Evening journal., 1896-02-18
DEATH IN THE FLAMES
Lives Lost By a Fire in a Troy
Collar Factory.
VICTIMS ARE WOMEN AND GIRLS
Some Jump From Fourth story Windows
aud Are Killed Others Perish In Seek
Ing Means of Escape Fire Caused by
Boys Careiessness.

TROY, y. Y, Feb. is-A small boy cars-
lessly throwing a match into pile Of oily
waste, blasting mass of flames. 800 girls
and women. frenzied with fright, fight
ing for life as the hot flames chased them
with hungry tongues, was the beginning
Of fire that consumed thousands Of dol
lars worth OF property and cnused the de-
struction OF many lives. From the out
side OF the high building the first notice Of
impending disaster was the sight Of q bevy
OF girls as they rushed out upon the fire
escapes from the windows, those who were
more fortunate crowding out ot the en-
trnnoe. Following them and wrapping
about them was mass OF smoke, with
flashes of hot flame In lurid streaks. Then
the mass OF frenZled humanity, finding
tho epresses too small for instant escnpe
began climbing over the sides OF the es-
capes, and bundles of clothing filled with
writhinR humanity dropped at the feet OF
the Mortified pnsscrsby. Within 20 min
utes after the fire started there were three
dead women laid upon the floor OF an adj
joining store and at least dozen burned
and manned girls and women taken to the
hospital or TO their homes.
IL was just 30 minutes before closing
time in Stettheimer & Co. 3 shirt waist
and women were working rapidly 10 fin
ish up. In the cutting room, on the fifth
floor, the 80 girls were closing up their
days assignments and preparing 70 leave
when the whistle blew.
Girl developed In Flames.
Lille Kreiger who was working near
machine, called TO small boy to light the
gas over her work. The boy struck
match and throw the burning stub to the
floor. IL struck pile Of oily rags and in
an instant the girl was enveloped In
flames. With her clothes and hair burn
ing, she rushed 20 the window, and In an
instant the room became a struggling
shrieking mass OF humanity, filling the
windows, the fire escapes and the only
stairway Jamming and pushing, tearing
each others' clothes from their backs, turn
ing in narrow corridors TO find sister or
mother or friend, the number In the exits
augmented every minute by those from the
othor floors, these girls and women fought
for their lives to get away from the fiery
flames that seemed TO grow 70 monstrous
size.
With rare presence OF mind, Policeman
/ Farrell, who was on the street, seeing that
in the panic number were liable 10 jump,
let down the awning over the entrance
| Barely was It down when two or three
forms came flying down from the fifth
and sixth stories, and. bounding from the
awning, fell to the sidewalk,
Lille Kreiger, over whose machine the
fire started. was one OF these She struck
the awning fell on her back and bounded
to her hands and knees on the walk. She
got up and staggered about until people
helped her 10 her feet again.
Fell to the Pavement Below.
BY this time nearly every window had
female form dangling from 1t, and when
the fremen arrived there was hustle to
| get the ladders up. AT the center WIN
dow on the sixth floor a woman, hanging
by her hands, was forced out by the flames
licking her face. With last shrek she
let go and came tumbling over and over
Until she struck the pavement. When
picked up, It was found that she was Mrs.
MufRnret Carroll. Her spinal column was
forced through into her brain. Just be-
low her, IN another window, hung wom-
an, turning appealing glances 20 the
crowd The black smoke was pouring
from the window, but as yet no ilames
were visible, and the crowd yelled encour-
aglngly to her to hold on, but a higher red
flame reached out just then and licked her
face, and in an instant her body was re-
bounding from the payement She was
Mrs Foley, a widow and when picked up
was dead.
On the same floor, hanging from anoth-
er window, was woman, and salvation In
the shape of O ladder was almost within
her grasp when her strength failed, and
she went whirling down to death. She was
Mrs. Kane.
The tlremen and police worked like he.
roes and to their energy was due great
saving Of life. At least dozen women
and girls were carried down the ladders or
dragged out Of the corridors, the officers
and firemen going into the midst Of the
smoke and flames
The fire burned so fleroely by this time
that no detailed search of the building
could be made, and from what can be
/ learned there wero many girls and women
on the three upper stories, either lying in
/ fainting fits OF else overcome by smoke.
II was this fact that led to the rumors that
there wero at least 20 women dead, but
this was later found TO be an cxaggeratiOn.
Under Falling Walls.
The flames ate down through three floors
so quickly that the Western Union Tele-
| graph company, the Jcssup & Gooppner
! Crookory company and Van Iandt & ,Ia-
! ANRo AhAttA AAtAAAAnAANAa AlttA AfN NAANl ~
save anything.
About O'Clock the fremen heard
shrieks coming from the two story build
ing on the south, and they discovered an
Italian pcddler named Joseph Rossi, who
kept stand In front Of the building, pin
ioned by tho legs under heavy beam.
Three policemen started to assist him, and.
with q fireman worked for three-quarters
Of an hour. They had Just about got him
loose when, with rohr, the great south
walls cuiue crashing down, and the horri-
fled spectators saw the brave little group
buried from view.
When the smoke and dust had cleared,
there was rush OF willing workers. and
in little while the men were taken out.
All were injured and had TO be removed
to the hospital. The italian will probably
die, but the brave policemen, while badly
hurt will recover
Superintendent willard OF the police