Birmingham state herald., 1895-11-23
.FDUR BRAVE FIRE LADD|ES Were Buried Under Tons of
 Falling Wreckage. ONE GIRL WAS ALSO KILLED 4 Dozen Men, Women and Children Narrowly
 Escaped Death. THE PROPERTY LOSS WAS QUITE HEAVY The Fire Swept Through the Dry Goods and Woolen Exchange Building and Destroyed s4oo,ooo Worth
 of Property.
ONE GIRL WAS ALSO KILLED
THE PROPERTY LOSS WAS QUITE HEAVY


 life and property, swept through the dry goods and woolen exchange building this morning. Five firemen, in the active discharge of their duties and totally un- mindful of danger, were carried through floor and buried under tons of wreck age from the five floors above. Four of the men lie dead, but the fifth was not seriously injured. One girl fell from window and received injuries from which she died. A dozen other men, women and girls were hurt or overcome by smoke and many were rescued from inn minent death. The property loss to the building at 215 and 217 Vanburen street. and, 276 and PTS Franklin street, and con- tents is estimated at $400,000.
 The dead are:
 Patrick J. O'Donnell, lieutenant of En- zine company No. 2.
 Thomas J. Prendergast, pipeman.
 Martin Sherrock pipeman.
 John Downs, pipeman.
 Kate Landgraf, employed in A. Stern & Co.'S garter factory.
 Among the injured were:
 Daniel McNally, pipeman, removed to St. Luke's hospital; sprained leg and bruises.
 Olga Keller, leg and arm injured.
 Nellie Turner, fell from fourth story window and seriously hurt.
 Harry O'Neill, arm broken and back injured.
 John Bruenheimer, badly injured by falling from fourth story while assisting girls to escape.
 The others who were injured were girls and spectators who saved them, all being overcome by smoke, but they soon recov cred after medical treatment at hos pitfalls or their homes.
 A 4y kl< s..4, GxAx members of Engine company No. 2. Their captain, Lewis Fienne, escaped the awful plunge to death only by hanging to the wall of window on the second floor until released from his perilous position by firemen on a ladder.
 The owner of the burned building is Kubne, Nathan & Fisher, the firm whose factory and warehouse are at Vanbu- ren and Franklin streets, opposite the scene of death and destruction The following firms were burned out in the .L' shaped building, which was one of the most fire-proof and ornamental in the whole same business district: D. H. Arnold. Things and clothiers' supplies; s. Rosenberg, wholesale tailors trim mings; Stern 6 Beiers, wholesale cloth ing; S. Bernheimer's samples cotton goods; Louis M. Barnett, tailor; the Dime Lunch company; Waring Bros. carpet soap; J. G. Ralifieldt, samples, buttons; Abe Fink, notions and fancy goods; Too tal Broadhurst, Lee & O., wholesale cotton and woolen goods; N. G. Rechman & Co.,, wholesale clothing; Arnold Wolf, fancy and gentlemen's furnishing goods; w L. Lowenbach, manufacturers agents; Branham Bros. & Co.,, samples woolens; M. Klein, samples clothing, Philip Klein, matches; c. $. Mahoney & Co.,, samples notions; A. Stein, manu- lecturers of garters; J: Rothschild & Co., wholesale clothing; Stevens, Sanford & Handy, samples clothing: Klotz, Veith & Co.,, samples buttons: Fellows & Co.,, wholesale linen collars and cuffs; s. D. Stryker manufacturers agent; Kalama- zoo Pants and Overcoat company A. M. Liebenstein, wholesale silk handker- chiefs; D. F. Lonacher. wholesale cot ton goods; Assenheim & Reich. samples clothing; Judah Bros, samples cloaks and suits; F. Butterfield & Co.,, samples cloths; A. Robinson & O.. samples wool ems; Leavitt & Mitchell Bros., samples cloths: Centersville Manufacturing com pany, plush cloths; s. Einstein, agent; Louis Friedman, samples clothing; 5. Woertheimer & Co.,, samples; Erie But ton works, samples; s. Kahn, advertising novelties; D. Rosenkranz. gentlemen's furnishings; Othomen. Dyer & south wick, samples cloths; Military News Publishing company, composing room; National Thread company; Hammond, Knowlton & Co.,, wholesale thread; Y. Hellesoe, Rubber Type company; Town
 
 derwear: s. Plosinzsky, fur garment uanufa cturer; M. Delee, tailor; Hinch & Ould samples of cloths
 The loss on the building is s100.OO0. al- most covered by insurance. The aggre, gate loss of the many tenants is placed et S300 000 the heaviest individual losers being Stein & Belrs, S75.o0o.
 Tvhe fire started at 9:13 o'clock on the fourth floor of the seven-story building in the garter factory of Stein & O., where many girls were at Work. TWO If these. Kate Landgraf and Nellie Tur- ner. iumped from the windows of the fmuftia floor to the sidewalk. The others were Ihelped down by the firemen and by John ,Brueneheimer. The latter fell him salf after all the girls were out or the building and was badly hurt.
 The janitor thinks the ire was in- ccnfinry and accused a man named Buel. rvhile other occupants of the building say fi,.a fire originated in a little room on the thirdi floor used in the making or papier ma che forms. No arrest has been made: shortly after o'clock came the second tmresiy of the fire. The flames had been nracftcally extinguished and the firemen of Fngine No. company were ordered to inc fourth floor in the rear to put out anv incipient blaze that might be found. much of the contents In that part or the builiing only being water soaked. NOT one of the veteran firemen. from Chief sweeney down. imagined there was any dancer from falling floors. The unfor- tunate men had taken their hose from the fourth to the second fioor and, fire being found, Captain Feene went to the window on the north and was in the act of shouting to Peter Hart. the driver of the company, to shut OH the water wnen the fatal crash came.
 From the top floor came like an ava sIanche tons of timber, fire proof tiiing, uerchandise safes, radiators, fixtures from the different offices and a mass of other stuff on the heads and on all sides ty. An immense hole was made in the rear end of the second floor from the roof down, great masses of debris hanging on