Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-02-20
AWFUL HOLOCAUST.
Troy Collar Girls Cremated in a
Burning Factory.
PROBABLY TWENTY IN THE RUINS
Three Crushed to Shapeless Masses by
jumping from Windows Wild
Panic To Escape from
the Flames,

terday afternoon. Working girls, whose
days labor was almost over, wero cut
down almost without warning by fire.
Three girls jumped to their death from
burning building. Distracted, ngon-
daughters at night, but thsy waited
in vain. Bright, pretty collar girls
who had left their homes in the morn
ing full of life and health and spirits,
never lived to tell their tale of agony,
torture and pain. Their poor, charred
bodies are now being hunted for under
tons and tons of red-hot cmbcrs, stone
and brick. Identity even when found
will probably be impossible. The scene
was one that Trojans will never forget
1t is black page in the city's history,
unparalleled in it's century of exist
ence.
800 Girls Imprisoned by Flames.
There were 300 girls at work in the
Van Zandt & Jacobs collar factory,
where the fire started. The flames
spread so rapidly that the narrow
stairway, which was the only exit out
side 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
wero injured.
1t is believed by everybody, even the
proprietors and employees in the shops
that about twenty girls were overcome
before thoy reached tho street and
were burned up in the building. Peo-
Pile who are familiar with the interior
of the building and know how limited
wero tho means of escape, place tho
loss at least at thirty. Tho scene of
the catastrophe was at the corner of
Broadway and River street, portion
of the city characterized for its immense
buildings. The structure is known as
tho Burdette building The building
Is six stories in height. 1t wns occupied
by ]. Stethoimer & Co., manufacturer
of ladies shirt waists, whose factory
was situated on tho fifth floor; Van
Zandt & Jacobs, manufacturers of
collars and cuffs, who occupied the
three floors below.
Heroine Rescued by Firomen.
About $3.50 o'clock little boy at
tempted to light the gas in what is
known as the cutting department. He
threw the match, which was still burn
ing, to the floor md it ignited pile of
scrap cambric. In an instant there
was Il cracking of fierce uncontrolla-
bic flames and tho room was filled with
smoke Liliio Kreiger, girl, realized
tho imminence of the peril, and at the
risk of her own life rushed through
tho different departments of the build
ing and warned the employees of their
danger. Nothing but the bravery of
volunteer fireman save her from death.
Then tho employees of the fifth story
realized that the fire was beyond con-
troll and great panic ensued.
wild Scramble Mt All Exits.
The girls rushed about the room,
some of them finding their way down
tho stairway, others succumbed to the
dense smoke and sank to tho floor, and
others jumped from tho dizzy height OF
the River street windows to tho pave
ment below. About half of the girls
who were employed on tho top floors
did think of the FIRE escape, and found
their way to the ground in safety For
twenty minutes after the fro started
the scene was tho most exciting ever
witnessed in Troy. During this time
there was continuous panic, and in
the rush for place of safety many
were injured. The crush on the stair
way was frightful. About 200 men
and girls attempted to mako their
escape by this exit at the same time
Many were trampled under foot. The
majority of the employees finally
reached the street overcome and eX-
cited. Quite number found their way
out by means of the fire escapes. The
girls fairly threw themselves down the
ladders to reach the ground quickly,
and the tiremen had their hands full in
carrying the girls down the ladders
from the terminus of the escape.
Heartrending Scenes on the Street.
Probably the most heartrendinr
scenes were those witnessed on the
streets The mothers and other rela-
tives of the girls who were at work in
the factory soon learned of the dis.
astrous fire and hurried to the scene.
They gathered around the burning
building, distracted with grief and
fear, making anxious inquiries for their
loved ones. Some of them attempted
to rush up into the burning building,
and the officers and bystanders found
it difficult to restrain them. number
of women were soon on their knees
on the ice-covered pavements piteously
crying to heaven for assistance
Rapid Spread of the Flames.
The spread of the flames was re-
markable. There was strong wind
blowing at the time, and in less time
than it takes to tell it the building was
afire from top to bottom Twenty
streams of water seemed to have no
effect. The fire extended into the big
structure north, Quilted il: the Western