Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1895-11-29
Panic Among Girls on the Upper Floors
Caused Two Unfortunstes to
Jump to the Street.


cupied by Stein & Beirs, clothing; third
and fourth by Henri Newman. cloth
ing; fifth, Amazon Clothing Company;
sixth Fallows & Co.. collars and cuffs;
seventh, Townsend & Gale. clothing
and dry goods, and National Thread
Company.
The dead are:
Patrick ]. O'Donnell. lieutenant of
engine No. 2.
Martin Sherrick.
John Downs, pipeman.
John Prendergast, pipeman.
All the firemen were crushed by fall
Ing debris.
Kittie Landgraff jumped from the
fourth story window and died at the
county hospital.
The injured are:
Harry Neil, jumped from the fourth
story, will die.
Nellie Turner. jumped from the third
story, will die.
Aggie McLain.
Olga Kellar.
Hattie Brennan.
Edna Rittert.
Mary Pinky.
The latter two were overcome by
smoke. but will recover
Daniel McNally, the driver of engine
company No. 2 was buried beneath
the debris. but will recover.
PANIC AMONG GIRLS.
1t was few minutes before o'clock
this morning when Rose Brace, en-
ployed by Stern & Biers, on the third
floor, noticed an odor of smoke. She
stepped into a hallway, saw that the
corridors were rapidly filling with
smoke, and then gave an alarm. Thir-
ty girls were working in the room
Instantly there was confusion. AL
though every effort was made to check
the frightened girls, several opened
the windows and climbed out on the
Lodges. One of the first to do this was
Nellie Turner. She screamed for help
and some one on the ground shouted
for her to jump. She, however, went to
another window, where a fire escape
was, and climbed out. Those on the
street watched her movements with
great anxiety. She grasped the es-
cape and swung herself off from the
stone ledge upon which she had stood
and hundreds on the street below cheer
ed her. She commenced to descend.
officer Flaherty was also on the fire
escape between the first and second
him he started up toward 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.
The fire started on the fourth floor,
it is thought Thirty girls employed
there made frantic efforts to escape.
The janitor led all who would accom-
pany him to the main stairway and
they reached the street without injury,
but those who remained behind Jared
worse.
Olga Kellar, employed by Stein e
Biers, ran to fourth story window
sash and climbed on the ledge clinging
with one hand to a narrow strip of
wood on the outside of the sash. She
saw few feet below her a ladder on
which two firemen stood and prepared
to jump.
wait, don't jump shouted Captain
Hermanson, who had almost reached
the window. Great volumes of smoke
poured out of the window and at times
the girls form was entirely obscured.
To hundreds of people watching, the
seconds seemed like hours Cheer after
cheer went up for Captain Hermanson
as he climbed. He had almost reached
the window when he heard the girl
scream and saw her reel and release
her hold on the window siding. She
had been overcome by the smoke and
fell.
Captain Hermanson braced himself.
and as the unconscious form dropped
he seized 1t 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 lad
der with his human burden. The girl
was unconscious, but a physician said
she would recover.
Shortly before / o'clock a large safe
on the fifth floor fell to the fourth. car
rying 1t and the third, second and first
with 1t. Five men, members of engine
company, No. 2, were working on the
second floor and were buried beneath
the mass of brick. All were killed but
Daniel Mentally. After nearly an hours
work the rescuers had opened a pas
sageway through the pile of debris
and succeeded in getting close enough
to where the firemen were buried to as
sure themselves that Lieutenant O'Don-
nell was alive. He was Just able to
talk and 1t was with great difficulty
tudt HIS WoIuS COuiu De nearQ. Men
who knew him well recognized his
voice.
rs any one near you?" one of the
rescuers shouted.
Yes" came back the answer family
from O'Donnell
How many?" Two"
Alive or dead?" Dead. I think"
Gradually the lieutenant's voice be-
came weaker and his reply to the last
question was scarcely audible. The res
cuers called to him and asked him how
seriously he was injured. but he could
not make reply. The fire soon broke
out again and the rescuers were COM
PEELED to abandon their work.
ODonnells dead body was recovered
at O'Clock tonight.
The loss on the building and to the
tenants is estimated from $3.50, 900 to
100000. The building was valued at
sl5o.oOo; insured for 100000 The firm
owning the building is Kuhn, Nathan
& Fischer.