Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-01-10

] lIAL ~ nA1 AuH NVWuu W III FAAih4udhts
There was 2 considerable quantity OF gaso-
line In the building and this added fuel TO
the flames. The flames shot heavenward with
the roar Of muskctry. Some twenty OF the
men had achance 70 crawl out Of the dbJTts.
but four OF their companions were developed
IN the embrace Of the flames. They were
quickly roasted n death. and the fire from
the passeDger-cars No. up the heavens for
miles srOund. In the mean time the fire
department was called out, bot It's services
were uuavaillDg. The building and cars
we're consumed in fifteen minutes and
nothing was left but the blackened, smoking
ruins. The loss 10 the railroad company Is
fully $4,000.
While this was going on the storm was
travelling forward WITH fearful rapidly. 10
struck and unrOOfed a dozen private rem
denccs. Huge sheets Of tin were carried
bali a square away. Then the storm pro-
ccedcd I'm its fury. Directly IN is path, at
the corner Of Twelfth and Marian streets,
stood the Reading siik-milL Here about 10
happy girls were working. The building
was a huge structure, most substantially
built, four stories In height, and bad a b'se-
ment besides. II occupied an entire block
Of ground. The size Of the building itself
was nearly 500 feet in length and about 80
feet deep. II was surrounded by q massive
tower fully 100 feet from the ground. The
funuclshaped -torIn.clOud struck The build
lug directly in the ceutie on IT'S br0adest
side, which faced west, II tell 70 pieces az
il co imposed Of go many buiidiug-oiocks.
Two HUNDRED IN TIE WRECK,
Nearly two hundred human beings went
down I'm the awful wreck. The walls gave
way; the floors fcll down one on top ~ the
other. and carried their greet mass Of human
beings 10 the bottom. The bricks were piled
No In the greatest confusion, while amid the
hurricane and whlstliDg, rushing. roaring
wind the terrible cries for succOT were sent
up 20 Heaven. II was n mOmcut that tried
mems souls, aud almost simultaneous with
tho f3li oi the buildinV came the awful cries
for reiicf. Girls with biackcned faces,
bruised and broken limbs. their clothing tat
tered and torn. dragged themselves rom
the ruins. 30 probably T. 20 100 escaped or
were dragged Out by Their friends. These
worked on the upper floors, and were thrown
near The top Of The df5ris. Al some piaces
bricks were piled twenty feet deep. and uns
dcrncath these IRE lying to-uigbt human be-
ings by the score. About 2jO girls and Young
women are usually employed I'm the min, but
az 4 O'Clock about eighty were relieved from
duty for the dav. They returned - thei-
homes before the storm came. The most relia-
bic slatcUent tonight places the mum
bcr IN the buiidiug whcn IT, went
down in the ncighborhOOd Of I1j. aud
as before stated. 100 Of these were Rescued 10y
friends or dragged themselves out immcdi-
atclv after the accident. An alarm FOR relief
was Immediately sent ont, and in a short
time thousands Of citizens arrived 10 help 20
get out the dead and dying. The scene was
a narrowing one aud heggars description.
The mill Is situated near the foot OF MI.
Penn, O high mountain overlooking the city.
When the people arrived everything was
developed IN darkness. Then huge b0uiires
were built, which east q dismal glare on the
surrounding scene. The fire companies left
the burning pniut.shcp and assisted IN the
rescue Of the dead and dying. The entire
police force wa, called out, the ambulance
and relief corps, and 1000 people were In
among the df5rs carrying out bricks, pulling
away timbors, aud assisting wherever thew
could-all at the same time; but their work
was slow compared with the demand for the
rescue Of the victims OF the disaster.
APPEARANCE OF VICTIMS.
One body noticed as VI was dragged out
had ius head cut OF. Others were In various
pastures. the living an suffering from terft-
bic wounds and some almost scared TO death.
/ Nf ANsOtllAtQ I ifNN REPRESENTATIVE tHftl'W
what was once the basement Of a building,
aud groplug his way through the dfjrIS no
ticed five bodies Of Young girls lying close
together, pinned down, and it was i'm
possible e. get them ont. They were dead
and hcyond ON human AID. Up TO half-past
10 O'Clock tonight probably the bodies
OF Is dozen dead have been taken out.
while a greater portion Of the Temaiu-
der are still under the ruins. The work
OF rescue will be pushed all night, but
It NAV be far into tomorrow before all the
bodies are taken ont. The rescuer. stili have
the greatest hopes that s0me Of those inside
are -til living. sud theIe is every reason for
saving that IN this the persons who believe
that way are right All is chaos and cOniu-
sion around the-mlll, The managers are
missing and the correct number Of the dead
Is guess-wOrk. At Az events the disaster ISIS
terrible one. the worst IN the history OF the
city. The ~ k mill was built about four
wears age. The builders were Reading capt
tqlists and the cost Of putting IL up was
S53O0o. The mill was then leased TO Grim.
brothers, Of Patterson, n. H.. where
they also operate similar mills, snd they have
been running it ever since. The machinery
they put in the mill cost $4,000. This Is a
total loss.
Wien tho Associated Press representative
visited tue scene Of the wreck al II O'Clock
Tonight he fouud every thing in the greatest
confusion.
DEAD TAKEN OUT.
At that time thirteen dead bodies had been
taken out eleven Girls and two men. The
Of the mill stated at midnight that he
believed that fully eighty bodies were in the
ruins under the three 10ors. His list Of the
employees IL lost, aud owing TO the confusion
i'm taking out the injured he was unable TO
furnish a list OF the killed. But that is a
conservative estimate Of those vino lost their
lives.
A VICTIMS EXPERIENCE.
Augustus L. Scorpus was the foreman Of
the Erst and second floors OF The silk.mill. {
The reporter interviewed him, and his state
1. as foll0ws: 1T was about twenty
past 5 O'Clock when | went 10 the
second story TO turn en- the electric lights.
After 1 had done this / stood looking about
he room for about ten minutes. suddenly
/ beard \ loud. rushing noise, which l
thought was q cyclone. The building then
shook. l was Standing in the southern end
the room, aud before ! could look ont Of
.he window I felt the building sink.
Quick rs lightning the portion OF the room
that | was IN went down. The girls rushed
shout me, crying and screaming and calling
FOR help. They did not realize what was
taking place. II seemed to me az II the CEN
Ire Of the building was struck FIRST. | can
not describe the scene. IL Was awful.
not do anything, and could not think
Df What l should DO. Our end OF the build
Ing went down first, aud while the floor was
Il seemed to me as II the girls In The
)ther part OF the room were on top OF a hill;
hat WAS the way Il impressed me. While
sc were going down / saw the other portion
the door fall. In two minute all was
,yer. The screaming OF the glrls was heart
was Knocked down under heavy
imbers and held fast by my foot. could
move every other part OF my body eN-
my leg. | reached down With my
Nnife and cut the shoe of my foot In this
way was l0osened aud managed 10 srise'
Amid the screams ~ the girls and the ialling
aud bricks / succeeded In escaping.
got out OF the ruins on the eastern slde OF
he building, but how do not o
allied % the gIrls . loudly 50 | could. They
we're all terribly excited. Many OF them
leard ne II worked themselves towards
%. The mschlnery saved msny from being
10 death and left 4 space Detween
he floor snd the Debris 10 crawl out be-
EVE that fully one hundred persons escaped