Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1896-02-21
tai FIRE IN TROY.
THREE WOMEN LOSE THEIR LIVES IN
a CONFEDERATION.

Bslow-Afany Seriously Injured = Fire
Caused by a boys Careiessness.
Troy, N. Y, Fob. 1s.--A small boy care
lessly throwing a match into pile of oily
waste, blasting mass OF flames. 300 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 caused the de-
struction of many lives. From the out
side Of the high building the flrst notice Of
impending disaster was the sight Of a bevy
Of girls as they rushed out upon the fire
escapes from the windows, those who were
more fortunate crowding out at the en-
trance Following them and wrapping
about them was a mass Of smoke, with
flashes Of hot flame In lurid streaks Then
the mass Of frenzied humanity, finding
the egresses too small foi instant escape,
began climbing over the sides Of the es-
capes, and bundles of clothing filled with
writhinR humanity dropped at the feet Of
the Mortified passersby. Within 90 min
utes after the Gre 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 80 minutes before closing
time In stettheimer & Go. e shirt waist
factory, ION River street, and the $50 girls
and women were working rapidly to fin
ish up. In the cutting room, on the 9Th
floor, the ] 80 girls were closing mp their
days assignments and preparing to leave
when the whistle blew.
Girl Envsloped 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 threw the burning stub TO the
floor. 1t struck pile Of oily rags, and in
an instant the girl was enveloped In
flames. With her clothes and hair burn
ing, she rushed TO the window, and in an
instant the room became 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 q sister or
mother or friend, the number In the exits
augmented every minute by those from the
other floors, these girls and women fought
for their lives to get away from the fiery
flames, that seemed to grow to monstrous
size.
With rare presence Of mind, Policeman
Farrell, who was on the street, seeing that
In the panic number were liable to 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
10 her hands and knees on the walk. She
got up and staggered about until people
helped her to her feet again.
Fell to the Pavement Below
By this time nearly every window had
female form dangling from it, and when
the fremen arrived there was hustle to
get the ladders up. AT the center win
dow on the sixth floor 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, 1t was found that she was Mrs.
Margaret Carroll. Her spinal column was
forced through into her brain. Just be-
low her, In another window, hung wom-
an, turning appealing glanoes to the
crowd. The black smoke was pouring
from tho window, but as yet no flames
were visible and the crowd yelled encour-
agingly to her to hold on, but higher red
flame reached out just then and licked her
face, and in an instant her body was re-
bounding from the pavement. She was
Mrs. Foley, widow, and when picked up
was dead
On the same floor, hanging from anoth-
or window, was a woman, and salvation in
the shape Of a ladder was almost within
her grasp when her strength failed, and
she went whirling down to death. She was
Mrs. Kane
Under Failing Walls.
The flames ate down through three floors
80 quickly that the Western Union Tele-
graph company, the Jessup & Goeppner
Crookery company and Van Zandt & ia
cobs' collar mandatory had no time to
save anything.
About 8 O'Clock the aremen heard
shrieks coming from the two story build
ing on the south, and they discovered an
Italian peddler named Joseph Rossi, who
kept a stand in front of the building, pin
toned by the legs under heavy beam.
Three policemen started to assist him, and,
with fireman, worked for three-quarters
Of an hour. They had just about got him
loose when, with a roar, the great south
walls came crashing down, and the h0rri-
fed 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 70 be removed
70 the hospital The Italian will probably
die. but the brave policemen, while badly
hurt. will recover.
Lottie and Nellie Hull, sisters, gFaspcd
each other tightly by the hands and start
cd down the stairs from the sixth story.
At the landing Of the fifth floor they en-
countered wall Of flame and smoke. Mel
lie had on only her corsets and skirt, hav-
| ing 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 completely on when she reached
the sidewalk. but Nellie was burned only
about her bare arms. They were taken
home.
Fatalities aud Losses.
The following were killed by jumping
from the windows: Mrs. Margaret Car
roll, Mrs Johanna Foley and Mrs. Cath
crime Kane.
The following is a list of thA injured;
Mamie Day, jumped and badly hurt; An
nette Harrington, badly injured; Lillian
Oathout, burned; Mamie Rourke, burned;
Lillian Kreiger, burned and badly bruised;
James Quinn, under wall will die; Mrs
Johnston, badly burned. will die; Frank
Rossi, Italian, bruised by falling wall I;
| Policeman Burke, bruised by falling wall !;
Policeman Watson, bruised by falling
wall; Fireman Mcclure, bruised by fall
ing WALL Lottie Hull, severely burned !
Nellie Hull, badly burned.