The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-04-26
FRANTIC GIRLS.
Fire in a Montreal Factory
Causes a Panic.
Nine Hundred Employees Gagged
in the Building.
LIFE DESPAIRED OF.
Ladders Finally Brought the
LIFE DESPAIRED OF.
Ladders Finally Brought the
Imprisoned Persons Down.

MONTREAL, Can, April 26.-W. c.
McDouald's extensive tobacco factory
son Ontario street was partially des-
troyed by fire yesterday evening. The
loss will reach $500, 900, on which there
is no insurance. There was not fire
escape on the outside nor any appli-
ances on the inside of the building for
the fighting of the fire. Even the
windows were guarded by heavy iron
screens, presumably to prevent theft
The FIRE started at 5 o'clock in the
drying room, and for a while was
smOthered. Then suddenly the flames
burst through and most awful panic
ensued. There were 900 employees in
the building and more than half this
number were women and girls. The
shrieks of the women as they beat
against the iron screen, praying
the crowd to do something to
save them, were heartrending.
As the flames burst out three firemen
were on the roof and for fully
twenty minutes their lives were de-
SPARED of, till finally ladders were
found to bring them down. They were
badly burned. The girls were nearly
all on the fourth floor and frantic with
fear. With much trouble one of the
iron lattices was knocked off, when
one of the girls jumped and was almost
shattered to pieces when she reached
the roof of an adjoining warehouse.
In similar manner the others followed
to the number of thirty.
The ambulances were kept busy car
rying the women and girls to the hos
pital, and some were driven in cabs to
their homes. So far one is known to
be dead, and several are believed to be
in the ruins. So far as the fremen
have been able to prosecute the rescue
no bodies have yet been discovered. It
was nearly midnight before the place
could be entered safely, and owing to
the darkness work cannot be done
until daylight.
The Associated press correspondent
interviewed several who escaped with
slight injuries. They say the scene on
the south floor was beyond descrip-
ton. 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 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
distractions, but they were too strong
for their feeble blows. Death seemed
inevitable until Marie Gagnon found a
window that yielded to the determined
blows of those who could get their
united efforts to bear. This window
overlooked an extensive one-story
warehouse. Without a moments hesi-
tation the woman leaped into the
air and landed on the roof be-
low. Encouraged by her daring and
impelled by the smoke and flames
which were making rapid progress in
that part of the building, other women
followed her example, until about
twenty MANNED and bruised forms were
on the roof.
From injuries at the hospital at a
late hour at night concerning the con-
dition of the girls injured by jumping
from the window of the burning
building, it was learned that but little
hope is entertained for the recovery of
at least FIVE