The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-18

on the three upper floors, either lying in
fainting fits or overcome by smoke. 1t was
this fact that led TO the rumors that there
were at least twenty women dead. and the
story even at this writing does not seem
improbable.
The flames ate down through three floors
so quickly that the employees of the West
ern Union Telegraph Company. the Jessup
& Gooppner Crockery Company and Van
zandt & Jacobs collar manufactury had no
time to save anything. One house caught
fire from the falling of a portion of tire
roof and from it small buildings on the
south also caught.
About O'Clock the fremen heard shrieks
coming from the two-story building on the
south They discovered an Italian peddler.
named Joseph Rossi who kept a stand in
front of the building, pini0ne1 by the legs
under a heavy beam. Three policemen
started to assist him and. with fireman.
worked for three-quarters of an hour. They
had Just about gotten him loose, when,
with a roar. the great south wall came
crashing down and the Mortified spectators
saw the brave little group buried from view.
When the smoke and dust had cleared there
was a rush of willing workers and in a
little while the men were taken out. All
were injured and had TO be removed 10
the hospital. The Italian will probably die,
but the brave policemen while badly hurt,
will recover.
superintendent Willard, OF the police
force says that he saw number of girls
at windows who never came out, but fell
back into the flames. One fireman who was
working from the rear saw three girls, with
their arms wound tightly about each other,
turn in their frenzy, and jump back into
the flames Some of the women who es-
capped tell of stumbling over PROSTATE bod
les. and are positive that a score OF girls
persisted The girls who did escape live in
various suburban places and hurried away.
so that until the roll is called in the morn
ing. the exact number Of missing will not
be known.
Lottie and Nellie Hull, sisters. grasped
each other tightly by the hands and started
down the stairs from the sixth story. AT
the landing of the fifth floor they encount-
cred a wall of fame and smoke. Nellie
had on only her corsets and skirt having
been making her toilet. Lottie, who was
also partially dressed, threw her dress over
Nellie's face, and together they went
through the flames. Lottie's hair was
burned off when she reached the sidewalk.
but Nellie was burned only about her bare
arms. They were taken home
The total loss by the fire is from $4,000
to s3Ooo0O with about 100000 insurance. AT
least five hundred people are thrown out
OF employment. The firemen worked to-
night. with the thermometer down below
zero, and suffered very much. Two coroners
were summoned, a jury was empanneled to
care for the dead.
Superintendent of Police Willard said at
midnight: The returns from the various
precincts show that there are at least mr.
teen people missing and with the five al
ready known to be missing that will make
twenty .ost in the ruins. / imagine that
there are many more, for 1t seems to me
impossible that all the people in that build
ing should escape. A great many people
would not report TO the police at all
The roll call in the morning will evidently
show that between twenty and thirty people
are underneath the ruins. Up to O'Clock
no other bodies had been recovered.