The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1895-05-02
ALL ESCAPE BARRED
Tobacco Factory at Montreal a
VeritabIe Fire Trap.
FLAMES CAUSED AWFUL PANIC
Women Were Forced to jump TO the
Warehouse Below. Risking
Life and Limb.

Montreal. April 25.-W. c. McDonalds
extensive tobacco factory, on Ontario
street. was partly destroyed by fire this
evening. The loss will reach $500 600
on which there is no insurance. There
was not a fire escape on the building
nor any appliances on the inside for
Sighting the fire. Even the windows
were guarded by heavy iron screc ms,
presumably to prevent theft.
The fire started AT o'clock, in the
drying ROOM and for a while smoldere ed
Then suddenly the flames burst through
| and a most awful panic ensued. There
were 800 employees in the building and
more than half of this number were wo-
men and girls. The shrieks of the wo-
men, as they beat against the iron
screens, praying the crowd to do some
thing to save them, were most heart
rending.
The girls were nearly all on the fourth
floor and were frantic with fear. With
much trouble, one of the iron lattices
was knocked off, when one of the girls
jumped and was almost shattered tc
pieces when she reached the roof of an
adjoining warehouse. In similar man.
ner, the others followed, to the number
of 30. The ambulances were kept busy
carrying the women and girls to the
hospital and some were driven in cabs
to their homes so far only one is known
to be dead, but several are believed to
be in the ruins.
| 1t was nearly midnight before the
place could be entered safely, and owing
to the darkness very little work can be
done before morning
AN AWFUL PANIC
"a
interviewed several who escaped. They
say the scene on the fourth floor was
beyond description. When the first
rush for the stairway occurred the pas
sageway 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 obstruction. but the irons were
too strong for their feeble blows. Death
seemed inevitable until Marie Gagnon
| found a window that yielded to the de-
termined blows of those who could get
their united efforts to bear. This win
dow overlooked a one-story warehouse
| Without a moments hesitation the wo-
man leaped into the air and landed on
|
ing and impelled by the smoke and
| flames which were making rapid prog
ress m that part of the building, other
women followed her example until
about 20 manned and bruised forms
we're piled upon the warehouse roof
BY this time the passageway had be-
come sufficiently cleared to permit a
more rapid clearing of the building.
The work of rescue by means of fire.
extension ladders was in progress and
many almost inanimate forms were car
ried out by the firemen.
MANY WE'RE CRUSHED.
On the third floor. where the fire start
ed, the scenes were almost as heart
rending, but, being warned sooner, the
operatives there were able to escape
quicker by the stairways. Many were
terribly crushed in the mad rush, but
the most serious casualties were con-
fined to those on the top floor
Great indignation is expressed against
the officials whose duty 1t Is to see that
the law is enforced in regard to the fire.
escape appliances. From inquiries at
the hospitals concerning the condition
of the girls injured 1t was learned that
but little hope is entertained for the
| recovery of at least five of them.