Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-01-17
THREE GIRLS sUFFOCATED.
Fatal Fire in CiSar-BOx Factory
VINO ~ 10 Blame?

fire Yesterday In The factory No. us Fifth
street east OF Avenue &. because the build
ing had been converted into a death-trap.
Brave firemen, who were quartered IN the
same block and barely 200 feet from the fac.
tory, promptly answered 4 call Tor help and
made determined efforts 10 prevent loss OF
life. The fire-adders easily reached to the
roof OF the building. which Vas oniy three
stories hIQh, and the inmates OF the factory
had warning OF danger before the drerlen
arrived, vet three young women were penncd
up and su1ocated on the top floor.
Nicholas Althaus, a manufacturer OF cigar
boxes. has occupied me three stories above
the basement OF The building, aud in his fac
tory were employed fifteen men and seven
Young women. The women worked in trout
room on the top floor. and the only way 10
and from tbst room was by fight Of wooden
stairs which led from the middle OF the
second story. An outside stairway led 10
the rear portiOn 81 the top story, but
strong board partition, without any opening,
shut OF the front wOrkrOom from the rear
room. The building OF the partition nade
the room in which the young women worked
a dangerous place.
A few minutes after II A. VI. Yesterday
an oYerheated journal started fire In the re-
pair shop Of Henry Haas, wagOn.maker, In
the basement OF the factory. The flames
spread rapidly and quickly drove Althaus
and his men out Of the first aud second
stories. When the alarm OF fire was given
some OF the men shouted 10 the young wO'
men in the top story to run Tor their lives.
smoke had begun 10 roll up into their work
room through the opening In the floor. IL
scared four Of the young women and they
rushed 10 the front windows instead OF
promptly running down stairs. Kate
FarenkOpf, Maggie, May and Maggie
Armstrong, the youngest IN the group,
lost no time in going down stairs, and TWO OF
them went through the smoke and cut OF the
front door in safety. Katie was choked 40
much by the smoke on the second floor that
she ran to q front window and prepared to
lump out. BY that time Hook-snd- bladder
Company, No. IL. down the street. had heard
OF the ire, aud Foreman sullivan and his
men were raising 4 ladder in front Oh the
factory. sullivan, who Is a veteran iIte'slyer,
quickly ran up the ladder, seized Katie IN
his arms, aud carried her down 10 the side
walk.
Meanwhile Lena schmidt made rush
down the stairway from the top floor after
she had cut her hands seriously IN an at
tempt to yet cut OF a front window. The
smoke blinded her and she fell from the
second story down tie remaining stairway.
Charles Althaus. son Of the manufacturer,
had fingered in the first story TO lock some
books in The safe. aud Lena fell senseiess at
his feet. lie dragged her TO the doorway
and bremen carried her 10 the street. She
revived In the open ar, and after her
wounds had been Daudaged IN neighoorIng
barber-shOp she was taken to st. Francis
Hospital.
Soon after Lena had been rescued the fire.
men knew that three other young women
were 10 the burning factory, but the flames
had spread to the top story and no man
could live a minute inside the walls.
second alarm had been sounded and fremen
were pouring streams Of wster into the
building from the front and rear. In
les than half an hour the fire was out,
and Chef Shay led some Of the fire.
men into the top story TO search for
bodies, The fremen soon found the bodies
OF three Young women huddled together
on the top door near one OF the WIN
dOws. Fire had touched them lightly, as
their dresses had not been burned, aud
although their faces aud hands bad been red
dened by the heat, there was no difficulty IN
identifying them. Death had been caused by
sunocation.
The firemen placed the bodies on long
table in the wOrkroOm. A hole was cut
through the board partition, aud when the
dead-wagOu arrived the bodies were carried
down the rear stairway 10 the courtyard.
One OF the dead women was Josephine
FareukOpf. age twenty, a sister Of hattie ta-
eIkopf. who was rescued by the 6remen.
The sisters had worked side by side pasting
cigar.5oxes in the factory. They lived with
their parents at No. 80 Willett street Jo-
gephlne's COMPANIONS IN death were Barbara
Appel and Lena Straub. Barbara Appel
was eighieeen years old, and her home was
in the tenement-house No. III Ludlow
street. Lena Straub was twenty-iour years
old, aud lived with her sister at No. 5l6
Fifth street. News OF the tire sent her Sis
ter 10 tie factory before the bodies were re.
moved The sister was led away weeping
when she learned OF Lena's death.
A crowd followed the dead'Tagon TO the
Union Market police station, where the
bodies we're kept TO await orders from coro-
ner and to be claimed by the relatives. An
official investigation probably Will TX the
responsibility for the loss OF life. IL
was said Yesterday that Coroner Han
| ley would hold the inquest IN few days.
He gave an order for the removal
Of the bodies to the homes OF the young
women's relatives. One Of the girls who es-
capped from the burning factory said that she
beard Of fire In the building only few
| days ago.
The loss OF property In the factory was
not great. Althaus's stock Was damaged
about 1000 and Haas lost about $1,000 by
the fire. The building can be repaired by
| +. A. Sieghardt, the owner, for few hun
dred dollars The DFopertV was insured.