The Delta independent., 1895-05-01
A PANIC AT A FIRE.
A Huge Tobacco Factory at Montreal
Employing Nine Hundred Persons, In,
Flames-There We're No Fire Escapes
and Many Women and Girls Jumped
From the Windows.

Montreal, Quebec, April 25.-W. q.
McDonalds extensive tobacco factory
on Ontario street. was partially de-
stroyed by fire this evening. The loss
will reach half Il million dollars, on
which there is no insurance.
There was not fire escape on the
outside nor any appliances on the in
side of the building for the fighting OF
the fire. Even the windows were
guarded by heavy iron screens, pre-
sumably to prevent theft.
The fire started at ) o'clock in the
drying room, and for Il while smould-
cred. Then suddenly the flames burst
through and most awful panic en-
sued. There were 800 employees in the
building, and more than half this mum
Der were women and girls. The
ShriekS of the women as they beat
against the iron screens, praying the
crowd to do something to save them
were most hcart-rending. AS the tlamCs
burst through, four firemen were on the
roof, and for twenty minutes their
ligss were despaired of, until finally
ladders were found to bring them
down. They were badly burned.
The girls were nearly all on the
fourth floor and We're frantic with fear.
With much trouble one OF the iron lat
tices was knocked off, when one OF the
girls jumped and was almost shattered
to pieces when she reached the roof or
an adjoining warehouse. In similar
manner the others followed to the num-
Der of thirty. The ambulanceS We're
kept busy carrying the women ana
girls to the hospital, and some were
driven in cabs to their homes. SO fal
only one is known to be dead, but scv.
eral are believed to be in the ruins.
1t was nearly midnight before the
place could be entered safely, and ow.
ing to the darkness very little work
can be done before morning. Inc AS
SOciated Press correspondent inter
viewed several who escaped. They say
the scene on the fourth floor was be
yond description. When the first wild
rush for the stairway occurred, the
passageway was solidly packed. and
many tainted and fell under the feet
of the crowd.
Then a mad rush was made to the
windows. But the crowd forgot about
the heavy screens which guarded that
means of escape. Frantic women tore
their hands beating against the cruel
obStructiOns. but the irons We're tO'
strong for their feeble blows. Death
seemed inevitable. until Marie Gagnon
found a window that yielded to the d"
tcrmined blows Of those who could gel
their united efforts to bear. This win
dow overlooked an extensive twostorI
warehouse. Without n moments hcSi
tation the woman lcapcd into the a!f
and landed on the roof below. EnCour
aged by her daring and impelled by the
smoke and flames which were maxim.
rapid progress in that part of the build
ing, other women followed her exam
pie until about twenty manned aud
bruised forms were piled up on thu
warehouse roof. By this time the pass
agc-way had become sufficiently clear
ed to permit more rapid clearing Ol
the building. The work Of rescue by
means of fire extension ladders was In
progress and many almost inanlma'e
forms were carried out by the hrc-
men.
on the third floor, where the fir"
started. the scenes were almost A.
hcart-rcnding, but being warned soon
cr. the operatives there were able to
escape quicker by tn" stalrways Many
were terribly crushed In tn" mad rush,
but the most serious casualties w"r'
confined to those on the top floor.
Great Indignation Is expressed
against the officials whose duty 1t is to
see that the law is enforced In regard
to fire cscap" appliances.
From inquiries mt the hospitals at =
late hour tonight, concerning til" con
dition of the girls injured by jumpin.
from the windows OF the burning
building, 1t was learned that but littl,
hope Is entertained for the recovery OF
at least five