not been raised foot
| from its carriage The flames were pressing
the girls to the windows, and great volumes OF
| smoke were hiding them from view. suddenly
there and theh tnf s9ana
! girls, despairing OF succ0r from the nremeH,
leaped from the windows from the fourth story,
falling upon pile Of old barrels fnat fa naa 5een eR
with pickets. Almost the first one 70 jump
was a little short girl. who fell upon this picket
fence head first. From thence she fell to 1he
| ground, but no sound came from her. Her
! death had been swift and terrible. One man
! jumped from the window facing Calendar
| street. This was Thomas Mann, foreman Tor
1 Mr.. Robinson. His left leg and arm were shat
| tered. The skin was rolled back from his
! hands and arms like scorched parchment he
| had been badly burned before he jumped. and:
1 though MANNED and burned, was conscious OF
/ his terrible situation.
Only the two girls mentioned above were
/ rescued by the firemen. All the other hands
/ were compelled to leap for their lives. Some
| few who were athletic enough to leap upon
4 the roof of another building near BY escaped
/ with less injury than those who made the ter
/ rible flight of the four stories to the earth.
/ The names of the killed are: Emma Garrett.
aged twent y-three, md Bessie Cobb, aged SIX
teen.
i Mary McSorley was terribly injured and
cannot survive. Thomas S. Mann died in the
| evening. Eighteen others were seriously.
many of them probably fatally, injured.