Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-03-08
HORRIBLE DEATHS.
New Office Of the Springfield
Evening Union Burned.
Compositofs Jump From Fifth Story VIM
doVS and are Crushed Into Shape
less Masses.
Others Fall Back Into the Flames and
shriekins Piteously are Con-
sumed Alive.

with a terrible death, most Of them jumping
from the fifth story, being crushed into
shapeless mass below. Six others were bad
ly injured. The fire was first discovered il
the mailing room. The flames shot up througl
the old freight elevator, in the rear, cuttin
OF the escape by the stairway. Most of tn
employees who escaped, found their way t
the ground by roof in the rear.
The unfortunate men and women VIII
crowded into the editorial room met with
horrible fate. Some were cut off in tn
composing room. There is still terribl
suspense, as several fell back into the fierc
flames
The employees who rushed into the edto
rial room were cut OF from escape in tn
rear, and had to face the horrible ALTERNATIVE
of burning to death or jumping to the side
walk below, and frightful mutilation.
The fire department responded promptly
but it seemed an age before it reached tn
windows of the fifth story. A ladder wa
put up to the fourth story The sight of res
cue so near seemed to madden the sufferin,
group at the two windows, who dropped il
succession to the sidewalk below. Six fell
some were forced off, and some madly leapet
to the sidewalk below. The crowd groanet
and turned their heads away as they whirlet
through the air.
The dead are; Henry | Goulding, fore
man of the Union composing room, burned
to death; Miss &. Thomas, proof reader
Mrs. Frederick +. Farlep, editorial depart
ment, fell from the window and was killed
Mr.. Larnzon of Quebec, jumped and wal
killed; w. f. Iovey of Boston, fell to the
sidewalk Brown, compositor.
The injured are: Thomas Donahue, con-
positor, bad cut on the head, left leg broker
at the knee; Timothy Deann, compositor
arm and leg broken; Joseph W. Witty, com
positor. hand, neck and ears burned. Ht
cung to the window till the flames forcet
him to drop, but fell on the ladder and was
saved. G. Ellsworth. compositor, com
pound fracture of the leg; Thomas Donahue
compostor, broken thigh fatal
1t is thought the fire started among some
lumber in closet on the ground floor. The
flames were drawn up the elevator well ant
spread through the composing room. More
than thirty compositors, men and women
were on the fifth floor. There was no fire
escape.
A dense black smoke issued from the win.
dows, and by the time the department ar
rived the top windows were filled with de
spairing human beings. The crowd under
meath cried to them to have courage and OF
no account try to jump or climb down. They
at first seemed disposed to obey, but SO slow
were the ladders in being erected that a pan
c seized the victims. The scene, as the
people began to drop or fall from the win
dows, was horrible. A shrek broke from
the crowd as each victim fell into the street
below.
There was great clapping of hands as the
women..were seen slowly decending the lad
der The noise of the crowd was hushed as
the wounded were carried through to tn,
ambulance. The only available article fol
quenching the flames in the office, was al
old watering can; there were no force
pumps OF fire buckets.
large canvas sheet was stretched owe
the sidewalk; three men jumped onto thi
but broke through and fell on the pavement
A woman also fell through the canvas an,
landed on the sidewalk.
Geo G. Ware, the associated press opera
tor in the building, had narrow escape
When the alarm was sounded the rooms il
front of his and the passage ways were thicl
with smoke; he jumped up and ran. In ths
same room were Mrs. Farley; Mrs. Howard
the New England editor; Mrs. Warren, the
news editor, and Mr.. Hill. the managing edi
tor, besides himself. No one had suspected
the presence of fire until all way of escape
bv the elevator had been cut off. Mrs. Far
lev started for the elevator. Il shouted tt
her" saws Ware, Ito go the other way ant
took hold of her. The smoke was so dense
in the passage that no one could there :
minute. Mrs. Farley struggled to free her
self. She succeed and rushed out into the
front of the building. followed Hill, War
ren and Mrs. Howard through the window t'
the roof on the east side
Joseph H. Landlord was standing on the
sidewalk. at the end of the building where
Mrs. Farley fell He stood his ground ant
reached out his arms to catch her. She fel
on his neck, bearing him to the ground and
knocking him senseless. Mrs. Farley was
killed instantly. Landlord was not seriously
hurt.
Mr.. Hill the managing editor was in the
news room when he heard the news of the
fire. The forms had just been sent down
stairs and the men were enjoying relaxation
after the afternoons hurry. There were
four or five in the room smoking, chatting
and joking. 1t seemed less than a minute
before smoke burst into the composing
room The compositors became alarmed.
III
start for the roof in the rear, and many did
so. lie felt perfectly safe for few min
utes as he saw the men climbing over tho
roof near the old quarters of the office
About fifteen of the 81 employees, however
rushed to the front, six going into the room
of editor Shipley on the corner. With Hill
in this room were Dan Phillips, Tim Dunn
the galley boy. Mrs. j. II. Farley, another
woman. and a compositor. Hill opened the
windows shouted for Gods sake put up &
ladder"
The crowd below looked dazed. He tool
off his coat, threw it, picked up the books
files and papers and hurled them out to at
tract attention. The smoke became very
dense and they could not breathe. The CROWD
gathered in the windows of the composing
room next to where the smoke was still
dense.
Poor Fred Ernsworth was there and tried
to break into the corner of the edtoria
room where the smoke was less dense. A
ladder started and seemed 10 creep up the
side of the building Mrs. Farley saw tbs
ladder and frantically jumped for it. She
seemed to roll down the plane and struck or
the walk ia heap. The copy holder started
to follow. Hin caught her by the waist anc
held ner 1ast. DoH jump, sthe iau"ei VII
reach US, he said, with as much composnr,
as possible. Forks of flame shot through
the partitions.
Dan Phillips began to choke and coul'
only say Ned. (HilnI guess our last da,
has come: don't care for myself, but m,
moor wife" II have a wife, too" said Hill
This is pretty hard, amt it," Then the,
prayed
Ii would be difficult to recall or rccort
the words of those prayers, the woman wa
struggling in Hills arms while the smok'
curled around them in triumph. One AM
another dropped to the sidewalk. The agon
iziur group at the window could hardly keel
back. The impulse that sometimes come
to man to throw himself down steep plac'
seemed irresistible and overcame the fear o
death. II must go down. must go down :
shouted the woman in Hills arms
The crowd tried to shout words of encour
ayemeut. The ladder seemed frozen to Tn
post, and a wave of flame shot through tn
window singing Hills hair and clothes II
ladder came at last, the copyhoider wh