The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-03-21
FATAL FIRE TRAP. i
A Succession Of Horrors at
Springfield, Mass.
Six People Killed and Four More
Badly Injured.

The new Office of the Ercning Union, at
Sprin field, Mass, was burned out Wednes-
day afternoon. The blaze was attended with
the most sickening horror ever witnessed in
that city. Six of the employees met terri
tle death. Most Of them jumped from the
fifth story and we're crushed into shape
less mass below. The fire was first
discovered in the mailing room, AMI clouds of
smoke were pouring out of the lower story
windows before the fifty souls on the upper
floor were aware of their danger. The flames
shot up an old elevator in the rear, cut
ting off escape by the stairway, and most OF
the employees who escaped found their way
to the ground by way OF the roof in the rear.
The unfortunate men and women who
crowded into the editorial rooms met a hor-
ribe fate Some were cut off in the
composing room, and the employees who ran
into the editorial room were cut OIL
from escape in the rear, and had to face the
horrible alternative of burning to death or
jumping to the sidewalk below, with the
probability of receiving frightful in
iuries A ladder was placed to reach
to the fourth story, and the sight Of rescue
so near seemed to madden the suffering per-
sons at the two windows, and, one by one,
they dropped to the sidewalk below. Six
persons fell in this way. Some of them were
forced off and some leaped madly, while the
crowd groaned and turned their heads away
as they whirled through the air.
There was no fire escape. Dense black
smoke issued from the windows in clouds,
and by the time the Fire Department ar
rived the top windows were filled with about
fifty deSpairing human beings, who did not
seem at first to realize their dreadful position.
The crowd underneath cried to them to have
courage, and on no account to jump or try
to oil irnh Inyyn and thnv n first Safnlpd dis
posed to obey. but so slow were the ladders
in being erected that a panic seized the vic
Tins. The scene as they began to fall from
the blazing windows was horrible. Shrieks
broke from the crowd as each OF the VIC
TINS fell into the street blow. There
was great clapping of hands when woman
was seen descending the ladder. large
canvas sheet was stretched over the side
walk, and three men jumped into this, but
broke through and fell out on to the pay
ment. A woman also fell through the can
vas and landed on the sidewalk insensble
With Editor Hill in the editorial room were
Dan Phillips, Timothy Dunn the galley boy,
Mrs. J. H. Farley, another woman and
compositor Mr.. Hill opened the window and
shouted: "For Gods sake, put up ladder"
Mrs Farley saw the ladder coming In
her anxiety she could not brook the slowness
of its coming and frantically jumped for it.
She seemed to roll down the plane and struck
on the walk in a heap. The copy holder
started to follow, but Mr.. Hill caught her by
the waist and held her.
"Don't jump, the ladder will reach u.s." he
said, with as much composure as possible.
Forks of flames shot through the partitions
Dan Phillips began to choke. He could only
"Ned (dr. HalD, I guess our last day has
come. l don't care for myself, but for my
poor wife,
II have a wife, too," said Mr. Hall.
THAT is pretty hard, amt it," said one,
and then all prayed.
The woman was still struggling to free her
self from Mr.. Hill S grasp and throw herself
to the ground to escape the flames. The
smoke curled around them. One and then
another dropped to the sidewalk, and the
agonized group at the windows could hardly
keep back. The impulse that sometimes
comes to a man to throw himself down a
steep place seemed irresistible and overcame
the fear of death.
Mr.. Hill was the last to leave. He swung
himself under the ladder and made his de-
scent, with another man in front 1t was re-
ported that Mr.. Hill was killed. Luckily
the report was not true. Choking and
blackened with smoke, he staggered on, crop
ing his way to the telephone office, and told
his wife that he was safe.
The list of dead and injured is as follows:
The killed-M. Brown, compositor, killed
by falling from window; Mrs Fred.
erick E. Farley, "a member of the editorial
staff of the paper, killed by the fall;
Henry L. Goulding, foreman of the compos..
ing room, burned to death; W. E. Hovey, of
Boston, killed by the fall w. Lamzon, Que
bee, killed by jumping to the ground; Miss
G. Thompson, a proof-reader, was killed by
the fall.
The injured-Thomas Donahue, compost
tor, left leg broken at the knee and bad cut
on the head; Timothy Dunn, compositor,
arm and leg broken; F. G. Ellsworth, COM
positor, compound fracture of the leg; Joseph
w. Witty, compositor, hand, neck and ears
burned