The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-18
Impossible to Reach the
Buried Bodies.
Thrilling Experience of Those
Who Escaped.
Stories Told by Those Who We're
Singed by Fire.

Troy, N. Y. Feb. 1S.-Several fire en-
gines are still pouring water upon the
ruins Of the Burdett building. IL any OF
the victims are in the runis IL will be i'm
possible to reach their bodies for hours,
perhaps for days. At this writing there
is no more information concerning the
victims other than that given last night.
No additional names have been reported.
Some OF those who escaped uninjured
had thrilling experiences Miss Bertha
Knight, who was an employe In the Office
OF Stettheimer Il Co., was one of the girls
who got out In safety. According to her
story the first she knew of the fire was
when one OF the girls in the office which
was located on the top floor OF the build
ing,came up from the ioor below and cried
out that there was a fire. 1--WE thought
at first she was joking" said Miss
knight, "Dat a moment later the cry OF
fire came from below n we all rushed
for the stairs. Some of the giils, myself
included, stopped to get their wraps.
that tie flames had cut of the exit
there. Then some one shouted
to go to the elevator, and we
all rushed there. We found the door
Of the elevator fastened and could not
open it. BY that time the fire was upon
oos haNtihE 5Ittuo w w tiiC tVPh OOIs Va
hair was singed by the blaze, but with
the Others i rushed through the smoking
room to the north doors. Here there was
another stairway used by the employees
in Van Zandt & Jacobs factory, while
the Stettheimer entrance was Oh the
south side of the building.
"We were able TO get down this stair
way and got to the street in safety, the
fire not having yet spread 10 the north
side. j did moi see any girls jump, but
knew that a number Of them tried To get
out by the fire escape. There were nine
girls in the Office and probably 100 wee
employed in the stitching room adioin-
ing. A few Of the girls had gone home,
but the large majority OF them were still
in the factory
Miss Bertha Ruedo, who was employed
in Van Zandt Il Jacobs shop, was also
one Of the girls who escaped BY the north
stairway. She had time enough to get her
idly consuming everything before them
when the girls in that shop made their
exit. They had but little time loft in
which to get out.
1t is a strange coincidence that the
women known to be killed were all mid
dle-aged and married. According to de-
putty state factory inspector Devine the
avenues for escape were plenty. The
flames broke out on the fifth fioor. This
is divided by a partition in two parts
with a door in the center known as a fire
DOR and to be opened only in such an
emergency. TIE south part, where the
fire started was occupied by Stettheimcr
q Company n the other part by Van
Zspdt, Jacobs a. Co. From each of these
two departments is a stairway, leading
directly to River street. II this door in
the partition, separating the two depart
ments, had been opened, then the en-
ployes of Stettheimer a. Company could
ha 90 oaoap ad fhrnJnE thu HQr,ar f p,anf ~
Van Zanot, jacobs & Company and down
the north stairway. The presum ptioon is
strong that the door between the two de-
partmenrs was never opened. The fire
burned so briskly In the portion in
which it broke out, that exit by the
stairway in that part was ut once cut off
and there remained only the elevator or
the
Stettheimer's insurance on stock Ia ST.
600 and $4,000 OIL fixtures. Insurance men
estimate loss on Burdett building $40.-
600, two thirds covered by insurance.
In the Mccarthy building the damage,
mostly by water, will not exceed $4,000.
Following is the list of dead; 1t is now
believed that there are no bodies in the
ruins:
Mrs. Catbarine Kane, 1876 Fourth street.
Mrs. Mary G.. Carroll, Monroe street.
Mrs. Johanna Doyle, Fifth avenue.
Additional to those named as injured
I'm last nights dispatches are:
Miss Lena Jarvis, arms and hands
burned.
Miss Mamie Redden, head burned.
George Nixon, head cutter, head and
hands burned.
The missing:
Mrs. Martin, of 60 Earl street and Miss
Mile Bradt OF 25i1 Fifth avenue.
They were at work on the upper floor In
the Office. The whereabouts Of others
mentioned as missing last night have been
accounted for.