Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1896-02-20
GIRLS sS..] BURN . \ 70, K, DEATH / j
TERRIBLE FIRE IN A SHIRT
~ WAIST FACTORY,
Jump to the Pavement From theisIxth
Story wlndows--s5O Girls and Women
in Panic at Troy, N Y.-Caused
by Careless Boy.


Troy, n. Y, Feb. 1S A small boy
carelessly throwing a match into a
pile of oily waste, blasting mass of
flames, $50 girls and women frenzied
with fright, fighting for life as the
hot flames chased them with hungry
tongues-this was the beginning of a
fire last night that consumed thous-
ands of dollars worth of property and
caused the destruction of many lives.
From the outside of the high build
ing, the first notice of impending dis.
astcr was the sight of body of girls
as they rushed out upon the fire es-
capes from the windows, those who
were fortunate enough crowding out
the entrance. Following 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 for instant escape,
began climbing over the sides of the
escapes, and bundles of clothing,
filled with writhing humanity, dropped
at the feet of Mortified passels by.
Within twenty minutes after the
fire started, there were three dead
women laid upon the floor of an ad-
Joining store, and at least dozen
burned and manned girls and women
taken to the hospital or to their
homes OF the $50 girls and women in
the building, it is presumed that at
least u half dozen are in the ruins.
1t was just thirty minutes before
the closing hour in Stettheimer & Co.. s
shirt waist factory, on River street,
and the $50 girls and women were
working rapidly to finish up. In the
cutting room, on the fifth floor, the
$50 girls were closing up their days
assignments and preparing to leave
when the whistle blew, Lille Krieg-
or, WHO was working near machine,
called to small boy to light the gas
over her work. The boy struck Il
match and threw the burning stub to
the floor. 1t struck pile of oily rags,
and in an instant the girl was envel-
oped in flames. With her clothes and
hair burning she rushed to the win
dow, and in an instant the room be-
came struggling, shrieking mass of
humanity, filing the windows, the
fire escapes and the only ,tairway
With rare presence of mind Police
man Farrell who was on the street,
seeing that in the panic number
were liable to jump, let down the avn
ing over the entrance. Barely was it
down when two or three forms came
flying down from the fifth and sixth
stories, and, bouncing from the avn
ing, fell to the sidewalk Lille |
Krieger, over whose machine the fire
started was one of these. She struck !
the awning, fell on her back and
bounced to her hands and knees on
the walk. She got up and staggered
about until people helped her to her
feet again.
By this time nearly every window
had female form dangling from it,
and when the fircmcn arrived there
was hustle to get the ladders up.
At the center window on the sixth
floor woman hanging by her hands
was forced out by the flames licking
her face. With u last shrek she lot |
go, and came tumbling over and over
until she struck the pavement. When /
picked up it was found that she was
Mrs. Margaret Carroll Her spinal
column was forced through into her
Train.
just below her, in another window,
hung woman turning appealing
chances 20 the crowd The black
smoke was pouring from the window,
but as yet no flames were visible, and
the crowd yelled encouragingly to her
to hold on; but high red flame
reached out just then and licked her
face, and in an instant her body was
rebOunding from the pavement She
was Mrs Foley, widow, ana when
picked up was dead.
On the same floor, hanging from an
other window, was another woman,
and salvation in the shape of ladder
was almost within her grasp, when
her strength failed, and she went
twirling down to death. She was Mrs.
Kane.
The firemen and police worked like
heroes, and to their energy was due
great saving of life. At least a dozen
women and girls were carried down
the ladders or dragged out of the cor.
ridors, the officers and fremen going
into the midst of the smoke and
flames.
The hre burned so tiercely by this
time that no detailed search of the
building could be made, and from
what can be learned there were many
girls and women on the three upper
stories, eithenlying in fainting fits or
overcome by smoke. 1t WIS this fact
that led 10 rumors that tx 9ro were at
least twenty women de7d, and the.
story does not seem improbable.
The total loss of the fire is from
s?50,0OO to 10000 with about $780,
900 insurance. At least 500 people are
thrown out of employing !. The fire.
men worked with the thermometer
down below zero and suffered very
much. ....,.. -....,,..,. ,s.....''
The Event OF the season.
.WAsnISGToS, Feb. is. -The most |