Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-05-05
Telegrams to The Star.
TERRIBLE DISASTER IN BROOKLYN.
Twenty to Thirty Lives Lost at a Fire.
BRITAIN'S BACK-DOWN.
COMMENTS OF THE LONDON PRESS.
Denmark's King q Probable Arbitrator.
POLITICAL GOSSIP IN ALBANY.
GEN. GRANT FEELING VERY WELL.
HOLOCAUST IN BROOKLYN.
Twenty to Thirty Lives Lost at a Fire.
BRTTAINS BACK-DOWN.
COMMENTS OF THE LONDON PRESS
Denmark's King q Probable Arbitrator
POLITICAL GOSSIP IN ALBANY.
GEN. GRANT FEELING VERY WELL
HOLOCAUST IN BROOKLYN.
Between Twenty and Thirty Lives Lost
by the Burning Of an Old Factory.

TERRoR-STRICKEN GIRLS JUMP FROM THIRD
AND FOURTH STORY WINDOWS To ESCAPE
THE FLAMES, WHICH SPREAD WITH APPALL-
ING RAPIDTTY - HEARr-RENDING SCENES
ABOUT THE RUINS-FoUR FIREMEN BURIED
BY FALLING WALL
NEW YORK, May 5. At half past nine this
morning q fire was discovered in the engine
room of a sort of general factory, which fronts
on Columbia street, south of State street, Brook
lyn, and occupies more than two-thirds of the
block, running through TO Atlantic street. A
dozen manufacturing firms had portions of the
building, and employed altogether sixty hands,
chiefly young women, all OF whom were at
work in some Of the five stories of the building.
Before an alarm could be sounded the infiam-
mable, tinder-like woodwork OF the exterior
was all ablaze, and the first fireman who ar
rived found many of the panic-stricken female
operatives crowding, shrieking wildly. at the
windows which opened upon the interior area
of the works. Two wings of the factory, rum
ming toward Atlantic avenue, were the only
portions not fiercely blazing, but the women
they had kept cool.
JUMPING FROM FOURTH STORY WINDOWS.
Ladders were run up to them promptly, but
the imperiled girls had already begun the dam
of the second third and even fourth-story win
dows The firemen and voluntary life savers
did their best to catch those who jumped.
MIRACULOUS ESCAPES FROM CASUALTIES.
risk they ran, although two of them suffered
such bruises as made IL necessary to send them
to the hospital. In the excitement of the acci-
dent it was found almost impossible TO get a
correct list OF the occupants of the factory SO as
to get at the loss OF Lille.
THE FOREMAN BURNED TO DEATH.
1t is known, however. that the foreman OF the
factory, who was also the engineer, was burned.
he gave the alarm and then returned to the
burning building to aid In extinguishing the
flames, which spread SO rapidly that he was
overcome almost as soon he reached the
death trap. 1t is also feared that some, perhaps
as many as ten, of the women operatives are In
the ruins.
NARROWING SCENES
The scene around the place was soul-harrow-
Ing. Despite the prompt action of the people,
who formed fire lines almost soon as the fire.
men got to work, dozens OF persons assailed the
officers with fearful inquiries for their relatives
who had not been seen since the fire. These at
noon numbered ten, but il is possible that some
of them may be found in the neighboring tene-
ments.
A PERFECT FIRE-TRAP.
The ffremen had got at work with reasonable
promptitude, but the infammable character
and peculiar construction gave them little
chance to save the factory. it was so narrow
and possessed SO many windows with wooden
easements and SO many interior shafts that IL
was like a blast furnace within the first half
hour and returned the streams of water i'm the
shape of steam without in the least diminish
Ing the brightness OF the blaze. Shortly after
ten O'Clock the roof collapsed and the Columbia
street wall Immediately afterward bulged and
fell. 1t had given too long warning. and fire
men as we'll as spectators got away from it.
FOUR FIREMEN BURIED BY A FALLING WALL.
few minutes afterward the interior wall,
facing Atlantic avenue gave way with almost
explosive violence, and four fremen were
caught in the ruins. As soon possible the
firemen were rescued from the debris and taken
to the Long Island hospital.
Between Twenty and Thirty Lives Lost.
LATER-It is now thought that between
twenty and thirty lives were lost