The Anaconda standard., 1895-11-23
FIVE PERSONS DEAD
Chicago Again Visited by Death and
Destruction.
IN THE EXCHANGE BUILDING
Several Firemen Buried Beneath
the Debris-Many Seriously In
Jured - Frightened Girls
q Brave officer.

Chicago, Nov. 22.-The interior OF the
Exchange building. a seven-story struc-
ture at the corner OF Van Buren and
Franklin streets, was destroyed by fire
to-day. entailing a loss of s375,000 upon
the owners and tenants of the building
and causing the loss Of five lives. the
fatal injury of two others and the in
jury of six other people.
The dead are: Patrick J. O'Donnen,
lieutenant of engine company No. 2;
Martin Sherrick, John Downs, pipe
men; John Prendergast, pipeman. All
the firemen were crushed by falling
debris. Kittie Landgraf jumped from
the fourth story window and died at
the county hospital.
The injured are: Harry Neil, jumped
from the fourth story. will die; Nellie
Turner, jumped from the third story
window, will die; Aggie McClain, Olga
Keller. Hattie Brennan, Edna Riotert
and Mary Pinky were overcome by
smoke, but win recover. Daniel Nc
Nally, driver for engine company No.
2. buried beneath debris, will recover.
Tt was a few minutes before o'clock
this morning when Rose Brace, en-
ployed by Stien & Beirs. on the third
floor, noticed an odor OF smoke. She
stepped out into a hallway. saw that
the corridors were rapidly filling with
smoke, and then gave an alram. Thirty
girls were working in the room. In
stantly there was confusion. Although
every effort was made to check the
frightened girls. several opened the
windows and climbed out on the ledges.
One of the first to do this was Nellie
11al nd
some one on the ground shouted for
her to jump. She. however, went ITO an
other window. where a fire escape was,
and climbed out. Those on the street
watched her movements with great
anxiety. She grasped the escape and
swung herself off from the stone ledge
upon which she had stood and hun
dreds on the street below cheered her.
She commenced to descend. Officer
F1aherty was also on the fire escape
between the first and second stories,
and when he saw the girl above him
he stas@sd-ep-<eward-h her.-He was too
late. She suddenly lost her balance
and fell. Officer Flaherty tried TO
catch her, but could not reach her.
She was picked up unconscious.
Olga Kellar. employed by Stein &
Beirs, ran to the fourth story window,
overlooking Van Buren street, threw
up the sash, climbed out on the ledge.
clinging with one hand to the narrow
strip of wood on the outside of the
sash. She saw a few feet below her a
ladder on which two firemen stood
and prepared to jump. wait, don't
jump" shouted Captain Hermanson,
who had almost reached the window.
Great volumes of smoke poured out OF
the window and at times the girls
form was entirely obscured. To the
hundreds OF persons watching the Sec
onds seemed like hours. Cheer after
cheer went up for Captain Hermanson
as he climbed. He almost reached the
window when he heard the girl scream
and saw her reel and release her hold
on the window siding. She had been
overcome by the smoke and had fallen.
Captain Hermanson braced himself.
and as the unconscious form dropped,
he seized 1t with his right arm. The
effort nearly cost him his own life. for
he narrowly escaped falling. From
hundreds of throats cheers were heard
as the brave captain descended the lad
der with his human burden. The girl
was unconscious, but the physician
said she would recover.
Shortly before 1 O'Clock a large safe
on the fifth floor fell to the fourth.
carrying 1t and the third, second and
first with 1t. Five men, members Of
engine company No. 2. were working on
the second floor, and all were buried
beneath the mass of brick. All were
killed but Daniel McNally After near
ly an hours work. the rescuers had
opened a pasageway through the pile
Of debris and succeeded in getting close
enough to where the firemen were bur-
led to assure themselves that Aeuten-
ant O'Donnell was alive. He was Just
able to talk, and IL was with great dh-
fculty that his words could be heard.
Men who knew him well recognized his
voice.
'Ts anyone near your" one of the res
cuers shouted.
YES" came back the answer family
from O'Donnell.
How many?"
Two"
"Alive or dead?' Dead. / think"
Gradually the lieutenant's voice be-
came weaker and his reply to the last
question was scarcely audible. The res
cuers called to him and asked him how
he was injured but he could
not make reply. The fire soon broke
out again and the rescuers were COM
PEELED to abandon their work O'Don-
nelrs dead body was recovered at Z
o'clock tonight.
Gold Exports
New York. Nov. 22.-Lazard Freres |