Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-02-28
PANIC AT A'BLAZE.
Two Hundred Girls, Made
Frantic by Fear,
RUSH DOWN A NARROW STAIRWAY,

The Result Being That q Dozen Are Seri-
ously Hurt, Some of Them Fatally
Flames Cost Chicago About Half q MIL
grafton. which Destroys a Big Machine
Shop and Other Property.
CHICAGO, Feb. 2S.-Twelve girls were
seriously injured in panic at the Lam
caster Caramel works, Il9 West Harrison
street. Five OF them were removed in an
unconscious condition and three will
probably die. There were over 2O girls,
ranging from II to 1s years of age, en-
ployed in the building and all attempted
to rush down a narrow staircase from the
second floor. The panic was caused by
a large fire which was raging in Charles
Kaestner g. Co.'S machinery factory at
2i1 jefferson street.
The injured 50 far as known are as
follows: Eta Goldman. III Liberty
street, trampled upon and fatally injured,
was taken to the county aospital; Emma
Kusick, 6SS Van Horn street, trampled
upon and fatally injured, was taken to the
county hospital; Lottie Hammond, -
Berlin street, seriously injured, was taken
to the county hospital. The burned
back to Law avenue. The fire started in
the center of the first floor at S:45 and
rapidly spread. Within twenty minutes
the entire building was in flames.
Crane Elevator Building Catches.
4 Ali alarm and n special cali for
twenty engines was sent in by Assistant
Fire Marshal Musham. Owing to the
fierceness of the fire the companies were
unable to get within 100 feet of the blaze
At Y:3o the Crane Elevator company
which adjoined the burning building on
Jefferson street, caught fire. A three
story double brick building on Law ave-
nue., opposite the kaestner building, also
caught fire and was partially gutted.
1t was occupied by ochulty & Hurst as
u mattress factory. Yet later the ;. A.
Maxwell building on Law avenue caught
fire. The firm deals in wall paper.
4 row of two-story frame buildings
22s to 236 jefferson street; from 2io to 2i6
jefferson also caught fire from the heat
and We're seriously damaged. Kaestner &
Co. IS building burned very rapidly owing
to the fact that the floors were all made of
wood. The planks We're saturated with
oil from the machines and supplied n firm
hold for the fire. AS the heat was gen.
Grated the iron girders became red hot
and collapsed, the roof and walls speedily
following. This building, in whic h the
fire started, is used on the lower floors by
Charles kaestncr & Co., Frank Hecht be-
ing one Of the partners.
Loss Is Enormous.
The fifth floor is used as glove factory,
and it is here that the fire first took hold.
The employees escaped safely, there being
no panic. The Crane Elevator company
had four story brick building running
from PIG to 2:9 South jefferson street.
The south half of this building caught
fire and is an utter ruin. The damage to
the Crane company will be over Sl0o,O00.
kaestncr's loss will be neary $4,000, as
they have a valuable plant and carried 1,
large stock. Maxwell & Co. will probably
suffer damage to the extent Of $500
When the Crane building caught Crane
& Co. got a number of teams and cartcd
away a lot of their stock. Flying embers
filled the air as far east rs Michigan ave-
nue., and pedestrians who were not aware
of the big fire which was going on on the
west side were at loss to understand
the strange occurrence. On Madison
street and Others running east and west
travellers were compelled to bow their
heads rs though heading through n snow
storm. In some instances clothing was
slightly burned from the still burning
brands.