The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-19
TROY's FATAL FIRE.
All the Missing Gfrlx and Women Ac
counted For, Except Two.

All the Missing Girlx and Women Ac-
counted For, Except Two.
TROY, n. u, Feb. 1s.--The loss of life by
the burning of the Burdette building last
night was not so great as feared. All the
employees of Stettheimer's shirt waist fac
tory have been accounted for. Only three
people are dead. as follows:
MRS. CATHERINE KANE, 1876 Fourth
street.
MRS. MARGARET CARROLL. Monroe
street.
MRS. JOHANNA DOYLE, Fifth avenue
The injured, in addition to those whose
names were given last night, are:
MISS LENA JARVIS, arms and hands
MISS MAMIE REDDEN, head burned
GEORGE NIXON. head cutter, head and
hands burned.
1t seems marvellous that out of the $50
human beings who crushed and struggled
for life in the fiame-bound building last
night but three fatal endings came. The
dramatic incident Of the day occurred about
noon when at No. 101 River street. men,
ber of the firm of Stettheimer & Co. began
calling the roll of employees to find the
missing. Pale-faced women nervous with
the shock of last night, stood in rows be-
fore the caller of the roll. AS the call pro-
ceeded the answers came readily, and there
were looks of relief upon the faces. When
the call was completed seven absentees
were noted, and emssaries were sent out
to find them, the apprehension In the mean
time growing into settled belief that
they were in the building. AT o'clock to-
night all had been located, and police and
firemen are alike in their wonder as to
how the great mass of humanity escaped
Scores of women and girls report
very narrow escapes. Miss Mary Kelly, as
she reached the window, saw another wom-
an ahead. This woman hesitated. ap-
parently debating whether to jump. Miss
Kelly endeavored to prevent her from
jumping, but she was unable to retain her
grip on the dress and the woman Jumped
to the sidewalk Miss Kelly then started
to descend by the fire escape. She had
reached the third floor when several men
hauled her i'm through the window. Miss
Kelly painfully burned about the
hands and the side of the face. Katie
Kelly escaped from the fifth floor by the
rear fire escape. When she reached the
ground she was numb with the cold and
her ears were frozen. Her face was also
badly scratched. Benjamin Harris. an
electrician, who is member OF the Ranken
company, was overcome with cold and was
taken to the Mansion House. where he was
cared for
Miss Bertha Knight, who was employed
i'm the office at Stettheimer's. was one of
the girls who got out in safety. Accord
ing to her story, the first she knew of the
fire was when one of the girls i'm the Office,
which was located on the top floor of the
building. came up from the floor below and
cried out that there fire. I'VE
thought first that she was joking said
Miss Knight, but a moment later the cry
of fire came from below and we all rushed
for the stairs. Some of the girls, myself
included. stopped TO get their wraps. When
we got TO the stairway found that the
| flames he'd cut off the exit there. Then
| some one shouted to go 10 the elevator
and we all rushed there. We found the
| door of the elevator fastened and could not
| open il. By that time the fire was upon
| US. having spread up TO the top floor Ny
| hair was singed by the blaze, but, with the
| others, rushed through the stitching room
| to the door on the north. Here there was
| Vanzandt. Jacobs & Co.'S factory, while
| the Stettheimer's entrance was on the
| south side of the building. We were able
! TO get down thk stairway and got TO the
| spread TO the north side. I did not see anv
! 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 one hundred were employed in
| the stitching room adjoining. A few of the
| girls had gone home. but the majority of
! them were still al the factory.
The Burdette building was the only build
/ ing OF its size I'm the city occupied as a
/ collar factory NOT equipped with automatic
this morning that. taking everything into
/ consideration. 1t was remarkable that the
1 loss OF life was not greater The wires in
/ front OF the building. he said were a mem
(Coptiaued on second PsgeJ