Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-06
TWO BUILDINGS FALL In.
25 Or 30 LIVES BELIEVED TO
HAVE BEEN LOST.

Fire Breaks Out Among the Dobrie-500
Persons In the Building Panic strieik-
en- Women Leap from High windows
to Death aud Cremstion-BrooIkiyn
the Scene Ofthe Catastrophe.
NEW YORK, May 5.-Early this morn
ing two houses, Nos. So and 81 Atlantic
street, Brooklyn, fell IN with a crash.
The Abbott buildings, on State street,
which are let out with steam power for
various manufacturing purposes, together
with the building Ia the rear, were de-
stroyed. The rear building was UNDER
going repairs. One of the props under
the girders gave way, when the entire
structure collapsed. Fire then communi-
Gated with the front buildings and, do
spite the efforts of the fremen. they were
destroyed.
The building destroyed was very large,
aud consisted of a building fronting on
Columbia street, with two wings, leaving
a court in tle centre. The establishment
covered twO-thirds of block. It WAS oc-
cupied by about 30 manufacturing con-
Germs, who rented steam power with their
rooms, and employed an aggregate of 500
persons, a majority of whom were girls
and women. The greater part OF them
were at work when the accident occurred.
CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
The cause Of the fire was the oyerturn-
ing Of the boilers of the soap factory On
the second floor. The west wall Of the
middle wing on Atlantic street had SET
tied. Workmen We're screwing 1t up with
Jacks when it fell with a crash. The
building was y years Old fliIl Of infiam-
mabie material, and was mass Of flames
IN few minutes. The heat was SD fierce
that the water was turned to steam and
the firemer made no impression upon the
fire. They occupied themselves with life
saving and rescued many women from tbe
upper stories with their ladders. Tho
loss OF life was greatly increased by a
panic which prevailed among the inmates
Of the building. MANY women Jumped
from upper stories before the flames
reached them and without waiting for tha
iiremen's ladders which were even then
being raised to them.
LEAPING INTO THE BURNING DEBRIS.
Some were seen to jump from the vim
dows into the burning debris. A number
OF men were at work upon the wall which
collapsed, and not any Of these have since
been seen. Ten working girls have not
been accounted for. The Jenitor Of tho
building was killed within its walls after
be had given an alarm and returned to
help save life. -Four firemen were caught
under one of the falling wallis but were
aug out alive and Will PROBABLY recover,
though badly injured. The FIRE chief ex-
presses the opinion that % or more dead
persons are under the wreck. Three
bodies had been taken from the ruins up
to O'Clock tonight. They were burned
| beyond recognition. The building was
owned by Nathan Cushing, OF Boston.
The loss is estimated at $500, 900.
COSTLY BLAZE.
VINCENNEs, IND, May 5.-Fire last
| night destroyed over a dozen buildings In
| the business portion Of the town. ofwhich
the most important and valuable were
Greene's opera house, the post office, Odd
Fellows hall, the Baltimore and Ohio aud
Western Union telegraph offices. A wharf,
a boat, and several buildings Of public con-
yenienee, were alsodamaged or destroyed.
The loss is between $4,000 and S100, 0,000.
IL Is tWO-thirds insured,
A DOZEN UNAccoUETED FOR.
NEW YORK, May 9, 2 A. Mater acs
counts from the Brooklyn disaster report
only three bodies recovered and a dozen
persons unaccOunted for.