The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-22
FRANTIC WITH FRIGHT
SIX GIRLS LEAP FROM A BURNING
BUILDING.
Eleven More Found in Heaps on the Floor
of the Fire -Trap-Terrible Work
of Fire and Frenzy at
Cincinnati.

CINCINNATI, May 22.-At l:So Thursday
afternoon fire broke out in the i've story
building at the corner of Sixth and Walnut
streets, occupied by Sullivan g. Co, print
ers, who employ number Of girls. The
flames spread SO rapidly that they cut OFF
escape, and several girls jumped from the
third story windows and were Immediately
killed.
Five corpses of girls. just brought
out, are SO badly burned they can not be
identified. 1t is thought there are more in
the ruins. The place is known as The Ledger
Printing company, and run by John Sulll-
van & Co.
LAYER.-When the fire was subdued so
that the firemen could enter, it was found
that ten dead bodies lay in heaps on the fifth
floor and one on the fourth There were six
who jumped from the windows and were
killed, and one man, after saving the lives
of two women by letting down rope from
the roof, was himself killed by the burn
ing of the same rope before he
reached the ground. This was Mr.. Sullivan,
brother of the proprietor of the printing
| works The fire originated by the explosion
of gasoline stove on the second floor. The
| flames entered the elevator chute, which is
| next TO the stairway, and all ehance Of es
cape was cut off.
The list now obtained OF Lts huo~1r vi,
| tins reads as follows:
Mary Lowrey, aged Is lives ~ 'joVus
| ton, killed.
John Sullivan, ons OF the firm of Srirvsx
& Co.'S Steam Printing works. with esinaS
in the building, killed
| Emma Pinchback, of Iii SnIinoG .rrsss.
badly injured.
Josie Hawker, of u Mil street. severely
burned.
William Bishop, Of Covingtoa. badly In
jured
Mamie Shepard, OF 81 Harrison street.
fatally injured,
Lizzie Meyer, corner OF Hunt aud Broad
way, killed.
Dollie -, aged %, jumped from the top
story and was dashed to pieces.
Two Punten sisters, of Newport both
killed
Mary Beentrim, aged II, of Newport,
killed in leaping from the fifth story.
Charles Braam made an effort to catch her,
but the force was too great and she dashed
on the pavement at his feet shapsls,,
corpse.
Fannie Jones, West End killed
An immense crowd surrounded the build
ing and the most intense excitement pre-
vailed. Friends and relatives of the people
in the burning structure ran about making
J frantic inquiries as to the fate of those dear
to them. Some of the scenes were heart
rending when parents learned that son or
daughter had been swallowed up by the
|. flames Some Of the girls who jumped from
. the windows and were killed would have
been brought down safely had they waited
until the firemen reached them, but they
had become frantic through fear, Many Of
those in the burning building were un.
| doubtedly suffocated by the dense smoke
/ The fifth story was completely burned out,
, but the walls still stand, and the other
floors are not much damaged. The building
was occupied by Sullivan & Co.'S print
ing works, Orth, Wissen & Co.'S die
house, the Ledger Postal News company,
] the Partisan Dyeing and Securing company
| J. R. Kinsley, gold, silver and nickel plating
works. 1t was not long until the fire was
under control The mass Of telegraph and
telephone wires prevented the firemen from
putting up ladders for the relief of inmates.