The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-05-05

pecially near the exit, where the char
red remains were four feet deep. Arms,
legs and skulls mingled in inextricable
confusion. In some cases only the
trunks remained with no vestige Of
clothing on any of the bodies.
The flames licked most of those who
escaped, and dresses were burned from
the backs of their wearers, who tore off
their blazing hats as they rushed for
the street, their heads singed to the
roots of their hair The clothing not
burned off was literally torn off. No
painter ever imagined last judgment
so appalling.
The flames rose to a fearful height
The fire brigade came quickly, but the
blockade in front of the burning mass
was simply frightful, and the hose was
compelled to play over the heads Of
the multitude. The scorched people
cried for the firemen to souse them.
which they did. The cries from within
We're cries never to be forgotten for in
tensity of anguish.
One of the survivors tells to the cor
respondent Of the Associated Press his
experience:
1.-The place was crammed full of peo.
pie, and the heat was sitting. Being
very uncomfortable, my friends and
determined to leave, but somehow we
could not make much headway through
the throng toward the door. l Jagged
little behind, as ! was offered nose
gay by stallholder, when suddenly
the shout of fire was raised. Instantly
all was commotion.
"We tried to keep cool, but the rush
from behind forced us forward, and
we were separated. Then l tried to
work my way back, but / was carried
off my feet and carried backward and
forward in the swaying crowd. I lost
my hat: then my coat was torn off,
and then my waistcoat. All this hap.
pened In few seconds.
Immediately the full extent Of the
calamity dawned upon all of us. The
flames spread with startling rapidity
throughout the whole building, which
rumbled like living furnace but the
uproar of the confagration could not
drown the groans and cries Of the
agonized crowd Gradually I found
myself pushed back against the wall
of the building, and finally succeeded
in scrambling through an opening
made by some of those who were near
me. Two seconds later l would have
been victim, for hardly had strug-
gled through the hole before I heard
dreadful crash as the blazing roof
fell in.
81 cannot describe the struggle for
life which ensued No words can de-
~, ~ I, -t,
thing was over in IL minutes and moth
ing remained but the charred and
blackened ruins Of the bazaar"
The correspondent of the Associated
Press has had an interview with Miss
Elsie Bushbeck, of Philadelphia, who,
with the Misses Hawthorn and Dre-
her, was one Of the few who escaped,
although not unscathed. Miss Bush
beck said.
Il was a saleswoman at booth No.
Is, close to the place where the fire
originated. l arrived shortly after
o'clock with my friends. We left our
wraps and hats in the cloakroom and
went to my booth, where four nuns
presided. In the booth were three
blind girls working, one reading the
the third making brushes. The lady
presiding over that section of the ba-
zaar told me I need not hurry, but that
1t would be all right II I came little
later. l started to look around the
bazaar and stopped at lottery wheel.
where won a bunch Of asparagus.
Just then. happening to turn around,
I saw and called my friends attention
to a flicker in the corner of the wall
about Is yards away, Hardly had l
done so when a gentleman behind me
cried out: Ecu, Mesdames; sortez'
(flrc, ladies'; hasten out, and pushed
me toward the door rather roughly, but
fortunately for me.
"As this was my second experience
under such circumstances l advised
my two friends to raise their skirts in
the front so they would not stumble
over them. We were then just step
ping on the first Of the three steps
leading out of the building. Turning
my head to look back l saw the whole
place in flames. At my left I caught
a glimpse of an old lady emerging
from an adjacent door. and saw her
stumble on her skirts. The next in
stant quite 20 persons piled on top Of
her l crossed the street and turned
round to face the fire. but already the
heat was so intense that it scorched
me, and I was obliged to raise my
hands to protect my face. When the
roof fell in with a terrific crash GER
tainly not more than five minutes had
elapsed from the first alarm. Such
was the intensity of the heat that
saw hreman's Jacket ignitcd, and sew
eral of the horses were badly singed.
Out Of the pile Of persons who fell
near the door not one was saved. All
were burned in a moment. OF the
nuns at myhooth two were saved. as
was one blind girl The burned Wis
itors were for the most part ladies.
gorgeously dressed"
The Duchess d'Alencon, sister of the
Austrian empress is among the in
iured, the list of whom includes the
Duchess d'Uzes. the Comtesse Savigny
and Mile. De La Boulaye. In the
streets adjacent to the bazaar were
long lines of sumptuous equpages.
Most of these returned empty. their
owners being dead. The others were
seen moving off with occupants In
1ured in head or limbs. in many cases
with faces streaming with blood.
The fire originated on the left side
of the bazaar. The Illuminating ap-
paratus of the kinematograph ex-
ploded and set fire to the Turkish cur
tains and hangings. In few moments
the flames spread along the whole side
of the bazaar. The public threw them
selves instinctivelv to the right side
of the building, which backed on a
high wall of an adjoining edifice. The
bazaar altogether had eight doors,
three In front and one on the left side.
In the rear were four. like French win
dows, which were specially reserved
for the employees. The crowd near the
main entrance was able to escape. but
those at the other end. not knowing
of the doors reserved for the employees,
found themselves hemmed in.
AS the fire spread the pressure on
the right side, where there were no
exits, kept steadily increasing. Hero
n number of the victims were crushed
to death. Happily the wall of the
Hotel Du Paiais, against which the
bazaar backed, furnished barred win
dow. Immediately On the alarm being
given the servants hurriedly broke the
bars, and were able to rescue q large
number of persons.