Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1896-02-22
AN AWFUL DISASTER.



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An UnIsnown Number of Persona Killed.
Some by suffocation and Cremation In
the Burning Building, Others Throw
themselves from the windows
TRoY; N. ". Feb. 1s-Tbere ia
mourning in the homes of the Troy
collar girls tonight. An untimely
and fearful death overlook many of
them late this afternoon. Working
girls whose DAYS labor was almost
over were cut down almost without
warning, by fire. Three pirls jumped
to their death from burning build
ing. Distracted, agonized mothers
walled fol the return of their daugh-
ters tonight and they walled in vain.
Bright pretty collar girls who had
left their homes in the morning full Of
life and health and spirit, never lived.
TO tell that tale ofs agony, torture and
death. Their pooh charred bodies are
now resting under tons and tons of
red hot embers, stone and brick.
Identity even when found, will prob
ably be impossible.
The flames spread so rapidly that.
the narrow stairway which was the
only exit outside of the fire escapes in
the rear, was almost cut off, and dur
ing the panic that followed five en-
ployes jumped from the windows,
three of them to eheir death and many
others were injured.
1t is believed by every body, even the
proprietors and employees in the shops,
that about twenty girls were overcome
before they reached the street, and
were burned up in the building Peo-
pie who were familiar with the inte-
rior of the building, and knew how
limited were the means of escape,
place the total loss at at least thirty.
The scene of the catastrophe was at
the corner of Broadway and River
street, a portion of the city character
lied for its immense buildings. The
structure is known as the Burdette
building, is six stories in height and
was occupied by ]. Stetheimer & Co.,
whose factory was situated on the
fifth floor; Van Zandt e. Jacobs, manu-.
facturers of collars and cuffs, who oc-
cupied the three floors below, and
restaurant and saloon on the ground
floor. There were also several other
minor enterprises carried on in the
building.
The fire which ended so disastrous
ly, started in the fifth story, in the
part occupied by Stetheimer & Co.
About 5:25 o'clock this afternoon lit
tie boy attempted to light the gas in
what is known as the cutting depart
ment. This is the shirt-waist cutting
department. lie climbed on the cut
ting table and lighted the gas. Then
he threw the match. which was still
burning, to the floor and it ignited a
pile of scrap cambria. In an instant
there was a cracking of fierce and un-
comfortable flames and the room, was
filed with smoke.
Miss Lille Krieger, a girl, realizing
the immipence of the peril, at the
risk of her own life, rushed through
the different departments of the build
ing apd.warned the employees of the
volunteer fireman saved her from
death.
When the employees in the fifth story |
realized that the fire was beyond con-
troll, and was likely to prove disas-
trous, a scene of great panic imme-
diately ensued.
The girls rushed about the room,
some of them found their way down |
the stairway, others succumbed to the |
l. l.. 4
some jumped from the dizzy height of
the River street windows to the pave |
ment below.
About half of the girls who were |
employed on the top floor, fled to the |
fire escape and found their way to the |
ground in safety.
For 20 minutes after the fire started |
the scene was the most exciting ever
witnessed in Troy.
During this time there was con-
tinuous panic, and in the rush for a |
place of safety many were injured. |
The crush on the stairway was some
thing frightful. About two hundred
men and girls attempted to make their |
escape by this exit at the same time. |
MANY were trampled under foot, the
ones who were in front were knocked |
from their feet and thrown to the
landing and some are said to have been |
left unconscious on the stairway.
The majority of the employees finally
reached the street, but they were SO |
overcome with excitement that it was
impossible to learn from them how |
many of them had been left in the |
building. Quite number found their
way out by means of the fire escapes.
The scene was most exciting one.
The girls fairly threw themselves down
the ladders to reach the ground quickly, |
and the firemen had their hands full in |
carrying the girls down the ladders