Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-11-10
NEARLY FIFTY ARE DEAD
Scnc Killed by Jumping, 9th
ers Burned.
CATASTROPHE AT ROCHESTER.

sixty worlsmen Cut or from Escape in
SIX Story Bullding-Only Fourteen
Known to Have Escaped-List of Killed,
Missing and Injured.
ROCHESTER, n. Y, Nov. iO.-The most
disastrous and fatal fire that has happened
in this city for many years occurred last
evening. and the loss OF life Is expected TO
reach between fifty and sixty persons A
general alarm was sounded at f:S0 o'clock,
on fire being discovered in tho packing room
Of the Rochester steam guage aNl lantern
works, an important factory employing "A
large number Of men. So busy has the
factory been lately, the men have benn
working night and day 70 catch up on orders
The locality whore the fire occurred is re-
garded as somewhat dangerous, and when
the report got abroad thnt the lantern works
and the cotton factory in the vicinity We're
on fire there was intense exeitenant all over
the city, which was increased when at .
o'clock the rumor got abroad that a large
number Of men had been killed
The building 70 which the fire was CON
fined was six stories high About sixty mon
were working on the three upper floors, aud
as soon as they found there was fire under
meath them they began to leap from the win
dows, ignoring the fire escapes, with ball
comics that were ready for them on the south
side OF the building In these leaps quite a
number of men were injured, many of them
50 seriously that they viii probably die. By
O'Clock the building wns entirely destroyed.
Five men We're taken out dead, sixteen seri-
ously injured, fourteen were entirely safe,
and the rest unaccounted for, Of whom quite
a number are unknown by name.
The scenes at the. fire were heartrending,
and prominent among those who were pres
ent after the fire We're three priests in their
surplices, who administered spiritual com
| fort 10 those who We're in dying condition.
The factory was built on the high bank
on the west side Of the Genesee river, and
was difficult one for the flremen TO got at
owing 10 one side being entirely closed e
them.
Two buildings that were In great danger
for a long time We're the Rochester cottoI
factory and William a. Hoyt's shoe factory
but both of these buildings were saved from
destruction, the only damage done TO then
being by smoke and water.
Following is list of the casualties 80 far a
learned:
Killed. John Gall foreman; Joseph Dancer
jumped from sixth floor and picked up dead
Henry Snyder, burned internally; Frank A
Ochs, and Joseph Webber.
The injured are; Frank Siddons both leg
aud back broken, viii probably die Jaco
Diehl, night watchman, burned internall
and prostrated by shock; John Deylin, lel
leg and wrist injured And these more q
less burned and bruised: Richard Pare
John Greenauer William Devlin, Fran
/ =
Burkhard, Charles Diehl, c. Kipport, Stephe
Forbes, John Greenauor second by TIN
/ namcl, Con. Hollernn, John Ball.
Those known to be missing are Thom
: Matthias, S. Robbins, Charles Weber, Jol
: Miller, Patrick Cosgroye Richard Canno
r c. Waters, Charles Smith, Robert Pos
Frank Remish and Alfred Cannon The
e are known by name 70 be missing, but uni
q the books are examined It will not be possib
e. tell who were actually at work
Among those saved was John Platte, WI
: escaped by sliding from the sixth floor
r says there We're thirty persons at work
r that floor, and three were saved-Robert al
Horatio Hall and Joseph Smith. Plat
: thinks that about ten others escaped wi
y him.
The lantern works, with stock and m
g chinery, is total loss, estimated at abo
4 SIS 600 The insurance is $4,000
j. The cause Of the fire is a mystery. 4
d men went to work after supper and
seemed to DO right then. Soon afterwa
Jacob Diehl, the watchmnn, while MAXI
his usual rounds, discovered flames maxi
N their way up through the floor. He h
g barely time to give the alarm when he w
surrounded by the flames but he succeed
in making the danger known 20 the men
the fourth. fifth and sixth floors. These
q once realized their position and made tn
" way from the building, but before they
got out the structure was a seething mass
m fire
a There was not the slightest chance Of
70 cape by the usual doors of exit, and the W
ii dows were utilized for the purpose. The II
iority of the workmen lost their heads a
began to jump, instead Of using the fire d
dei-s that were attached 20 the building
rs soon as the ruins are sufficiently cool W,
10 viii be begun of searching for bodies I
.8 streets were crowded with people during
lt progress Of the fire, anxious for their friei
3. and acquaintance. They stood through
AZ heavy rain which fell constantly during
ri evening, ana watched the operations Of
wv firemen who did excellent work in say
nd the adjoining factories but were too late
nd be OF use in the lantern works