The evening world., 1888-05-24

OEhboo VIZ rFi8ntb nfhuget ONNtehfh Ittos
70 Lewor Herself TO the Groand with n
Rope, but Falls and Receives Mortal
Iniuries-A Number of Women Jump Out
Of n Window TO Save Thcmsclves-They
All Escape Serious Injury.
Women jumping from o burning building,
clambering down hatchways and making o
terrible struggle for life, was the scene that
appalled, the residents of the neighborhood
of Spring and Marion streets this morning.
At 10.40 O'Clock smoke was discovered in
the fourth floor of Hugh Gaffney's fve-story
brick rag and paper factory in the rear Of 80
Spring street, and in a few moments flames
burst from the windows. At the time thirty
persons were at work in the building, includ-
ing seventeen women and thirteen men. A
panic ensued.
The dozen old women who were picking
and asserting rags on the top floor gnzed
from the windows and screamed wildly for
help as they saw the flames shoot
up the hatchway and cut of all
retreat by the single stairway. which led to
the yard, and o ush was made for the rear
windows, which overlooked the roofs of o
row of old-fashioned three-story brick
dwellings on Marion street.
The younger women reached the windows
and leaped from them in safety to the roofs.
They were rescued through the open scut-
ties, but Catharine Sullivan, q widow,
ffty-Ave years old. who lives in
Pearl street, near Park street, was tfampled
upon by her more nimble associates. She
fell to the floor, where she was left founder
ing in the heaps of smoke-filed rags.
Fireman Edwin Ford found her after the
FIRE was ex~tinguished. She was terribly
burned and her clothing was In flames. She
was lifted up tenderly, carried across the
roofs and was deposited in the hallway of o
Marion street house, where she was attended
by an ambulance surgeon from st. Vincent's
Hospital.
Her blazing clothes were torn of md cast
into the street and she was covered with
blankets. Her hands were burned toa crisp.
her eyesight was gone and her limbs and
body were charred and terribly scarifed.
She grew to be delirious, and while her in
juries were being dressed her means and APP
peals to be saved from the burning building
were Of q heartrending nature. She will die.
Mary Mccarthy, in jumping from the nth
floor 10 o roof, fell upon and sprained her
wrist. She went home.
Bridget O'Mara, nearly sixty years old, re.
siding on Spring street, crawled 10 the hatch
way and kept out of the fatal circle Of the
ERE. When the fremen had ~extinguished
the flames and were searching for possible
victims, Bridget conceived tbs idea of seek
ing safety by lowering herself by the heavy
She lowered herself to the third floor, when
the friction of the rope burned the flesh on
her hands, and she shrieked
~ must let 60. ! can hold on no longer -
Mr.. Gaffney joined with the firemen in
urging the afrighted woman TO hold on {
moment until help came, but before
the fremen could reach her she loos-
ened her hold and came tumbling
jar. She was unconscious. She moaned pitt
fully, occasionally placing her hand TO her
side to show where the severest pain was.
She was removed to st. Vincent's Hospital.
II is feared that her injuries, which are IN
ternal, may prove mortal.
The material loss is not heavy, as Mr.,
Gaffney carried only about $40. 900 worth Of
stockton most of which there Is salvage.
The building is owned by Charles j. Koos, Z
lawyer in the Temple Court Building. II
can be repaired at an outlay of $1,000.
II is an old structure. The oldest inhabi.
tant could not r~ecollect when 1t was erected.