Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-03-08
JUMPED TO THEIR DEATH.
DESTRUCTION OF THE SPRINGFIELD
 UNIONS NEW HOME.
Panic Stricken Men and Women Drop Five Stories to the Sidewalk and Lose Their Lives, While Two Persons Are Burned to Death.


 Their Lives, While Two Persons Are
 Burned to Death.
 SPRINGFIELD, Mass, March s.-The new office of The Evening Union, at the corner of Main and Washington streets, was destroyed by fire about o'clock yesterday afternoon, and the blaze was attended by the most sick ening horror ever witnessed ill this city, six of the emp.oyes meeting with terrible death, most of them jumping from the fifth story and being crushed into a shapeless mass in the street below. Six others were badly injured. The fire was first discovered in the maiiing room, and clouds of smoke were pouring out of the lower story windows before tn. fifty souls on the upper floor were aware of their danger. The flames shot up an old elevator in the rear, cutting off escape by the stairway, and most of the e,np.oyes who escaped made their way to the ground by way of the roof in the rear.
 It is thought that the fire started among the lumber ill 0 closet on the ground floor. The flames were drawn up the elevator well and spread through the composing room, on the fifth floor, where thirty compositors, men and women, were at work. By the time the fire department arrived the top windows were filled with poor, dcspalring human be ings, who did not at first seem to realize their dreadful position. The crowd under meath cried to them to have courage, and on no account to try to jump or cllmb down, and they at first seemed determined to obey. There was so much delay in raising the lad ders, however, that the unfortunate victims became panic stricken at their danger, and began to jump or let themselves drop from the windows. Shrieks of horror issued from the crowd of spectators as the bodies were seen to fall through tine air, and exclama- tions of sympathy mingled with the groans of the wounded who were picked up and carried away to hospitals and drug stores.
 A large sheet of canvass was procured as quickly possible and stretched below the windows. A nu lber or men held its edges. Three men and a woman feIi upon it, but the shock was so great that they struck the ground with great force, though oi course the fall was somewhat broken. They were picked up insensible.
 The block belonged to Emerson Wight. The Union office had but recently moved in and occupied the entire fifth floor with the editorial and composing rooms. Their count ing room was Or. the first floor, and the mail ing room and press room in the basement. The third floor occupied by the R. H. Smith Rubber Stamp company, the Diamond Safety Razor company and App eton's nickel plate works. Tie second floor was occupied by c. w. Atwot Il, printer. The entire loss is $4o, ,OOO, which is covered by insurance.
 Burned to'Death-H. J. Gou ding, aged 32, married, foreman of composing room; Miss Gertie Thompson, aged Is, proofre ,der
 Killed by Jumping or Falling-.lrs. Hattie E. Farley, age,l 23, society editor; c. L. Brown, aged 22, compositor; w. E. Hovey, aged 25, compositor, died at hospital; J. Lauzon, aged &, compositor, native of Quebec.
 Injured-F. G. Ellsworth, aged IS, clerk in and wrist burned, possibly fatal; Thomas Donaghue, B, compositor, left thigh fract- ured and face severely burned, probably fatal; H. H. Myrick, employe Smiths rubber stamp works, jumped and struck on Q barrel, badly injured.
 Joseph H. Landford, who was standing on the sidewalk where Mrs. Farley feil, reached out his arms to catch her. She fell on his neck, bearing him to the ground and knock ing him senseless Mrs. Farley was instantly killed, but MT. Landlord was not seriously injured.
 MT. Hill, the managing editor, was the last to leave He swung himself under the ladder and made his descent, with another man in front.
 The scenes within the burning structure, as described by the survivors were terrible. Almost frantic with fear choked with smoke, impatient for the help from outside that seemed ages in coming, it was only through the courage and coolness of some among the number that the loss of life was not allowed to be greater. Mrs. Farleys death was the result of her impatient terror. MT. Hill the managing editor, had hard work to prevent another woman, who was in the newsroom at the time, from throwing herself also out of H. I,,tE E,,,l lI,,o ol,o were in the room, was saved.
 In the composing room the fright was fully as great. Mir. Goulding, the foreman, worked manfuliy to inspire his companions with courage and to aid in their escape. His life was sacrificed to his thoughtfulness for others.
 A prominent citizen who witnessed the ter rible scene denounced in round terms the work of the hook and ladder department. He stood near by when Mrs. Farley feil As she turned over and over in her descent heart rending cry arose. The crowd pressed for ward eagerly, and the mangled body was quickly picked up and borne tenderly away.
 One poor fellow, who had climbed out on the Worthington street side, looked about, as if expecting 0 ladder. There was not even SC much as an awning beneath him. He looked piteously down at the crowd, and his lips moved, as if they were trying to make his cry help heard above the din. A small group of people gathered beneath and shouted tt him to hold on little longer. Just then 6 thick cloud of smoke rolled out of the win dow, followed by sheet of flame, and with cry he dropped to the sidewalk, the people below scattering as he fell He was deae when carried away.
 In the meantime woman was bravely endeavoring to reach the ladder which wa just beyond her grasp. The spectators stooe breathless as they watched the daring feat A single misstep and she must share the fat, of her companions already on the street-deat or maimed. Self possessed, however, sh, poised herself for leap. Measuring the dis tance apparently, she made spring for tn ladder. A cry of anguish at first was heard which was turned to cheering as the snok cleared for a moment, and she was seer clinging safely to the ladder.
 The clapping of haI~is seemed out of plac to those who were watching several victim who were many feet from the ladder, ant whom, it seemed, only miracle could save The ladder was full of escaping men, and tn cries of the crowd below to move it alon, could not be needed. Then, as the str1ngtl of the men above began to fail, they dropped one, two, three, till the spectators turne, away their heads with g feeling of sickenin, horror Only two were seen now clinginl desperately and hopelessly, it seemed, to tn
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