Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-03-08
AUGUSTA MORNING

struggled in his arms caught it, The crowd
was breathless. The hiss of the first stream
OF water was the only sound. She g-zsped
the rounds firmly and went down in safety.
$50 ahead Hill said Il can wait" and the
rest of the group went down. sliding, tumb-
ling over the rounds, but reached the ground
in safety
Hill finally swung himself under the ladder
and made the descent with another man in
front 1t was reported that he was killed,
and choking and blackened with smoke he
found the way to the telephone office TO tell
his wife he was safe.
Jos. Witty, oompositor. somewhat burned
said: When the alarm was given in the
composing room everyone looked around and
saw faint line of smoke in the direction of
the stairway. Strangely nobody hurried,
although all Immediately started for the
stairs with no difficulty. They found the
passage black with smoke and sought the
elevator. After ringing repeatedly and get
ting no answer they gave up all hbpe. The
smoke pouring into the room in great vol
1mes, drove them to the windows. They
made attempts to break the skylight at the
suggestion of Goulding, foreman, but failed.
They were cut off from access to the roof.
1 Those on the street cried to go to the roof
and escape BY the adjoining building The
prisoners only shook their heads in despair.
Witty went to the middle window on the
! main street and leaned out close to the sill as
possible TO get air. Beside him were
foreman Gouldng, and Miss Thompson
Miss Thompson asked Goulding, ''Do YOU
think we will ever get out!" He answered,
II don't know, but I'm afraid not" Miss
Thompson had then lain on the floor few
minutes with her head close TO the floor and
her handkerchief over her mouth by Witty's
advice. That was the last Witty knew of
either. Presently, someone he supposed to
be Goulding, led Miss Thompson away, no
doubt to the other window, where the was
afterwards seen TO burn. Goulding stood
near Witty some time after. Witty himself
got out 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 and then with one. Two or three 9TH
ers got out upon the sign, from
each window it covered, and from this sever
al men jumped. The first man TO leave the
sign was young man at Witty's side. He
let himself down to the top of the
fourth story window where little ledge of
brick projected. Here he clung for some
time until blanket was brought and held
beneath him. He dropped, and turning over
twice, and dropped into the blanket bursting
it into rags. Witty turned sick when he saw
this, and still more when he saw woman
who was trying TO hold on, just outside the
sill of the corner window waiting for Il de-
laying ladder, finally let herself down
to arms length and dropped falling
upon the ladder, turn over and over striking
the ladder time and again. Witty held on to
the last, eac horrible fall only making him
hold on the tighter, until at last he was res
cued by a ladder III an extraordinary fashion,
as, after rescuing those in the other windows
the ladder was pushed to the one where he
hung. 1t struck him and broke his hold, but
he flung out his right hand, caught the rung
and went down safely. He went to house
on Worthngton street, where his left hand
by which he had clung the longest and which
was burned to jelly, was treated.
A prominent citizen who witnessed the
terrible scene denounced in round terms the
work of the hook and ladder department
The block destroyed belonged to ex-Mayor
Emerson Wright. The Union office had but
recently moved into the building from one in
the rear They occupied the fifth floor with
the editorial and composing rooms. The
counting room was on the first floor. The
press rooms and mailing rooms were in the
basement. The fourth floor was occupied
by the X. II. Smith Rubber Stamp Com
pany. On the third floor were the Diamond
Safety Razor Company and Harry Apple
tons Nickel Plate Works. c. W. Atwood,
printer, occupied the second floor. Beside
the counting room on the first floor were
Henry X. Baker, harness maker.
In the Unions former quarters directly in
in the rear, on Worihington street, also
owned by Wright were the insurance Office
IL. Il 4
Merritt Bros, die sinkers and engravers.
The Republican has rendered the of
its facilities to the Union, which will appear
as usual. The fire department committee of
the city government were discussing only
last evening the advsibility of buying an
aerial ladder. All with one exception ex-
pressed themselves in ia: r of the outlay.
The followinf is a corrected list of the killed
and injured. Dead.-H. J. Goulding, mar
ried, foreman of composing room burned to
death Miss Hattie +. Farley, aged %,
society editor, jumped to sidewalk Miss
Gertie Thompson, aged Is, proof reader
burned to death. c. l.. Brown, %, compos
itor, W. Hovey, %, co positor, fell striking
one his head J. Lanzor, aged 80. COM
positor who lately came to this city from
Canada, died in thehospital.
Injured.-F. G. Ellsworth, aged Is, clerk
in the counting room, compound fracture of
the left leg, right hand and wrist burned,
possibly fatal. Thos. Donahue aged 80, a
compositor, fracture of the left thigh. face
frightfully burned probably fatal. II. II.
Myrick, employed in X. II, Smiths rubber
stamp works, ith floor, jumped and struck
on his hand badly injured.
The total loss is roughly estimated at $50,
600. The Union SIP 900: X. II. Smith 4
Co., S23, 900; C. w. Atwood, printer, So,
00O Baker & Co., loss on building $1,000;
Nnion insurance, s20,750; insurance on
building $4,000