Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-05-06
The Walls Of a Shabby Con-
structed Building in New
York Cave i'm.
A Fire Caused by the Fall Consumes
the Structure, Making Many.
Men and Women Vic
tins to the Flames.
The Loss of Life as Yet Unkno wn
and the Value of Property Con-
sumed Estimated at
Nearly $3.50 .OOO

New YORK, May 3.
At 80 this morning, FIRE was discovered
In the engine room of sort of general fac
tory of five stories, which fronts on Columbia
street, South of State street. Brooklyn, and
occupied more than two-thirds of the block
running through to Atlantic street. A dozen
manufacturing firms had portions of the
building and employed altogether so hands,
chiefly young women, all of whom were at
work
Before an alarm could be sounded, the in
fammabe tinder, like the woodwork of the ex-
terror, was all abaze, and the first tiremen
who arrived, found many of the panic-stricken
female operatives crowding, shrieking wildly,
at the windows which opened upon the inte-
rior area of the works. Two wings of the
fectory, running towards Atlantic avenue,
were the only portions not fiercely blazing
and the women might have been saved with
out difficulty had they kept cool
Ladders were run up to them promptly but
the imperled girls had already begun the
dangerous experiment of throwing themselves
out of the second. third and even the fourth
story windows.
Firemen and volunteer life savers did their
best to catch those who jumped and none
were badly hurt, considering the risk they
ran. In the excitement of the accident, it was
found almost impossible to get a correct list
of the occupants of the factory so as to get at
the loss of life.
Meeting Their Doom.
1t is known, however, that the foreman of
the factory, who-was also the engineer, was
hurpoa Uo olorp nd han ad
to the burning building to aid in extnguish-
ing the flames, which spread SO rapidly that
he was overcome almost as soon as he reached
the death trap.
1t is also feared as many as ten of the wo-
men operatives are in the ruins. The infam-
mable character and peculiar construction
gave little chance to save tine factory.
1t was so narrow and possessed so many
windows with wooden easements, and so many
interior shafts that it was like blast furnace
within the first half hour, and returned
streams of water in the shape of steam with
out in the least diminishing the brightness
of the blaze.
Shortly after 10 o'clock, the roof collapsed
and the Columbia street wall Immediately af-
terward bulged in and fell. few minutes
afterward. the interior wall facing Atlantic
Avenue, gave way with an almost explosive
Violence auu lOuT uTeIieH were caught In tne
ruins. As soon as possible the firemen were
got out from the debris. The only one whose
name could be ascertained was Barney Roake
of No. engine. The other men belonging
to the same company were taken to Long Is
land hospital.
The Brooklyn Eagle extra says of the
burning of the Abbott building this morning:
Workmen are now engaged in searching for
their
Missing Comrades.
The foremen of the different shops, are ener-
getcally gathering their forces, and an effort
is being made TO ascertai the names of the
missing. The belief prevails in police cir
cles that the calamity is even greater than at
first reported. Some assert that there were
no less than 45 or so men and girls in the
shaky structure when it gavesway.
A large force of men, including all who
were fortunate enough to escape from the
building uninjured are now actively engaged
in turning over the debris with view of saw
ing some of the less seriously injured under
the ruins. The building was owned bv Ma.
than Gushing of Boston. The loss is esti-
mated at S250,000.
Dater-FOur tiremen were injured, three
fatally. The loss of life at this time cannot
be estimated. The latest report gives the
number of missing persons at 25.
The Evening Post says the cause of the
Brooklyn fire today, was this:
About o'clock this morning, while a num-
ber of young men were engaged in Snoring up
one of the walls of the old Brooklyn Flint
Glass works, on a block bounded by State and
Hicks street, Atlantic Avenue and Columbia
Place, Brooklyn, two of the jacks gave way,
causing the wall of the structure to fall
On the second floor of the building was a
soap mandatory. The furnaces were all
alight and as the building fell, the
Goals Set Fire to the Ruins.
The fire quickly spread to the rest
of the building in which there were about
$50 men and women at work. Soon after the
firemen arrived, the wall of the building
fronting on State street fell, burying a num-
ber of firemen, policemen and others. The
firemen quickly rescued them, only three men
being seriously injured. When the wall that
was lacked up fell, a number of men were at
work on il.
They have not been seen since. Rosa Par
fridge, an employee, is missing. Edwin
Butler was seen by his brother to lump from
the second floor into the ruins. He has not
been seen since. Four of the men employed
by the company are also missing. Chief
Nevins said. Il believe there are at least 25
people in the ruins. There may be more.
Later-Three bodies have been taken from
the ruins. They were burned beyond recog-
milton.
VIM. Sanford was employed by G. NJ.
Young & Co., on the first floor He said 'sten
tons of silica, which were to be used in the
manufacture Of soap, vas brought into the
building yesterday.
The Building Considered a sham.
The structure was so rickety it is surpris-
ing it did not tumble down long ago. 1t was
common saying among the people who
worked in it, that they risked their lives
every time they entered it, and when the
silica was brought in we ioked each other as
to whether the old place was strong enough
to stand the heavy weight In one wing of
the building there were at least 60 persons
employed and will be very much surprised