River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-05-02
a MONTREAL hoL ocAusr.
Hundreds of People Caught In a Burning



MONTREAL, Can. April CIV. C. Nc
Donald's extensive tobacco factory in
Ontario street was pa italy destroyed
by fire Thursday evening. Blaneh and
Victoria Ihibeadcau were killed aud
thirty-three Others. of whom most were
girls. were badly injured Fifteen of
those hurt, it is thought. will die.
The loss viii reach s5O0,0c0 on which
there is no insurance. There was not
q fire-escape OF The outside nor any APP
planes on the inside of the building
for fighting the fire. Even the win
dows were guarded by heavy iron
screens. presumably to prevent theft.
The fire started at 5 o'clock in the dry
ing-room, and for awhile smoldered.
Then suddenly the flames burst through
and panic ensued.
There were 9o0 employees in the
building, which had no fire escapes and
only two staircases in the interior. All
the windows were barred with heavy
iron lattice work, a precaution taken
to keep employees from throwing tobac-
co TO their friends. Frantic with fear,
the women, of whom there were fully
800 penned up on the top stairs,
screamed for help, half cholSed by the
greasy black smoke.
The dense crowd prayed and shouted
as it swayed to and fro in its excite
ment and horror, and relatives and
friends of the people made piteous APP
peals 70 save their loved ones. Some
of the girls managed TO tear one of the
iron lattices from window. Then the
real tragedy of the night began.
Blanche Thibeadeau, aged Is, crazed
with fear, jumped first and was bat
tered into shapeless mass. A cry of
horror went up, but it was only be-
ginning. Before tender hands could
4 lift the remains into an ambulance
others had attempted the terrible leap
/ following the first like frightened
| sheep. Out they came, one after an
other, till twenty inanimate bodies
/ Uttered the sidewalk and were carried
away to the various hospitals among
the lamentations of the crowd. Three
/ priests. their soutanes trailing in the
mud, We're kneeling ON the ground
/ praying for the souls of the unfor-
/ tunates Ambulances could not attend
\ tc them all and cabs were pressed into
service. Six were conveyed to the
| General. seven 10 the Notre Dame and
nine to the Royal Victoria hospital.
| Three firemen were on the roof and
| could not get down. For fully twenty
minutes their lives were in jeopardy
and they prayed and yelled 10y turns to
be saved. Then sufficient length of
ladders were secured to bring them
down. They were terribly burned In
the meantime the firemen had managed
| to break some more lattices and were
carrying crying women in long process
sions down the ladders Another fire
man was still on the roof and the
scene with the flames around him,
! his hands raised in prayer, re
/ minded one of the terrible dis
aster at the worlds fair. Finally
he was also taken down, but he was
/ terribly burned. His name was Max
/ Borel. Another fireman, Pat Croun,
| fell from a ladder and had both legs
! broken. Two others also lost their
footing and fell, break ng several ribs.
At late hour it is said at least six
| girls are missing and there is little
/ doubt their charred and crushed bodies
i ar. in tho Y.t1inG