The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-02-20
.FRENzIED WITHFRIGHT
Match Carelessy Thown Into
a Pile of Oily Waste.

udlSl1 Sdi Glossy HOWL INTO
a Pile of Oily Waste.
LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY
Three Hundred Girls Fought for Life as
the Hot Flames Chased Them
With Hungry Tongues.
Troy, N. Y, Feb. 18 "A small boy,
carelessly throwing a match into pile
OF oily waste, mass of flames and 800
girls and women frenzied with fright.
fighting for life as the hot flames
chased them with hungry tongues, was
the beginning of fire tonight which
consumed thousands of dollars worth
of property and caused the destruction
of many lives. From the outside of
the high building the sight of body of
girls as they rushed out on the fire
escapes from the windows, those who
were more fortunate crowding out at
the entrance. Following them was
mass of smoke, with flashes of hot
flame in luird 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 the Mortified passers by.
Within twenty minutes after the fire
started there were three dead women
laid upon the floor of an adjoining
store, and at least a dozen burned and
girls and women taken to hos
pitfalls or to their homes.
Of the $50 girls and women in the
building, it is presumed that at least
half dozen are in the ruins. for it is
to locate all, and there may
possibly be score of dead.
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 work and
to leave when the whistle
blew. Lille Kreiger, who was work
ing near machine, called to small
boy to light the gas over her work.
The boy struck a match and threw the
burning stub to the floor. 1t struck
pile of oily waste and in an instant
the girl was enveloped in flames.
With her clothes and hair burning, she
rushed to the window, and at once the
DOM became struggling, shrieking
mass of humanity, filling the windows.
the fire-escapes and the only stairway.
Jamming and pushing, tearing and
pulling each others clothes from their
backs, turning in narrow corridors to
find sister or mother, or friend, the
in the exits augmented every
minute by those from the lower floors,
these girls and women fought for their
lives to get away from the flames which
seeemd to be growing to a monstrous
size.
With rare presence of mind, Police
man Farrell, who was on the street,
seeing that in the panic a number were
liable to jump, let down the awning
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 Kreiger, 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 stag
gered about until people helped her to
her feet again. By this time nearly
every window had a female form
from it, and when the fire.
men arrived there was hustle to get
ladders up.
The firemen and police worked like
heroes, and to their enegy was due
geat saving of life. At least dozen
of the women and girls were carried
down the ladders or dragged out of
the corridors, the officers and fremen
going into the midst of the smoke.
Captain Willard, of the police force,
says he saw number of girls at win.
dows who never came out, but fell
back into the flames.
Lrttie and Nellie Hull sisters,
grasped each other tightly by the
hands and started down the stairs
from the sixth story. At the landing
of the fifth floor they encountered a
wall of flame and smoke. Nellie had
on only her corset and skirts, having
been making her toilet. Lottie ~
only partially dressed. She threw her
dress over Nellie's face, and together
they went through the flames. Lot
ties hair was burned completely of, ,
and when size reached the sidewalk
Nellie was burned only about her bare
arms. They were taken home.
The loss by fire is from $3.50, 900 to
$400, 600, with about 500, 900 insur-
ance.
Newfouud1and-French Shore.
Montreal, Feb. 18.-The report
comes from st. Johns, N. F., and is
said to be based on semi-official infor.
nation that negotiations are progress
ing between England and France,
which will for all time settle the New.