The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-02-18
GIRLS LEAPED TO DEATH
4 FEARFUL PANIC IN 4 COLLAR
 FACTORY IN TROY.
Four People Are Dead and Many More Are Missing-One Girl Driven Insane by the Shock-The Scene Was the Most Exciting One Ever Witnessed in Years.

phoch-AHo SCSnc " 1s the host GACitiHS One Ever Witnessed in Years.
 Troy, Feb. 17.--A fire started here at Co.'s shirt-waist factory, and Van Zandt x Jacobs collar factory, which were both in the same building. There were 300 girls at work in both establish ments.
 The flames spread so rapidly that the narrow stairway which was the only exit outside of the fire escapes in the rear was almost immediately cut off and during the panic that followed five girls jumped from the windows, three of them to their death, and many others were injured.
 The dead are: Mrs. Horbort, Mrs. Kane and Mrs. Foley.
 The following are missing: Miss Ma mic Danks, Miss Kitty OConnor, Miss Kane, Miss Foley.
 The injured are: Miss Mamie Day, badly bruised; Miss Lillie Kreiger, bad ly bruised and burned; Miss Mamie Rourke driven insane by shock; Miss MdiUle DUWllS, etlllOSl ottlloNtlSts @Ais"' Annette Harrington, face and hands burned; Miss Clementine Lloyd, Miss Gertrude Lloyd and Miss Johnson, all three, badly and perhaps fatally burn ed; James Ross, crushed by falling walls, leg broken and seriously injur- ed; Officer Burke, crushed by falling wall, condition serious; Officer Guy, badly bruised; Officer Watson, scalp wound and bruised; Alfred Casey, fire man, spine injured; John Ormsby, ire man, knee hurt; John Boland fireman, scalp wound and leg broken.
 It is believed by everybody, even the proprietors and employs in the shops, that about twenty girls were overcome before they reached the street and were burned up in the building.
 People who are familiar with the in- terior of the building and know how limited are the means of escape place the total of lives lost at not less than thirty
 The scene of the catastrophe was at the corner of Broadway and River street a portion of the city character ized by immense business buildings. The structure was known as the Bur- dette building. The building was six stories in height. It was occupied by J.. Stetheimer & Co, manufacturers of la dies shirt waists, whose factory was situated on the fifth floor; Van Zandt & Jacobs, manufacturers of collars and cuffs, who occupied the three floors be- low and a restaurant and saloon on the ground floor. There were also several minor enterprises carried on in the building,
 The fire started fin the fifth story, in the part occupied by Stetheimer & Go. About 5:25 o'clock little boy attempt ed to light the gas in the department where the goods of which the shirt waists are made are cut. He climbed upon a table and lighted the gas, Then he threw the match, which was still burning, to the floor and it ignited a pile of scrap cambric In an instant there was a cracking of fierce and un- controllable flames and the room was filled with smoke.
 Miss Lillie Kreiger, at the risk of her own life, rushed through the different departments of the building and warn ed the employees of the danger. Noth- ing but the bravery of a volunteer fire man saved her from death.
 When the employees of the fifth story realized that the fire was beyond con tral and was likely to prove disastrous a scene of great panic ensued. The girls rushed about the room, some of them found their way down the stair way, others succumbed to the dense smoke and sank to the floor and some jumped from the dizzy height of the River street windows to the pave fnents.
 About half of the girls, who were em- ployed on the top floor, thought of the fire escape and found their way to the ground in safety.
 For twenty minutes after the fire started the scene was the most exciting ever witnessed in Troy.
 During this time there was contin- uous panic, and in the rush for places of safety. many were injured. The crush on the stairway was frightful. About 200 men and girls attempted to escape by this exit at the same time.
 Many were trampled under foot the ones in front were knocked from their feet and thrown to the landings, and some are said to have been left uncon- scious on the stairway
 The majority of the employees finally reached the street, but they were so overcome by excitement that it was inpossibfe to learn from them how many persons had been left in the building. The girls who came down the fire escapes fairly threw them selves down the ladders to reach the ground quickly and the hremen had their hands full in carrying the girls down the ladders from the terminus of the escapes.
 The mothers and other relatives of the girls who worked in the factory soon hurried to the scene. They gath cred around the burning building, dis tracted with grief and making anxious inquiries for their lost ones. Some at tempted to rush up into the burning building and it was difficult to restrain them A number of women were soon on their knees on the ice covered pave ments, crying piteously to heaven for assistance.
 The spread of the flames was remark able. There was a strong wind blow ing and almost immediately the build ing was afire from top to bottom. Twenty streams seemed to have no ef- feet, and there was every indication early in the evening that the block would be consumed. The fire extend ed into the big structure north and sutted it. The Western Union build