The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-12-28
Three Hundred Panic Stricken Girls
Mako Desperate Rush For
the Street,
To Escape From the Dangers Of An I'm
aginary Pire-Two of Their Number
Tramped Almost to Death,
Miraculous Escape of the Mutitude-A
Level Headed Workman's Nerve
"A Brave Girl.

NEW 'hh, lJcCtuDcI IA uuIIOW
lye-story brick building at No. 6 Riving-
ton street, is occupied by W. Duke, Son
Co., manufacturers Of cigarettes. Up
on the first floor the tobacco is moisten-
ed; the second is a vast packing room,
and in the third, fourth and fifth stories
the cigarettes are made by about 800
girls. At three O'Clock yesterday after
noon steam-heating pipe on the third
floor burst One OF the girls hearing the
noise and seeing the white steam putting
out, supposed that the building was on
fire. She rushed toward the door scream
ing; "Get out, girls"
THE FACTORY IS Of FIRE"
The other girls followed her, also
screaming, and in half minute the girls
on the fourth and fifth floors, abandon
ing their work, rushed toward the mar
row staircase. Among the first TO reach
the stairs were Rachel Goldsmith, Of No.
$50 Division street, and Annie Phillips,
Of No. lj4 W. Eighteenth street. They
graspcd the baustrade and started TO de-
sccnd when the pressure Of the fright
encd crowd behind made them lose their
balance. Carried off their feet by the
rush, the two foremost girls fell to the
second floor and lay helpless, while their
shrieking panic-stricken companions lit
orally trampled them under foot
Nainly Foreman Wright and clerks
from the Office assured the girls that there
was no danger. The uncomfortable
young women choked up the stairs and
tnmblcd over each other, tearing their.
clothes in their efforts TO escape. Many
OF them, who had been stationed in the
rear Of the building ran upon the little
iron balconies OF the fire escapes and
reached the ground by the narrow lad
ders, Barehcadcd and barearmed for not
one Of them had stopped for hat or shawl,
the girls ran into the street, or grouped
themselves in the rear yard, so glad to
have escaped an imaginary danger that
they did not regard the cold.
Every one left except Annie Phillips
and Rachel Goldsmith, who lay moaning
where they had fallen. They were as
sisted down stairs, and Immediately taken
home. Both were severely bruised and
Anme'S left arm was so injured that she
will not be able to work for some time.
Rachel's injuries were mostly in the back,
although her head is also badly hurt. She
seemed dazed when a reporter saw her at
her home.
II can not tell Just how it happened"
she said There was no cry Of fire that
! heard but | saw the other girls run
ming toward the door, and | supposed
that something terrible must be the mat.
ter, and ran. After got into the street
! heard that one Of the steam pipes had
burst, and that really there had been
nothing for Us to be afraid of. This Is
the first day worked in the factory"
Several other girls were more or less
bruised, but they did not report them
selves 10 the police.
DSurprise was expressed by the neigh
bors that, considering the excitement and
the crush, no one was killed or even seri-
ouSly injured. The Shrteks OF the fright
ened girls sounded Shrill through the
street, and soon multitude blocked up
the doorway. Women were in the ma
jority, and they joined their cries to those
OF their friends on the stairs, making a
din that was heard several blocks away.
The panic would have been greatly in
creased had it not been for the presence
of mind of workman on the sidewalk.
Several men thought that a fire was really
under way, and made dash for the lire
alarm box. Undoubtedly the noise of
rafting engines would have completed
the panic and caused several girls TO be
tramped to death The workman stopped
the men who would have unwittingly adj.
dcd to the confusion.
When the first scare was over and the
girls who thronged the lower hallway,
street and yard were undecided whether
TO fee or to return to work, the question
was settled by one brave girl, who stood
halfway down the stairs. She called to
her working sisters to return to their du.
ties, and made all effort to turn the tide
upwards. In this she was successful, and
the panic was nipped before further in
Jury was done.