The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-05-29
Fifteen Lives lost in q Burning Building in
,.tr. ., Cincinnati. ...f ,t,,,


AT II p. NJ, Thursday of last week,
bystanders on the south side OF Sixth
street, between Walnut and Main
streets, Cincinnati, heard muffled ex-
plosion in the second story Of No. 10,
five-story brick building, occupied
from the second story up by Sullivan
& Co.'S. steam printing works. This
was followed by puffs Of flame aud
smoke from the open windows in every
story from the second to the roof. The
fire seemed hottest in the second story,
and the great throngs that immediate
ly filed the street in front of the build
ing saw that all retreat from the three
upper stories was cut off. There was
no fire escape to the building, and the
little narrow stairway within coiled
around the elevator, which served as o
fiue to conduct the flames upward.8lA
line of telegraph wires in front Of the
building proved a barrier to the putting
up of the FIRE ladders. 's 'ar0'l9r1 I
Just as the ladder wagon ran out of
the engine house, only two squares
distant, woman leaped from the fifth
story window and aYas dashed TO death
on the sidewalk. Another followed her
and met the same fate. Two strong
men tried to catch them, but were dash
ed to the pavement and were severely
injured. All four of the fifth story
windows were full of men and girls
In one stood John Sullivan, cousin
of one of the proprietors of the print
ing works. The employees of Kin
sey, in the adjoining building, climbed
on the roof and let down an old black
rope. All other means of escape had
been cut off by the flames. John Sul-
Ivan had his hand on the rope. ready
to leap out and let himself down. Be
hind him stood two girls, whose terror
stricken faces appealed for help. He
turned from his contemplated move-
ment and placed the rope into the
hands of one of the girls and bade her
let herself down while he stood en-
encouragingly above! Amid the breath
less silence of the crowd she slowly
made her way to the pavement, and
then, with the fire almost licking his
hair and terrible death staring him
in the face, Sullivan placed the rope in
the hands of the second girl, brave
ly slid down to safety i0 When she
reached the pavement wild shout of
enthusiasm went up from the crowd
that as yet did not realize how many
lives were going out above where the
smoke poured from the windows on the
fourth floor. Sullivan then took hold
of the rope, while the flames were
sweeping about him, and the hearts of
all stood still as hand over hand he de-
scended. But he was too late I" The
fire had burned the rope on the window
sill and it gave way when he was op-
posite the fourth-story window. And
the brave boy passed swiftly through
the air to his doom. Tears sprang to
the eyes of many, and q groan from
the throng of spectators. drowned the
dull thud of his body as it struck the
pavement. D h3i.niA 7..' Ni'I H-.i
After the hero Sullivan was killed
there were Others in the windows beg
ging to be rescued. One was man
hanging from windowsill by the tips
of his fnoers Man On fba ,,,vo,,ont
nrge5 him 70 hold I'M nnt;l tba f;remon
heId mn tarranl;n ,rnder tho w;ndo,y
and shouted 70 him IN Lot oo' He
swung out from the wall, came down,
crushed the tarpaulin to the sidewalk
and was killed. The firemen held the
tarnaulin HIGHER and told q woman 10
iun,n Sbo nos ihod,, b,rt :. hnt -
aIve The fremcn had lille ~ do in
snbinoat;no the flames which was ,oc.
comniished in a few To;rrtes : Tbe;r
chief work was rcscning the dead -
The scene of the f;re was, beartrerd-
inc. Mothers and fathers and sisters
and brothers and friends crowded for.
ward AGAINST the Gordon of police.
wrinoinS their hands and noan;np nit .
eonsiv Tbe nolice wera M werless to
stav The crush and even 4 rome Gordon
was broke tbronob % Wbnrevar a dead
bodv was taken ont ltbora was bar-
rov:~e =. scene . As the minutes nassed
the 'oor ronp was augmented by hun
dreds, until lives became ENDANGERED
bv the passing natrol WAGONS Tba
bodies were taken out rapidly through
the front door on the ground floor east,
and were carried into the establish.
ment of J.R. Kinsey, No. 2l.where
Dennis Sullivan afterward made an ef.
fort with the assistance of male en-
ployees of the printing office, to iden-
tify them before patrol wagon should
arrive. IHaa'i. .s1.a7 0a'al lIr I
"This one I don't know said Den.
mis- when the covering had been remoy-
ed from face that bore traces OF
agony. "There were two girls who
had been with us two or three days
only, and | don't know their names"'
9'This is Mary Raglan or Mamie