The Portland daily press., 1888-03-08
HOW They Died.
The Burning Of the Office Of the Sping-
field Union.
Accompanied by the Loss Of Six Per-
sons Lives.
Terror Stricken, Some Leap From the
Windows
And are Killed Upon the Pavement
Beneath.
Some Cling to the Window Sills and
COrnieeS,
While Others Perish in the Smoke and
Flame.
Heart Rending Scenes in and About the
Burning BUILDING.
Some Cling to the Window SiIls and
COrniees,
While Others Perish in the Smoke and
Flame.
Heart Rending Scenes in and About the
Burning BUILDING.

Burning BUILDING.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass, March 7.-The new
office of the Evening Union, corner OF Main
and Worthington streets was burned at p.
m. The blaze was attended with the most
sickening horror ever witnessed in this city,
six employees meeting terrible death, most
of them jumping from the fifth story and
being crushed INTO a shapeless mass below
Six others were badly injured.
The fire was first discovered in the mailing
room and the flames shot up the freight ele-
vator in the rear, cutting off escape by the
stairway. Most of the employees who es-
capped found their way to the ground by the
roof in the rear. The employees who rushed
into the editorial room were cue off from es-
cape in the rear and had to face the horrible
alternative of burning to death or jumping
TO the sidewalk where they must meet fright
full mutilation. The fire department respond
ed promptly, yet it seemed an age before 1t
reached the windows of the fifth story.
ladder was put to the fourth story. The.sight
of rescue so near seemed to madden the suf-
fering group at two windows who dropped In
succession to the sidewalk below. Six fell,
some being forced off, and some madly leap
ing. The crowd groaned and turned their
heads away as they whirled through the
air.
Henry j. Goulding, foreman Union composing
room, burned to death.
Miss g. Thompson proof reaaer; ao,,or.,,ant
fell from window.
MIR. LamZon of Quebec.
w. e. Hovey, Boston, fell to sidewalk.
Brown, eomp0sitor.
THE INJURED.
Thomas Donahue. compostor, bad cut on the
head, left leg broken at knee. ,,.,.,-..,
Timothy Dunn eomp0sitor, arm and leg broken
ears en burned. He clHng to the window until the
fire forced hun to drop, but fell on 70 LADDER ana
was saved. ...
Thomas Donahue, compositor, broken thigh,
fatal
1t is thought the fire started among the
lumber in the closet on the ground floor.
The flames were drawn up the elevator well
and spread through the composing room.
More than 80 compositors, men and women
were on the fifth floor with no fire escape. A
dense black smoke issued from the windows.
By the time the department arrived the top
windows we're filed with despairing human
beings. The crowd underneath cried TO
them, have courage and on no account 10 try
to Jump Or,climb down. They at hrst seemed
disposed to obey, but so slow were the lau-
ders in being erected that a panic seized the
victims. The scene as people began to drop
or fall from the blazing windows was nOrrl-
ble A shrek broke from the crowd as each
victim fell into the street below. Ihere was
IL Of
was seen slowly descending the lad
der. The noise of the crowd was
hushed as the wounded were carried through
to the ambulances. The only available artl-
Gle for quenching the flames In the oflce was
an old watering can. There were no force
pumps or fire buckets. A large canvas sneet
was stretched over the sidewalk and three
men jumped onto this, but broke through
and fell ON the pavement. woman also
fell through the canvas and landed on tne
Sidewalk insensible. George G. Ware, Asso-
ciated Press operator in the building nad a
narrow escape. When the alarm sounded
the rooms in front of his and the passage
ways were thick with smoke lie Jumped
and ran. In the same room were Mrs. Far
lev. Mrs Howard, New England editor, Mr:
Warren, news editor. No one had suspected
the presence of fire until all way OIL escape
by the elevator was cut off. Mrs. farley
started for the elevator. Il shouted TO her,,
says Ware, Ito go the other way and TOOK
hold of her, but the smoke was SO dense IN
the passage that no one could live there a
moment Mrs. Farley struggled to Tree
herself and succeeded"
Mr.. Hill, the managing editor, was In tne
rear room when he heard the first news OF
the fire. The forms had just been sent down
stairs and the men were enjoying the relax
alton after the afternoon hurry
-Four or FIVE in the room were smoking,
chatting and joking. 1t seemed less than
minute before the smoke burst up into tne
composing room and the compositors became
alarmed Mr.. Hill ran out and told the men
and women to start for the roof IN the rear
and many did so. He felt perfectly sale lor
few minutes as he saw the men men, cl,,5Dipg nd nv
fees. About 10 Of the 80 employees now
ever,
RUSHED TO THE FRONT,
six going into the room of Managing Editor
Shipley on the corner. With Mr.. Hill In
this room were Dan Phillips, Tim Dunn, the
galley boy, Mrs. j. H. Farley, another wOm-
an and compositor. Hill appeared at the
window and shouted, ''for Gods sake put up
the ladder" The crowd below looked dazed.
He took off his coat and threw 1t. Then he
picked up books and files OF the paper and
hurled them out to attract attention. The
smoke became very dense ana they eouid not
The crowd gathered in the window of the
| comnosinr room next where the smoke was
still denser. Poor Fred Ellsworth was there:
| He tried to break into the corner editorial
room. where the smoke was less dense. A
| ladder was started and seemed to creep up
| the side Of the building. Mrs. Farley saw
| the ladder and frantcally jumped for 1t. She
| seemed to roll down the plane and struck on
| the walk in heap. The copy holder started
TO follow but Hill caught her by the waist
and held her fast Don't jump; the ladder
will reach u.s." ne said with as much compo-
smre as possible. Forks of flame shot through
| the partitition and Dan Phillips began to
| choke. He could only say, Ned (HilD
eness our last day has come. / don't care fol
| myself, but my poor wife,: ,.u
i'I have a wife, too, sald Hlll. Ihls Is
nretty hard, amt it?"
piITSSSs TSssn % thew prayed. 1t would be difficult to
racai1 and record the words of those prayers
| The woman was struggling in Hills hands
| and the
| SMOKE cURLED ARoUD THEM.
in triumnh. AS one and another dropped tC
the sidewalk. the agonized group at the win.
dow could hardly keep back The impulse
that sometimes comes to man to throw him.
self down a steep place seemed irresistible
and overcame the fear of death. Il must &c
down. | must 90 down." shouIed the woman
in Hills arms. Inc crowd tIied 70 shoul
seemed frozen TO its post. wave of flame
shot through the window singeing Hills
hair and clothes, but the ladder had came al
last. The copyholder, who struggled in hi:
arms caught it. The crowd was breathless
The hiss Of the first stream oi water was the
and went down in safety. 60 ahead" Hill
said. II can watt" and the rest OF the grouI
went down. sliding and tumbling over the
rounds, but reached the ground safely. Hill