The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-05-28
ANOTHER HORROR.
Explosion, Fire and Death in . Printing
Establishment-Fiftesn Lives Lost.

printing establishment on Sixth street was
carrying a bucket of benzine up the third
fight of stairs; the benzins exploded, and
in an incredible short time the entire stair
way was one mass of flames, thus cutting
off the escape of the seventeen girls at
work in the bindery on the fifth f1eor and
the printers on the fourth floor. The girls
in the bindery rushed, not for the stairway,
but the front windows of the building fully
sixty feet from the ground.
To jump meant to be dashed to pieces on
the pavement; to remain meant the most
horrible of fates, that of being burned to
death. They stood at the open windows
wringing their hands and imploringly call
ing on those below to assist them. But
their cries were of no avail, as those below
had not the means at hand to assist those
who were in the very jaws of death. Lizzie
Meyer was the first to appear at the
widow S The srowa below Ro Rrssted be bs
was unable to lend any assist.
ance. After q moment of hesitation,
during which she was screened from view
by thick smoke, she determined to make
the leap. With difficulty she drew herself
up on the window-sill and let go. She
started down feet foremost, but in the
rapid descent lost her balance and struck
the pavement on her shoulder and head.
The crowd drew back In horror at the dis
tressing sight, and stood aghast
appeared at a window to make the
jump. The crow yelled to her to
wait for a rope, but she was too much
frightened to understand, and in a second
she was shooting through the air, only to
be almost unrecognizably mangled on the
who expired on the way to the hospital.
Almost every bone in her body was broken.
At this juncture two men appeared on the
roof of the burning building with
rope, which they lowered to
the windows below, where young
Hawks and Emma Pinchback from jump
ing. AS the rope descended it came within
easy reach of him, but he spurned to use
it when two weak girls were at hand.
He accordingly swung the rope into
the hands of Miss Hawks, who clasped
it, and was being lowered by the men
on the roof above. As she was pass
ing the windows of the third floor, how
ever, a tongue of flame shot out, and,
striking her in the face, caused her to re-
lease her hold. Her fall was broken by a
colored man, who rushed under the falling
girl, stretching out his arms, thus saving
her life. Both rescued and rescuer were
considerably bruised, but not fatally IN.
jured. As soon as the rope was freed 1t
was swung into the hands of the brave
Sullivan, and again he gave up his chance
of life and placed the rope in the hands OF
Emma Pinchback, although the flames
were growing hotter about him all the
while. She descended safely. Again the rope
was drawn up, and this time it was believ-
ed that Sullivan, whose brave acts had ex'
cited the admiration of the masses below
would succeed in freeing himself from the
perilous position in which he had, for the
benefit of others, placed himself. Theropt
was successfully swung into his hands, ,ano
he started on the descent amid tho encour'
aging cheers of the multitude. The rope
however, which had aided in rescuing thu
girls had become weak through its contac
ficiently strong to bear the young
mans weight As he reached the window,
of the third story the strands parted, anc
his body shot downward with terrific We
locity. His limbs were broken in severa
places, and only lived an hour. By thi
time q tarpaulin> was spread beneath thu
fiery windows and Mamie Shepperd jump
ed to it and was saved. VIM. Bishop
printer, hung from the window sill of tn
fifth story for fully ten minutes, until tn
| firemen erected ladder and rescued him
His arms and -, face were badI, I,
| burned. He will recover.
short time after the arriva
| of the fire department the flames were ex
| tinguished. On the fremen and polio
| ascending to the fifth story a horrible sigh
| met their gaze. Lying on the floor wer
the remains of eleven girls who, hal
deaths with scarcely minutes warning
The dead are: John Sullivan, aged twenty
one years Della Lavan, twenty three; ; Mar.
Lavan, seventeen; Katie Lavan, fourteen
| Lizzie Handle, seventeen; Dollie Handle
| her twin sister; Katie Puntan, twenty two
| Mary Puntan, nineteen; Tillie Winn
eighteen; Fannie Jones, twenty; Lizzi
Meyers, seventeen; Annie Mcintyre, seven
teen; Katie Lowry, nineteen; Mrs. Ami
Bell. thirty five.
| CINCINNATI, May 22.-Nannie Shepherd
s Mno Was wa, iaiureu stt yesIedoay pH lunnpiin loin
printing office on Sixth street, to tai
paulin held for her below in the stree
died this morning at ten O'Clock from il
| juries received. At first it was though
| that her injuries would not prove fatal, bl
time proved that her injuries were Of q
| internal nature.