The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-11-22
MANY LIVES IN PERIL
The Burning Of Emrlch's Factory a Weird
Scene Of Danger and Destruction.
WOMEN CARRIED OUT UNCONSCIOUS.
Cool Headed Men i,nd Police Officers
Come fo the Rescue and Prevent u
Fire Horror-Thc Stairwnys We're
damned With Painting and IJor.
row Stricken Females.

Chicago, H., Nov. PA fire wii!cll
| caused property loss of S50n 0D0 and
imperilled the lives OF half u thousand
persons, mostly youI,y wo,uun. origi-
mated at O'Clock this afternoon on the
third floor OF Charles Enrich & Co.
feather and down goods factory. No.
40 10 Isl South Canal street. The con-
| migration was attended by scenes OF
intense excitement and score of lire.
men narrowly escaped being killed by
lre and falling walls. When the flames
were raging most furiously In spitp OF
the best efforts of twenty-five engines
ana u small army OF firemcn, I; @ brands;
were carried by the wind TO niIuin
ing manufacturing buildings and ii look
ed as II many more would have t. 20
Ine seNen-Story brick building cN
tending from No. 175 Canal street South
TO the corner of Jackson street. The nine
story Drick building adjoining On the
ENortn, ana the greater part OF the rour-
story brick building I'm the same di-
| iection were entirely destroyed. Those
pullulhSS occupied nearly the whole Of
the plock on the West side Of Canal
street between Adams and Jackson
Streets. The seven and nime-story,
buildings were owned by Warren Sprin
ger, anu the owner of the four-story
structure, which is one-thrd saved is
| amply insured.
| me following firms were burned ont
| Shober Carquevilie. Autographs. who
occupied most of the Excelsior building
| -. u, ,me ,., corner OF jackson street; George
-: EiiroS Co. electrotype and stereo-
| Iype ihncnlnery manufacturers: George
| Lloyd Co, Cleveland Bicycle supnlies
Emrich IL Co, feather and down roods
Apher Shirt Waist factiry Gibson 5;
gas iixture factory, Chambers brick
iiiacnlhery manufacturers, Russell Pia,
no Company, Banner shirt waist Coc-
|
! Tory, Heusher Bakery Company, sam
| uel Lyon. mill supplies; George +. Blake
steam pump works: Knowles steam
pump works. Derby Cycle Company,
,omss, tnro, hisendrath 4 Dron, manufac-
| 'urerS OF mattresses and quilts
me following We're damaged by, fall
| ing walls and water: Miller, Hen
| bricks q Co, 5S West Jackson street
packers OF beef and pork; Hayward &.
windsor Company. confectionery 1S1
| Carl street '-
| ne losses of the above firms are cs-
| ,lnnaled At S350,ooO and the building loss
| is $780, 000 'o'f
| The fire started from an explosion of
| e.i9nIcals used In cleaning featliers
anu the rapidity with which the fia mns
spread In the Emerich factory, where
2oO girls and women are empIoved
| created panic In that building. The
frightened employees on the upper floors
| rushed for The elevators which we're
| '&'" iSN' ill1 tnt StalrwuyS were
soon jammed with the horror stricken
ana fainting females. Cool headed
men and police officers summoned by
me hre alarms in quick succession
came TO the rescue and prevented n
! lire horror. Officers stood guard at the
elevators and stairways to prevent
more than n safe number OF women
using those means of exit The excite
ment was as great among the 200 female
employees of the banner waist company
whose factory adjoin the Enrich
FACTORY. Only a thin partition wall
divided the Springer buildings, which
were practically one. In an alarming
ly short time flames had extended up
| and down and through the walls TO the
buildings on each side. The police
and tremcn had ii hard task to get ali
the young women in snfety to the.
| street. many having to be carried ont
| unconscious or else driven out. because
| the wanted to save their small personal
property, while there was not time
| for all To get their clothes and hats.
| So far as the police learned all who
were employed in the buildings, escap-
ed without serious injury, although
| many were bruised and scratched.