The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-22
GIRLS IN A PANIC AT A FIRE.
NARROW ESCAPE FROM TERRIBLE
Loss OF LIFE,

The Police and Firemen Finally
succeed in Getting Them All Out
OF the burning buildings without
Loss of Life-AIany of Them Faint
and Many Severely Scratched and
bruised in the wild Scramble to
Escape.
Chicago, Nov. PA fire which caused
e property loss of $4,000 and imperiled
the lives Of half a thousand persons.
mostly young women, originated at 3
o'clock this afternoon on the third floor
OF Charles Emerich & Co.'S feather and
down goods factory, 175-lSl South Canal
street. The conhagration was attended
by scenes of intense excitement, and a
fireman narrowly escaped being killed
by falling walls. When the flames were
raging most furiously, in spite of the
best efforts of twenty-five engines and
a small army of firemen. fire brands were
carried by the wind TO adjoining manu-
featuring buildings, and it looked as if
many more would have to go.
The seven-story brick building, extend
ing from 175 Canal street south to the
corner of Jackson, the nine-story brick
building adjoining on the north. and the
greater part of a four-story brick build
ing in the same direction were entirely
destroyed. These buildings occupied
nearly the whole of the block on the
west side Of Canal street, between Ad-
AIMS and Jackson streets. The seven
and nine-story buildings were owned by
Warren Springer and the owner of the
f0lr-story structure, which is one-third
saved. is William J. Wilson. The build
iugs Were amply insured
The following firms were burned out:
shober & Carqueville, lithogrs piers, who
oecupied>most of the Excelsior building a
The corner Of Jackson street: George +.
Lloyd & Co., electro-type and stereotype
machinery manufacturers; George +.
Lloyd a. Co, Cleveland bicycles. Charles
Emerich a. Co., feathers and down goods;
ners' Shirt Waist Factory; Glib
son Gas Fixture Company; Cham
bers Brick Machine Manufac-
turerS: Russell Piano COMPANY: Banner
Shirt Waist Factory: Epworth Piano and
Organ Company; Heusner Bakery Com
pany; Samuel Lyon, mill supplies; George
steam pump works; Derby Cycle Com
pany; Strouss, Eisendrath & Dron, man
ufaeturers of mattresses ana quilts.
me Following were damaged by falling
walls and water: Miller, Hendricks &
Co.., 50 West Jackson street, packers of
peer and pork; Hayward and Windsor
CUliApalys GOHlGCIOuHES, lbl Oandl street.
The losses to the above firms are esti-
mated at $4,000, and the loss on build
ings at S150000.
The fire started from an explosion of
chemicals used in cleaning feathers and
the rapidity with which the flames spread
in the Emerich factory, where 200 girls
and women were employed created a
panic in that building. The frightened
employees on the upper floors rushed for
the elevators, which were small and few,
ana the stairways were soon jammed with
horror-stricken and fainting females
Cool-headed men and police officers sum
moned by the 1re alarms in quick success
sion came to the rescue and prevented
a fre horror. Officers stood guard at the
elevators and stairways to prevent more
than safe number of women using those
means of exit.
The excitement was great among the
200 female employees of the Banner Waist
Company, whose factory adioined the
Emerich factory. Only a thin partition
wall divided the Springer buildings which
We're practically one, and in an alarm
lngly short time the flames had extended
up and down ana through the walls to
the buildings on each side.
The police and firemen had a hard
task to get all the young women in safe
". TO the street, many having TO be car
ried out unconscious or else driven out
because they wanted to save their small
personal property, while there was not
ume Tor all to get their cloaks and hats
50 far as the police have learned, all
who We're employed in the buildings es-
caped without serious injury, although
many We're bruised and scratched.