Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-05-28
BRIEF. BUT TERRIBLE.
Fineen Lives Lost I'm Twenty Minut

Fifteen Lives Lost I'm Twenty Minutes.
CINCINNATI, May 23.-The fire here
yesterday, was far more terrible, in 50
far us the loss oflife Is concerned, than
was at first supposed. The fire itself,
was started in Sullivan's printing works
by the explosion of a can Of benizine
used in washing type. Instantly the ink
in the press-fountains burst into flames,
which rushed up the elevator to the
fifth floor where 25girls were at work in
the bindery. Young John Sullivan, %
years old, attempted TO warn the girls
in time to save them by means of the
stairway but failed. Meanwhile a
young man Hinkley at work next door,
saw the dense smoke and rushing to the
roof he lowered strong rope to the
fifth story windows, where the girls
were congregated. Before he could do
so however, several of the girls had
jumped to their death on the hard pave
ment below. Young Sullivan discov-
cred the rope, and like the hero he was,
set about saving the girls. Two of them
he succeeded in helping safely to the
ground below without injury. The
others had become suffocated by that
time, and then Sullivan turned to save
himself. He fastened the rope about
his body and swung himself out from
the window. The flames were roaring
and seething from the windows below
and above him. They touched the
rope, it burst into fame and snapped
asunder. A moment later the brave
fellow was picked up from the pave
ment O mangled and lifeless mass. The
crowd about the building was immense,
and their cries to the poor unfortunates
warning then not to jump were fire.
quent. When body would shoot from
the windows out into the air and then
down, those in the crowd would turn
their eyes away and groan at the agon-
izing sight. One brave colored man at
tempted to catch three of the falling
girls, but was fatally injured in so doing.
Several girls escaped to adjoining roofs
through skylight that was easy of ac-
cess. In their panic the other unfortu-
mates never thought of the skylight,
and had sign been posted directing
them to it in case of fire, not a life
would have been lost. In 15 minutes
from the time the firemen arrived the
flames were subdued, and the hunt for
the dead was begun. On the fifth floor,
in various positions were found. the
bodies of 10 girls, all with their hands
over their faces. None were badly
burned but met their death from suf-
location. In all Is lost their lives in
side of 20 minutes, while four others
were fatally or severely burned. OF
those all were women except two. The
dead were taken to the morgue, where
frantic parents and weeping relatives
sought them. One mother, Mrs. Lea.
ban, was driven crazy by grief when
she gazed upon the smoke begrimed
forms of her three daughters. The
brother of poor Fanny Jones recognized
his sister by her two rings, and his grie
knew no bounds. Other scenes equally
distressing were enacted. The whole
city is shocked over the terrible affair
and the lack of fire escapes is loudly
commented upon. Inspector Caldwell
states that he looked over the building
year ago, but it was not used as a fac
tory above the second story, and for thai
reason he could not compel the erection
of escapes. He never had been notified
of the change in the occupancy of thi
building. The fire was one of the mos
horrible in the history of the city.