The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-04-26
A TERRIBLE FIRE.
Hundreds o, Employees Ponnod In u
Burning Bnilding
we're RESCUED rs BY / MIRACLE.
hut at Least Flvo Arc Supposed to DO
Fatally Hurt-ThIrty Girls Jump
From tho Flames IN tho Fourth
Story-Slno Hundred Persons Wore
In tho Bulldlng, Halt of Whom
Wcro Women aud Girls.

MONTREAL, April 25.-W. c. McDon.
AIDS extensive tobacco factory on On.
tarlo street, waapartially destroyed by
lro this evening, Tho loss will roach
half million, on which thoro Is no In.
suranco. d
Thore was not drn escape on tho
outside, nor any appliances on tho in.
aldo ui tho building for the fighting OF
fire. Eyen tho windows were guarded
by heavy iron screens, presumably to-
prevent thOit.
Tho fro started at 8 p. M, in the
drying room aud for whilc shoulder
cd. Then suddenly the flames burst
out and mott awful panic onsuod.
Thore wore nino hundred employees in
the building and more than half Of this
number wcre women and girls. Tho
shrieks OF tho women rs they beat
against tho iron screens, praying tho
crowd 10 do something 10 save them,
were most hoartrendng.
AZ tho flames burst out three aromen
were on tho roof. and for fully twenty
minutes their lives were despaired OF.
till finally ladders wore found to bring
them down. They were badly burned.
Tho girls wore nearly all on the fourth
floor and frantic with fear. With much
trouble ono OF the iron lat.ices was
knocked OF, when one OF the girls
jumped and was almost shattered to
pieces when she reached the roof OF an
adjoining warehouse. In similar man.
ner the others followed to the number
OF thirty.
The ambulauces were kept busy car.
rving the women and girls to the hos.
pitals, and some were driven in cabs to
their homes. So far one Is known to be
dead aud several others arc believed to
be in the ruins. From enquiries at the
hospitals at late hour tonight con.
cerning tho condition OF tho girl, in.
jured BY jumping from the windows OF
the burning buildings, 1t was learned
that but lisllo hope was entertained for
the recovery Of at least five.
The first girl TO make tho terrible
leap from tho fourth floor to tho ware
house roof was Mario Gagnon. who was
picked up in an insensiblc condition
with her back broken. She cannot live
many hours.
So far rs the fremcn have been able
to prosecute tho search In the ruins, no
bodies have yo. been discovered. It
wai nearly midnight before the place
could be entered with safety aud owing
to the darkness, effective work cannot
be done till daylight.
The Associated Press correspondent
interviewed several Of tho women who
escaped with slight injuries. They say
the scene Of the fourth floor was beyond
| description. When the first wild rush
for the stairway occurred the passage.
way was solldly packed, and many
tainted and fell under the feet
OF tho trenzied mob. Then q
mad rush was nado 10 the
windows, but the crowd forgot about
tho heavy iron screens which guarded
that means Of egrcss. Frantic women
tore their hands, beating against the
cruel distinctions. but they wero too
strong for their feeble blows. Death
seemed inevitable until Mario Gagnou
found q window that yielded to the do.
termined blows OF those who could got
their united efforts to bear. This win
dow overlooked an extensive one-story
warehouse.
Without moments hesitation the
unfortunate woman lcapod Into the air
and landed on the roof below. Encour-
aged by her daring, and i'm pc ed by tho
smoke and flames which made
rapid progress In that part OF
the building. other women followed
her example. until about twenty
MANNED and bruised forms werc
piled upon the warehouse roof. By
this time tho passageway had become
sufficiently cleared to permit more
rapid clearing Of tho building. The
work oil rescue by means OF fire exten.
sion ladder. was In progress and many
almost inanimnte forms were carried
ont by tho brave iiremon.
On tho third floor, whore tho fire
started, tho scenes wore almest heart
rending, but boiug warned sooner. tho
operatives wero able to escape quicker
by tho a,airways. Many wcre terribly
crushed In tho mad ruah, but tho most
serious casualtios were confined to those
on tho top fiat.
Great indignation is expressed against
tho officials whoae duty 1t was to SEQ
that tho law was enforced in regard to
fro escapes and appliances.