The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-02-24
WALLS OF FIRE.
Thrilling Scenes at the Burning
Of q Factory.
frightened Girls Carried Scorched and
Painting From the Building.
Five Hundred People Encompassed by a
sea OF EiImc-Rescui . FireineH Have
1 heir Hair and ~ hiskers Hurned
On-Factory Totally Destroyed.

LOUISVILLE, KY, Feb 23.-The Louis
vile tobacco manufacturing trade re-
ceived another blow at $50 o'clock
Tuesday afternoon, when fire broke
out in the immense plant of the Harry
Messenger Tobacco Manufacturing
Co., causing its total destruction and
entailing loss of a quarter of million
dollars one-half of which was unin-
sured They are the manufacturers of
the celebrated 'Hold-Fast" brand. 1t
is a peculiar coincidence that within
three days two of the largest tobacco
establishments in this city should suf-
fer from such disastrous fires, both of
which started at precisely the same
hour of the day, from the same cause,
and in the same department Only last
Saturday the Five Brothers establish
ment, owned by the Timers, suffered a
loss of over 500, 900.
At o'clock three alarms were turned
in. calling out the entire fire depart
ment The esta blishment was sur
rounded by hundreds of cottages,
which seemed to be doomed, and there
were five hundred men, women, girls
and boys in the burning building. The
fire started in the playhouse under an
immense fan used in drying leaf
tobacco. The building was four stories
high and covered a large area. The
flames shot upwards one hundred feet
above the roof in the rear end, while the
women and girls screamed for help as
the fire ran upon them. Several hundred
escaped, but almost as many We're cut
off from the stairs, and stood in the
windows imploring help
Snow half a foot deep covered every
thing. The fremen shouted to the
women not to jump, as it would mean
death. Ladders were hoisted, and the
people were carried down as fast as
possible. 1t was only by the hardest
work that the iremen could prevent
many frightened girls from leaping
from the third story windows.
All were thought to be safe, when at
one of the windows, roaring sea of
fire behind him, appeared Robert jew
ell, an employee, who had been assisting
others to escape. He screamed at the
top of his voice, and four times started
to leap for life, but the fremen urged
him to wait until an extension ladder
could be raised. His hair was scorched,
and he almost tainted while being car
ried down.
The foreman on the third floor ran
back to save three girls. He got them
to run out, but was himself cut off
Taking off his coat he wrapped it
around him and plunged through the
fire, coming out with his life, but with
out his whislSers and hair. He had no
sooner escaped than there was terri
heads of leaf tobacco on the third floor
falling through
The heat was so intense that people
half a square away had to hold their
hands before their faces A dozen cot
tages were damaged and a livery stable
and one house were crushed in when
the factory walls fell.
An immense stock of plug tobacco
was on hand beside the five hundred
hogsheads of leaf tobacco. The factory
was equipped with the most improved
machinery. The total insurance carried
was $40, 600 The concern was Off
cered as follows:
Harry Weissinger, president: John
Middleton, vice-president; +. K. Phil
lips, superintendent, H. W. Kiesker,
treasurer; H. A. Vaughn, secretary Be-
sides the net loss of $4,000, the dam
age to their trade will be fully one
third that amount They will probably
rebuild at once