The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1888-11-15
A TERRIBLE FIRE.

Il
| A Large Number OF Persons Killed and In.
| Jured by the Burning of the Rochester
steam Guage and Lantern works Mt
| Rochester, N. Y.-The Death List May
Reach Upwards OF Fifty.
ROCHESTER, N. Y, Nov. 1O.-The most
| disastrous and fatal fire that has hap
pened in this city for many years oc-
Cured last evening and the loss OF life
is expected to reach between fifty and
sixty persons. A general alarm was
sounded at half-past seven O'Clock on fire
being discovered IN the packing room OF
the Rochester Steam Gauge g. Lantern
Works, an important factory employ ing
a large number of men. So busy has the
factory been lately that the men have
been working night and day TO catch up
on orders. The locality whore the fire
occurred is regarded as somewhat dan
gerous, and when the report got
abroad that the lantern works and the
cotton factory in its vicinity we're on fire
there was intense excitement all over the
city, which was increased, when at nine
O'Clock the rumor got abroad that large
number of men had been killed. The
building to which the fire was confined
was SIX stories high. About sixty men
were working in the three upper floors,
and rs soon as they found there was fire
| underneath them they began to leap
from the windows, ignoring the fire es :
capes with balconies that were ready for
them on the south side of the building
In these leaps quito a number Of mon
were injured, many of them so seriously
that they will probably die. BY nine
O'Clock the building was entirely de-
stroyed and five men had been taken out
dead, sixteen seriously injured, fourteen
were entirely safe, and the rest unac-
counted for, of whom quite a number are
unknown by name.
The scenes at the fire were hear;-rend-
ing, and prominint among these who
were present after the fire were three
priests in their surplices, who admins
tered spiritual comfort to those who
were in dying condition.
Tho factory was built on the high bank
on the west side of the Genesee river,
and was a difficult one for the fremeu to
get at, owing to one side being closed to
them.
Two buildings that were in great dam
for q long time were the Rochester Cot
ton Factory an Williams & Hoyps shoe
factory; but both OF these buildings were
saved from destruction, the only damage
done to them being by smoke and water.
Following Is list of the casualties so
far as learned up to midnight
The killed are:
John Gall. foreman.
Joseph Dancer; jumped from sixth
floor, and picked up dead.
Henry Snyder; burned internally.
Frank A. Ochs.
Joseph Webber.
The injured are:
Frank Siddons; both legs and back
broken; will probably die.
Jacob Diehl, night watchmau; burned
llternally and Frustrated by shock.
John Devlin; left leg and wrist injured
lad more or less burned and bruised.
Richard Pierce.
John Greenauer.
William Devlin.
Frank Froedlin.
S. Burkhard.
Oscar Kuotts
Joseph Burkhard.
Charles Diehl.
G. Kippert.
Stephen Forbes.
John Greenauer, No. 2.
Con. Holleran.
John Ball.
luOSo kuOWu 10 Us missing drps
Thomas Matthias.
s. Robbins.
Charles Weber.
John Miller.
Patrick Cosgrove.
Richard Connor
q. Waters.
Charles Smith.
Robert Poole.
Frank r. Evnish.
Alfred Cannon.
These are known by name to be miss
ing, but until the books are examined 1t
will not be possible to tell who were ac-
tually at work. Among those saved
were: John Platts, who escaped by slid
ing from the sixth floor He says there
and three were saved-Robsrt aud Ho-
ratio Hall and Joseph Smith.
Platt thinks that about ten others es-
capped with him. The lantern works, with
stock and machinery, is total loss, es-
timated at about S225,00o. The insur-
ance is S179, 600
The cause of the fire is mystery.
The men went to work after
supper and all seemed to be right
then. Soon afterward Jacob Diehl, the
watchman, while making his usual rounds,
discovered flames making their way
up through the floor. He had barely time
to give the alarm when he was surrounded
by the flames, but he succeeded In maxi
ing the danger known to the men on the
fourth, fifth and sixth floors. They at
once realized their perilous position, and
made their way from the building, but
before they all got out the structure was
a seething mass of fire. There was not
the slightest chance OF escape by the
usual doors Of exit and the windows
we're at once utilized for the purpose
The majority of the workmen lost their
heads and began TO jump instead of TAX
ing the fire ladders that were attached to
the building
1t is believed that number OF men are
buried In the ruins, but at present 1t is
impossible 10 be sure of this All may
have escaped, but the probabilities are
decidedly against it, As soou as the
ruins are sufficiently cool, work will be
begun of searching for bodies.
The streets were crowded with people
during the progress OF the fire, anxious
for their friends and acquaintauces.
They stood through the heavy rain which
fell constantly during the evening. and
watched the operations of the hremen,
and did excellent work in saving the ad-
joining factories, but were too late to be
Of use in the lantern works.
- . -
Won ny Ross.
Boston, Nov. 10.-The wrestling match
last night between Duncan Ross ani II.
M. Dufur, best three falls in five, was
won by Ross.
Fearful Disater.