Morning journal and courier., 1888-03-08

ne was Killed, but choking and plackened
with smoke he found his way to the tele-
| phone Office to tell his wife that hewas safe.
Joseph Whitley, one of the compositors, who
was somewhat burned said that when the
alarm was given in the composing room
| every one looked around and saw faint line
| of smoke in the direction of the stairway.
Very strangely nobody hurried, although all
Immediately started for the stairwsys expect
ing no difficulty. On reaching the head of
| the stairs, however, they found the passage
thick and black with smoke and they retreat
ed and sought the elevator. After ringing
repeatedly and getting no answer they gave
up hope and the smoke now pouring into the
room in great volumes drove them to the
windows. They made attempts to break the
skylight at the suggestion of Mr.
Goulding, the foreman, but these failed.
They were cut off from access to the roof.
and when those on the street cried to them
to go to the roof and escape by means of the
adjoining building the prisoners could only
shake their heads in despair. MI. Whitley
went to one of the middle windows on Main
street and leaned out and close to the sill
as possible to get air. Beside him were Fore
man Goulding and Miss Thompson, the
proof reader. Miss Thompson asked Mr..
Goulding, edo you think we will ever get
out9' and he answered, 81 do not know; Pm
afraid not" Miss Thompson had then lain
with her head close to the floor and
her handkerchief over her mouth by Mr..
Wlttey's advice. That was the last Mr.. WitteY
knew of either. Presently someone, he sup
posed Mr.. Goulding, led Miss Thompson
away, no doubt to the other window, where
she was afterward seen to burn Mr. Gould
ing stood near Whitley for some time after
Wittey himself got upon the sill as the fire
grew nearer and finally let himself down
upon the sign of the Springfield Daily Union
beneath the window, clinging to the sill first
with both hands, but afterward with one.
Two or three others got out upon this sign
from each window that it covered and from
this several men jumped. The first man to
leave the sign was young man at Wittey's
sids who had also been one of the first to get
out upon it. He let himself down to the top
of the fourth story window where little
ledge of brick projected, and here he clung
and held beneath him. He dropped
then, turning over twice, and fell into
the blanket, bursting it to rags. Mr.
Whitley turned fairly sick at seeing this and
still more when he saw woman who had
tried to hold on just outside the sill of the
corner window waiting for the delaying lad
der finally give way, let herself down to
arms length and drop, falling upon the lad
der, turning over and over and striking the
ladder time and again. But Mr.. Wittey held
on until the last, each horrible fall only
making him hold the tighter until at last he
was rescued by the ladder in an extraordi-
nary fashion. As after rescuing those on
other windows the ladder was pushed to the
one where he was hanging it struck him and
broke his hold, but he flung out his right
hand and caught a rung and went down safe
1y. Afterward he saw others rescued from
the windows above. He went to house on
Worthington street where his left hand by
which he had chung longest and which was
burned to jelly was treated.
roropoipapt oifizaD vpho vvifnaroad tho for
rible scene denounced in round terms the
work of the hook and ladder department
He stood near by when Mrs. Farley fell AS
she turned over and over in her descent q
heartrending cry arose and the crowd pressed
eagerly forward and the mangled remains
were quickly picked up and borne tenderly
away. One poor fellow who had climbed out
on the Worthington street side looked about
as if expecting a ladder. There was not
even SO much as an awning beneath him. He
looked piteously down to the crowd and his
lips moved as if above the din he were trying
to make his cry for help heard. A
small group gathered beneath and cried
for him to hold on little longer just then
q thick cloud of smoke rolled out of the win
dow followed by sheet of flame and with a
cry he dropped to the sidewalk, the people
below scattering as he fell He was dead
when carried away. In the meantime aswoman
was brayely struggling to reach the ladder
tators stood breathless az they watched the
daring feat single misstep and she would
have shared the fate of her poor companion
who was the first to take the fatal leap. She
poised herself for moment and then lsaped
toward the ladder. A cry of anguish at first
came which was turned to cheering as the
smoke cleared for moment and she was
seen clinging safely to the ladder. The
of hands seemed out of
place to those who were watching
several victims who were many feet
from the ladder and whom it seemed only
miracle could save. The ladder was full of
escaping men, and the cries of the crowd be-
low to move it along could not be needed.
Then as the strength of the men above began
to fail they dropped, one, two, three-till the
spectator turned away the head with feel
ing of sickening horror. Only two were seen
now clinging desperately, and hopelessly it
to the side of the burning building.
1t looked as If the ladder would never be
cleared of the escaping ones, but gradually it
began to be moved toward the remaining
men and shout of joy arose when they were
seen clinging safely to it. It was not long
after the work of rescuing ceased before mat
tresses began TO arrive and everything posi-
BILE was being done for the injured.
Dr. w. A. Towne was in his Office in Kins-
mans block nearly opposite the burning
building when the alarm struck. He rushed
Immediately into the streets just as the fire.
men began to arrive. The windows of the
top story of the building were filed with men
and women shouting for help. The smoke
was rolling out in dense volumes. The fire.
men had begun to lay long, slender, spliced
ladder. It swayed and bent and appeared
likely to break. 81 realized" said DIR.
Towne, "that the ladder would be Of no use
even if it were successfully raised. I shouted
to several by-standers to run into Max6eld's
furniture store and get some beds. If only
- 1aa,
under the windows with soft mattresses it
might break the force of the fall Of the en-
trapped people. Not man stirred. Even
then several of the girls and men in the win
dows were beginning to climb out on the
stills with the flames and smoke in the back
ground driving them on. Then the ladder
broke. By this time several loafers, stirred
by the terrible sight were induced to run to
the furniture store and bear out mattresses.
It was too late for one man, and, SO far as l
saw two or three girls, after clinging to the
casing as long possible, dropped one by
one into the street mangled and bleeding"
The block destroyed belonged to Emerson
Wight, The Union Office had but recently
moved into the block from the one in the
rear, the first paper being issued from the
new quarters December 1. They occupied
the entire fifth floor with the editorial
and composing rooms. Their counting
room was on the first floor. The press rooms
and mailing rooms are locabeu III Ino DaSe-
ment The third floor was occupied by the
R. n. Smith Rubber Stamp company. On
the third floor were the Diamond Safety
Razor company and Harry Appletons nickel
plate works. @. w. Atwood, printer, occu-
pied the second floor. Beside the counting
room on the first foor.was Henry K. Bakers,
harness maker. Directly in the rear on
Worthington street, also owned by Emerson
Wight, were the insurance Office of S. G.
and the establishment of Merritt
Bros, die sinkers and engravers. The entire
loss is $4,000 insurance-Union $780,
$50, building s15, 900, building in rear 81 900,
Merritt Bros. $780, 600.
The Republican has rendered the use of its
facilities to the Union, which will appear as
usual tomorrow, making its home with the
for the present.
The FIRE department committee of the city
government were discussing only last even
to be used in saving lives All of the com
mittes with one exception expressed them