The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-03-11
GIRLS PERISH IN FLAMES
An Awful Disaster in a Shirt Factory at
Troy N. Y.
IEAPED SIX STORIES TO DEATH.

The Tragedy Caused by Careless Boy
With a Matoh---Young Women Tram
pied Underfoot in the Mad Rush of2oo
Employees Down Narrow Stairway
Terrible Struggle for Life
TROY, N. Y, February 18.-At few mo-
ments before the closing hour in stetheim-
er's shirt factory, on the corner o: Broad
way and River street, In this city, Lille
Kreiger, one Of the fifty employees on the fifth
floor, who were hurrying to finish their
work, called little boy to light the gas for
her In the cutting department. He climbed
on the table and lighted the gas. Then he
threw the match, still burning, to the
floor and jumped down. Shortly after
wards some ono at the farther end OF
the room noticed a tiny fame in heap
Of scrap cambria piled on the floor. One OF
the men hurried to water faucet and drew
q bucket OF water. II took him not over
thirty seconds to do this and to run back,
but the fame, famed by breeze that crept
up the stairway and feeding upon the in
flammable material which was Uttered every
where, spread with terrible rapidity. When
he reached the fire tho time for action was
passed. There was fierce cracking OF
flames and the air Of the room was dense
with smoke.
Miss Kreiger, the only ono among the
mass OF frenzied girls to preserve her pres
ence Of mind, rushed, at the risk Of her life.
through the different departments OF the
building and warned the employees.
Within twenty minutes after the fire started
there were three dead women laid upon the
floor Of an adjoining store and at least
dozen burned and MANNED girls and women
taken to the hospital or to their homes.
Following are lists OF the dead: Those who
are known to have been in the building, and
whose bodies have not been recovered, are:
Mamie Danks, Miss Herberscher, Katie
O'Connor, Miss 0'Neill.
Killed jumping from windows: Mrs. Mar
garet Carroll, Mrs. Foley, Mrs. Robert Kune.
In addition to these eleven other girls were
Injured, some fatally, 80 that It was believed
that the dead would number nine. Nine
men employed in the factory were also In
iured.
The scene of the catastrophe was in por-
tion Of the city characterized for its i'm.
mense business buildings. The structure Is
known as the Burlctte Building. The build
Ing Is six stories in height. 1t was occupied
by j. Stotheimer & Co.,, manufacturer OF Ia
dies shirt waists, whose factory was on the
fifth floor; Van Zandt & Jacobs, manufac-
turers OF collars and cuffs, who occupied the
three floors below, and restaurant and sa-
loon on the ground hoor. There were also
several other minor enterprises carried on IN
the building.
When the employees in the fifth story real
lied that tho fire was beyond control and
was likely to prove disastrous a sceno OF
IL Ix.r, Ake.1t nH
The girls rushed about the room. Some
Of them found their way down the stairway,
others succumhed to the dense smoke and
sank TO the floor, and others jumped from
the dizzy height OF the River areet windows
to the pavements below.
Abont half Of the girls who were employed
on thetop floor did think OF the tre 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 a continuous
panic, and In tho rush for place OF safety
many were injured. The crush on the stair,
yay was something frighttu. About 200
men and girls attempted to make their es-
eape by this exit at the same time. Many
were trampied under foot, those who were
in front were knocked from their feet and
thrown to tho landings, and some are said
TO have been left unconscious on the stair
way.
The scene was most exciting one. The
girls fairly threw themselves down the lad
ders to reach the ground quickly, and the
flremen had their hands full in carrying the
girls down the ladders from tho terminus OF
the escape.
Probably the most heart-rendins scenes
were those witnessed on the streets. Tho
mothers and other relatives Of the girls VINO
were ut work In the factory SOON learned OF
the disastrous fire and hurried to tho scene.
They gathered around tho burning build
ing distracted with grief and fear, making
anx Gus inquiries for loved ones. Some OF
them attempted to rush up into the burning
building, and the officers and bystanders
found it difficult to restrain them.
A number OF women we're soon on the1f
knees on the ice-coyered payements, crying
piteously to heaven for assistance.
Tho fire extended into the big structure
north and gutted it; the Western Union
BuildiDgwas burned out, and 1t was not until
about four hours after the fire started that
1t was under control. The loss Will probably
reach 100000.
The three girls who were killed by jump
ing from tho windows we're almost unrecog-
nizable when picked up, so feartuliy were
their heads crushed. NJ my OF the injured
we're those caught under falling walls.