The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-11-10

a eoLQeWn3t
eerous, aud when the report got abroad that the
lantern works and the cotton factory 10 its vi
cinity were on FIRE, there was intense excite
mens all over the city. which was increased
when, at o'clock, the rumor got abroad that .
large number of men had been killed The
building 10 which the frs was confined was six
stories high. About sixty men were working ir
the three upper floors, And as soon as they
found there was FIRE underneath them they
began to leap from the windows, ignoring the
FIRE escapes that were ready for them on the
south side of the building In these leaps quite
number OF men were injured. many o. them so
seriously that they will probably die. By 9
o'clock the building was entirely DESTROYED, and
FIVE men had been taken out dead. and sixteen
seriously injured; fourteen were entirely safe,
and the rest unaccounted for. Of whom quite a
number are unknown by name.
The scenes at the Hrs we're heartrsnding, and
prominent among those who were pres
ent after the FIRE were three priests
spiritual comfort to those who were IN dying
condition. The factory built on the high
bank, on the west side Of the Genesee river.
and the FIRE was a difficult one for the fremen
to get at owing to side being entirely closed
10 them. Two buildings that were 10 great dan
ger for long time were the Rochester cotton
factory and Williams & Hoyt's shoe factory, but
both OF these buildings we're saved. the only
damage done to them being by smoke and water.
Following is list of the killed so far a. learned
up to midnight:
JOHN GALL foreman.
JOSEPH DANTzER jumped from sixth floor and
HENRY SNYDER. burned internally
FRANK A. OCdS.
JOSEPH WEBER.
The injured arc:
| Frank Siddons both legs and back broken,
! will probably die; jacob Dehl. night watcnman,
burned internally aud prOstrated 6y shock John
Devlin, left leg and wrist injured, and more or
less burned and btuissi; Richard Pierce, John
| Grensur, William Devlin. Frank FrPdlin. 5.
| Burkhsrd, Oscar Knots. Joseph Burkhard.
| Charles Diehl, g. Kippert, Steuhen Forbes,
John Grenaur (second BY that name, John kOrn.
! holien, John Hall.
Those known 70 be missing are:
Thomas Matthias, S. Robbins, Chss. Weber,
John Miller Patrick Cosgrove, Richard Connor.
| G. Waters, Chss. Smith, Robert Poole Frank
| Reviuich and Alfred Cannon. These are known
| by name to ee missing, bu. until the books are
examined it will not be possible to tell who were
| actually at work. Among those who escaped
! was John Piatt. who saved his life by sliding
| from the sixth floor. He says there were thirty
| persons at work on that floor, and TIRES were
saved-Robert and Horatio Hall and Joseph
! Smith. Pla,t thinks that about ten others es-
| capped with him.
The lsntern-works with stock and machinery,
is a total loss The cause Of the fire. is q mys.
! terry. The men went work after supper. and
all seemed to be right then. Soon sfterward
| Jacob Dieh the watchman, while making bis
| usual rounds, discovered flames making their
way through the floor. He had barely time to
| give alarm when he was surrounded by
flames, but rs succeeded in making the danger
/ known to the men on the fourth, 6fth and sixth
hocrs. These ct once realized their position
| and made their way from the building. but be-
] fore they bad all got out the structure wss a
| seeming mass OF are. There was not the
slightest chance of escape by the usual doors of
exc, asd the windows were at utilized for
the purpose. The majority of the workmen lost
their heads and began to jump instead OF taking
the tire ladders that were attached to the build
ing. i, is believed that a number Of men are
burned In the ruins, but at present il is impos-
sioe 10 be sure Of this. All may have
escaped, but the probabilities are decidedly
| against 1t. AS soon the ruins are sufficiently
cooled work will be begun in searching for the
bodies The streets were crowded with people
during the progress Of the fire. anxious for their
! friends and acquaintances. They stood through
the heavy rain, which fell constantly during the
evening, and watching the operations of the
frsmen, who did excellent work in saving the
adjoining factories, but were too late to be 0i
any use in the lantern-works.
As q reporter was crossing Ccntral-avenue
bridge. ahout fire minutes after the first alarm,
| his attention was called to two in q third
story window, facing the river side just above
Gsnesee Falls. They stood for a moment ap
parsntly undecided what to do, when suddenly
one lesped out and fell in the water abou,
ten feet from tho brink of the precipice He
was Immediately followed by the other man
One or them apparently recovered himself
aud vas uohurt, as he waded through the
water until he was under the bridge
where be was rescued by a party who lowered
q lauder 10 him. AS soon as he reached
terra drma he started a run toward State
street and disappeared. No trace Of the other
man was discovered. and it was presumed he
was so badly injured that he could not help
himself and remained there and was buried Ut.
der the wall, which fell ten minutes later
William Oevlin, one of the niured men, stated
while he vas lying in the shoe factory waiting
to oe removed, that be was IN the third story
aud heard the roar of the flames coming up tn
elevator well. He remembers being crowded Il
the window by his comrades in the room and
told TO jump. He did so, and struck the pave
ment with several others. From ttat time un
til his njures were attended to he does not re
and burns.
Jacob Dietz, the night watchmau said ne wa.
going his rounds, and was on the third foot
when he heard the roar of the flames. He start
ed down stairs, aud fell headlong to the secont
floor He was very much frightened, but say
he managed 20 get out and 60 the cotton mil
and send in an alarm.
Richard Pasch was on the third floor anG
jumped to the ground He thinks that OF
his fellow workmen went out of q window or
tie river side, as he saw him standing at a win
dow just before be jumped himself.
| joseph Webber died at 9:25 o'clock. He, too
jumped from the third-s,cry and struck on ar
iron railing.
John Gall died a, a25, not having recovered
consciousness. he leaves q wife and Two chill
| dren.
/ Henry Schneider's back was broken and b,
fingered In great pain until 9:35. when he died
| The loss on the building Is S65, ,000 insured
for $4,000 The loss on the lantern plant II
$4,000, with insurance plant Of $4,000
Among the companies having risks on the prop
erty ars these: American, OF Pennsylvania
$1,000; the Harrisburg, of Pennsylvania, SO, 600
Concordia. OF Wisconsin, s2,5 800; Citizeus', O.
Ohio, $500; Msnufacturers' & Traders. oil
New Orleans. s. 800; Frat kiln, OF Ohio, e., 500
St. Paul, OF Minnesota. g.. 500. Pennsylvanis. o
Pennsylvania. -, ,500 California, 81. 500; Frank
lin. of Pennsylvania 81. 500; Traders, of IliSos
S2,oOO; American Central. OF Missouri. 81, 500
Northwestern National Of Wisconsin, 50, 500.
The Methodist Bishops.
BosToS, Nov. 9.-The meeting Of the boar,
WAS continued today Reports OF work Ia vari
| aac nd In rTfuh -