The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-23
PANIC AMONG OCCUPANTS
FRIGHTFUb JUMP OR FALL OF TWO
GIRLS AND A YOUNG MAN.
Five Ffremen Buried I'm the Debris
by a CooI-Headed Captain.


and tenants of the building and causing the
loss OF five lives. the fatal injury of two
others and the injury of six more who are
expected to recover. The dead are:
PARICK J. O'DONNELL lieutenant Of
Engine Company 2.
MARTIN HERRICK, pipeman.
JOHN DOWNS. pipeman.
JOHN PRENDERGAST, pipeman. (Al
the hremen were crushed by falling debris.)
KITTIE LANGRAF Jumped psSi.rrs,9 from
died at County Hospital.
The injured are:
HARRY NEIL. jumped from fourth-story
window; internally injured and left arrn
broken; will die.
story window; internally injured; will die
AGGIE MCALIN, overcome by smoke;
OLGA KELLER, overcome by smoke;
HATTIE BRENNAN. overcome by smoke;
EDNA RITTERT, overcome by smoke;
will recover.
MARY PINKY, overcome by smoke;
DANIEL MNALI.Y, driver for engine
company No. ?, buried beneath debris; will
eecover.
1t was q few minutes before o'clock
this morning when Rose Brace, employed
by Stern & Beiers, noticed an odor Of smoke.
She was working near door, and stepping
out into the hallway, her suspicious were
confirmed. The corridors were rapidly fill
ing with smoke and she ran back into the
work room. Thirty girls were there.
Fire. Fire, The building is on fre"'
the frightened girl cried as she dashed past
her companions. Instantly there was con-
fusion. Following the example of the girl
who had given the alarm a score or more
employees ran here and there, not knowing
what to do or where to go.
NELLIE TURNER'S FALL.
Although every effort was made to con-
troll the frightened girls, several opened the
windows and climbed cut on the lodges.
One of the first to do this was Nellie Tur-
ner. She screamed for help, and some one
on the ground shouted to her TO jump. She,
however, went to another window
fire escape ard climbed out. Those on
! the street watched her movements with
| great anxiety. She grasped the escape
and swung herself off from the stone ledge
on which she had stood, and hundreds on
| the street below cheered. She commenced
/ to descend Officer Flaherty was also on
the fire escape between the first and Sec
1 ond story, and when ne saw the girl above
him he started up to aid 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.
| as marvellous by those who saw her when
| she appeared at fourth-story window.
| When the room began to fill with smoke
! she ran to one of the windows overlooking
| Van Buren street. She threw up the sash
and climbed out the ledge, ciinging with
one hand to the narrow strip of wood on
| the outside OF the sash. She saw few
| feet below her the ladder on which two
| firemen stood. and she prepared to jump.
Wait. don't jump shouted Captain
| Hermanson. who had almost reached the
| window.
Great volumes of smoke poured out the
! window where the girl stood, and at times.
| her form was obscured. To the hundreds
of persons who were watching her from
| the street the seconds seemed like hours.
Cheer after cheer went up for Captain Her.
manson as he climbed up. He had almost
stopped. None on the street knew the
cause. He had heard the girl scream, and
her hold of The window SILL She had been
| overcome by Nthe smoke and had fallen.
Captain Hermanson braced himself. and as
the unconscious form dropped he seized it
| 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 ladder with his human burden. He was
| greeted with unmistakable signs of appre-
| citation as he carried the girl into drug
store. She was unconscious, but a physi-
clan said she would recover.
| FIVE FIREMEN CRUSHED.
BY noon the firemen thought the worst
| Of the days battle was past. They were
mistaken. Shortly before o'clock a large
safe on the fifth floor fell to the fourth,
carrying it and the third, second
| and first floors with it, Five men, members
| of engine company No. 2 were working on
the second floor and all were buried be-
meath the mass of brick, stone and timber.
All were killed but Daniel McNally. After
| nearly an hours work the rescuers had
Sesrs and sacseeSed in getting t close
! enough TO where the fremen were buried
to assure themselves that Lieutenant
| O'Donnell was alive. He was just able to
talk and it was with great difficulty that
| his words could be heard Men who knew
him we'll recognized his voice.
yes came back the answer family.
from oDonnell.
| How many?"
Two"
Alive or dead?"
Dead, l think"
Gradually the Lieutenant's voice became
weaker and his reply TO the last question
was scarcely audible. The reseuers called
| 10 MIN ana asked MINI now SERIOUSLY lie
| was injured. He could not make reply.
| The fire soon broke out again and the
| rescuers were compelled TO abandon their
work. ODonnelPs dead body was recovered
! at o'clock tonight. There were forty
| seven tenants I'm the building, but many
of them were agents of Eastern manufac-
| turers and their loss will be small. The
heaviest losers are:
! Kuh. Nathan & Fisher. owners of
d. ooIio'as n Arnold CO.. clothiers sup .'''V'''
pifes...s -l,'st
/ = Rosenberg & Co., tailors' supplies. 2o.001
! Stern & Beiers. wholesale clothing. 50. .0c1
| Broadhurst. Lee < Co.. cotton and
wOoleu goods. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. DUN
4 & u. Stryker, dry goods. 2o.000
The remainder of the loss divided
| among the many small establishments In
the building the losses running all the way
! from few hundreds 10 $1,000
Three Women Burned tn Death.
BROWNSVILLE. KY, Nov. 2.-Three
| persons lost their lives last night by an In
cendiary fire In a cabin at Stony Point. in
this county. The cabin was owned by Glib
! son Armstrong. colored. who, with his wife
and two daughters and niece. Mollie Whit
ney were asleep when fire broke out.
Nancy Armstrong and Mollic Whitney were