The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-11-22
CHICACOSSECOND
Another Big Fire There This
Morning.
Three Hundred Girls Narrowly
Escape.
A TERRIBLE SIGHT.
Some Jump to Pavement and
Are Killed.
TERRIBLE SIGHT.
Brave Rescue of Olga Kellar by
Capt. Hermanson.

CHICAGO, Nov. 22-This morning a
disastrous fire broke out in the exchange
building at Van Buren, and Market
streets. Several persons were injured.
They were:
Nellie Turner, 200 North Center ave-
nue., jumped from third story window.
Internal injuries and will die. Removed
to hospital.
Kittie Landgraf, jumped from fourth
story window. Internally injured and
will probably die. Taken to county hos
pital.
Harry Neil, 1929 West Van Buren,
street, II years old. jumped from the
fourth story window and internally in
jured. May die.
Aggie McLain, 13years old, overcome
by smoke, will recover.
Hattie Brennan, overcome by smoke.
will recover.
Edna Ritter, overcome by smoke, will
recover
Mary Pinto, overcome by smoke, will
recover
Olga Kellar, overcome by smoke, will
recover.
The missing, john Gruenheimer.
The first and second floors were occu-
pied by Stein 6 Beirs, clothing; the third
and fourth by Henry Newman, clothing;
fifth, Amazon Clothing company; sixth,
Fallows s. Co., collars and cuffs; seventh,
Townsend & Gale, clothing and dry
goods and the National Thread com
pany.
Each of the firms employed women.
Panic reigned everywhere and before
some of the 300 girls could be restrained
they had climbed out of the windows
and jumped.
The building cost $4,000 and was
insured for 100000, and kuh, Nathan
& Fische owned it.
The escape of Olga Kellar of 575 Van
Buren, avenue. is regarded as marvellous
by those who saw her when she appeared
at fourth story window When the
room where she was working began to
fill with smoke she ran to one of the
windows overlooking Van Buren, street.
She threw up the sash and 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 the ladder on which two
tiremen stood and she prepared 10 jump.
| "W ait; don't jump" shouted Capt
| Hermanson, who had almost reached the
window.
! Great volumes of smoke poured out
| of the window where the girl stood, and
at times her form was entirely obscured,
| Cheer after cheer went up for Capt.
| Hermanson as he climed up. He had
almost reached the window when he
suddenly stopped. He had heard the
| girl scream, and as he looked up he saw
her reel aud release her hold on the
window siding. She had been over
come by the smoke and had fallen. Capt.
| 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
| Threats cheers were heard as the brave
| captain descended the ladder with his
human burden. He was greeted with
unmistakeable signs of approval as he
carried the girl across the street into a
drug store. She was unconscious, but q
| physician said she would recover
A few minutes before l o'clock the
second and third floors fell carrying with
them the first On the latter six mem
bers of Engine Company No were
working. They were Capt. Louis Feline
his lieutenant and four linemen. All
were buried in the debris in the base.
ment, where the three floors fell, and il
is believed all were killed.
The names of the firemen aside from
the captain who were buried by the fall.
| ing wall are:
PATRICK MCDONALD,
MARTIN DoWN,
JOHN BRERDERGAsT,