Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-22
Firemen Buried Under Walls of a
Burning Building.
FATAL INJURIES OF INMATES
Leaped From Windows to Escape
Flames.
INSTANCE OF DARING RESCUE

CHICAGO, November 22.-TEis morning
disastrous fire broke out in the Exchange
building at Van Buren, and Market streets.
Several persons were injured. They were:
Nellie Turner, 2O9 North Center avenue,
jumped from third-story window. Internal
injuries and will die. Removed to hospital.
Kittie Landgraf, Jumped from fourth-story
window. Internally injured and will prob
ably die. Taken to county hospital. Harry
Neil, 1929 West Van Buren, street, seven
teen years old. jumped from the fourth
story window and internally injured: may
die Aggie MCLain. fourteen years old, over
come by smoke: will recover. Hattie Bren-
man, overcome by smoke; will recover. Ed
Rittert, overcome by smoke; Will recover.
Mary Pinto, overcome by smoke; will re-
cover Olga kellar, overcome by smoke;
will recover. John Gruenheimer is missing.
The fire Toke out in the seven-story terra
Gotta building Nos. 30 to rs Market
street, extending in an IL" to Van Buren,
street. The first and second floors were &C.
cupied by Stein & Beirs, clothing; the third
and fourth by Henry Newman. clothing;
fifth Amazon Clothing Company; sixth,
Fallow K Co., collars ar d cuffs: seventh,
Townsend & Gale, clothirg and dry goods,
and the National Thread Company.
The building will probably be entirely de-
stroyed, with all its contents.
Each of the firms employed women and
as soon as the presence of the fire was
made known all were thrown into a state
of great excitement. Panic reigned every
where and before some of the girls could
be restrained they had climbed out OF the
windows and jumped.
One of the first 20 appear at the third
story window was Nellie Turner. She
screamed for help and some one on the
ground shouted for her to jump. She did
not notice this. how ever. and left the win
dow. moment later she appeared at an
other. near fire escape. and climbed upon
the sill. She chung to the fire escape and
commenced TO. descend. Officer Flaherty
was also the fire escape between the
first and second story, and when he saw
the girl above him he started up to aid her.
He was too late.
She suddenly lost her balance and fell
headlong to the street. officer Flaherty
tried to catch her, but could not reach her.
She was picked up almost unconscious. The
injured girl was carried into a drug store
and stimuants were administered, but she
did not revive. She removed to the
county hospital
The building cost 100000 and was insured
for $4,000. 1t is owned by kul, Nathan &
Fische.
The fire seemed to have broken loose on
several floors of the big building at the
same instant and spread rapidly.
Brave Rescue.
The escape of Olga Kellar of 575 Wau-
bauhia avenue is regarded as marvellous
by those who saw her when she appeared
at a fourth-story window. She was
ployed by Stien & Bien, and when the
fill with smoke she ran to one of the WIN
dows overlooking Van Buren, street. She
threw up the sash and climbed out On the
ledge, cliuging with one hand to the
row strip of wood on the outside of the
sash. She saw few feet below her the
ladder which two firemen stood, and she
prepared to lump
Wait. don't jump shouted Capt Her.
manson. who lad almost reached the VIM
dow.
Great volumes of smoke nourad ont tho
window where the girl stood, and at times
her form was entirely obscured. To the
hundreds OF persons who were watching
her from the street the seconds seemed
like hours. Cheer after cheer went up
for Capt Hermanson as he climbed up
He had almost reached the woman when
he suddenly stopped. None on the street
knew the cause. He had heard the girl
scream. and as he looked up he saw her
reel and release her hold on the window
sashing. She had been overcome by the
smoke and had fallen
Captain Hermanson braced himself and as
the unconscious form dropped, he seized Il
with his right arm The effort nearly cost
him his own life, for he narrowly escaped
falling. From hundreds of threats cheers
We're heard as the brave captain descended
the ladder with his human burden. He was
greeted with unmistakable signs of approval
as he carried the girl across the street into
drug store She was unconscious, but a
physician said she would recover
The fire started on the fourth floor If il
Inoukht, IN rooms occupied by Stein IL Bien
Thirty girls We're employed there, and they
all made frantic efforts to escape
Among the first to come to their aid was
joe. the janitor of the building. He as
sured the girls that If they would remain
quiet and composed they would all get out
safely He led as many of them as he could
induce to accompany him to the main stair
way, and they reached the street without in
jury Those who remained behind, however
Jared worse.
Six Fircmen Buried Under Ruins.
a few minutes before l o'clock the Sec
ond and third floors fell. carrying with
them the first. On the latter six members
OF engine company No. were working
They were Capt. Louis Feline, his lisuten-
ant and four fnemen. All were buried in
the debris in the basement where the
three floors fell, and, it is believed, all
were killed.
The loss on the building and to the fem
ants is estimated at from $3.50 600 to s4OO
ooo. The building was valued at $12OOoO.