Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-08
A SICKENING HORROR.
FIRE IN A NEWSPAPER oEYIoE AND
SIX DEATHS.
compcsitors and Others Caught In the
Upper story-six Leap to Their Death
Others Badly Injured.
ny telegraph to the pI,pnich.l

~ NciVbtdvl W lut DlNpAtcu.l
SPRINGFIELD, Mass, March THE
new Office OF the EUcaing Union was
burned out about 4 o'clock this after
noon, and the blaze was attended with
the most sickening horror ever witnessed
in this city, six OF the employees meet
ing a terrible death, most OF them Jump
ing from the fifth story and being
crushed into shspeless mass below.
Six others were badly injured. The
fire was first discovered in the mailing
room, and clouds of smoke were pouring
out of the lower story windows before
the fifty souls on the upper floor were
aware Of their danger. The flames Shot
up an old elevator in the rear, cutting
oil escape by the stairs, and most of the
employees who escaped found their way
to the ground by way OF The roof in the
rear.
Some were cut off in the composing
room, and there is still terrible suspense,
as several fell back into the flames. The
employees who rushed into the editorial
room were cut off from escape and had
to face the horrible alternative of burn
ing TO death or jump to the sidewalk be-
low. The fire department responded
promptly. a ladder was put to the
fourth story and the sight OF rescue so
near seemed to madden the suffering
groups at two windows, who dropped in
succession to the sidewalk below. Six
fell in this way some of them forced
off and some madly leaping, and the
crowd groaned and turned their heads
away as they whirled through the air.
1t thought that the fire started among
lumber in a closet on the ground floor.
The flames were drawn up the elevator
well and spread through the composing
room. There were more than thirty
compositors and women-on the
fifth floor. There was no fire-escape.
Dense, black smoke issued from the
windows in clouds, and by the
time the fire department arrived
the top windows were filed with
poor, despairing human beings, who
did not seem at first to realize
their dreadful position. The crowd
underneath cried to them to have
courage and on no account to try 70
Jump or climb down, and they at first
seemed disposed to obey. But so slow
were the ladders in being erected that
panic seized the victims. The scene as
the people began to drOp or fall from the
blazing windows was horrible. A shrek
broke from the crowd as each of the VIC
tins fell into the street below. There
was q great capping of hands when a
woman was seen slowly descending a
ladder. The noise of the crowd was
hushed as the wounded were carried
through to the ambulance.
The only available article for quench-
ing the flames in the Office was an old
watering-csn. There were 10 force
pumps or fre-buckets of any sort. A
large canvas sheet was stretched over
the sidewalk. Three men jumped on
this, but broke through and fell out on
the pavement. 4 woman also fell
through the canvas end landed on the
sidewalk insenslbe. Mrs Farley would
have been saved if she had not become
excited and broke away from those who
were endeavoring to induce her to try
an avenue of escape which saved several.
Joseph H. Landlord was standing on
the sidewalk at the end of the building
furtherest from the corner of the build
ing when Mrs. Farley fell. He stood
his ground and reached out his arms TO
catch her. She fell on his neck, bear
ing him to the ground and knocking
him senseless. Mrs. Farley was killed
instantly. Landlord was not seriously
hurt.
The building belonged to Emerson
Wright. The Union editorial and com
posing rooms occupied the entire fifth
floor. The counting room was on the first
floor. The press-rooms and mailing
rooms were in the basement The third
floor was occupied by the r. FL. Smith
Rubber-Stamp Company. On the third
floor were the Diamond Safety Razor
Company, and n. Appleton's nickel
plating works. C. W. atwood, printer
occupied the second. The entire loss IS
$40, 200.
The following is a corrected list OF the
killed and injured:
THE DEAD.
II. J. Goulding, aged thirty-twO, mar
ried, foreman OF the composing room
burned to death.
Mrs. Hattie E. Farley, aged twenty
three, society editor.
Miss Gertie Thompson, aged eighteen,
proof-reader burned to death.
C. L. Brown, aged twenty-five, COM
positor.
". Z. Hovey, of Boston, twenty-five,
fell. striking on his head and died at the
hospital.
j. Ianzor, thirty-fve, compositor,
lately came to this city from Canada.
THE INJURED.
F. G. Ellsworth, about eighteen, clerk
in the counting-room, compound fracture
of the left leg, right hand and wrist
burned possibly fatally injured.
Thomas Donaghue, aged thirty-two,
compositor, left thigh fractured and face
frightfully burned; probably fatally
hurt.
H. H. wyrick, employed in R. II.
Smiths rubber-stamp works on the
fourth floor, jumped and struck on a
barrel badly injured.