Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-17

| and elevators. TO, add to the panic, tn,
men in charge of the elevators ran theii
cars up to the top of the building. shout
ing "Firer' at every floor. When they
| reached the top both elevators took a
| load of frightened women and started
| for the bottom. The front elevator was
/ in charge of Harry Gleason. a boy, and
| the rear one was handled by William
| st. John. young man. Both of these
kept their heads. showed much coolness
and bravery. and were Instrumental in
saving many lives.
The elevator in the front of the build
ing was deliberate affair. In good order
but not calculated TO produce speed
Gleason made one trip to the seventh
floor. carried down a load Of women, and
although the smoke was rolling through
the building in dense clouds, he started
up again. At the fourth floor he stopped
to take on crowd of girls from the
rooms of the National Music Company,
being assisted in his work by Miss Kath-
crime Carney. the forewoman. man at
tempted TO force his way into the ele-
vator, but Gleason showed him back into
the hail. that the women might have the
first chance
After reaching the bottom with his
load OF girls Gleason was about TO start
up again, when the supports of the ele-
vator machinery at the top OF the shaft
caught fire. and seeing that they would
give away before his slow elevator could
make another trip, he gave it up.
RAPID SPREAD OF FLAMES.
At the rear st. John did equally good
work, but was not able to make more
than one trip, as the fire swept through
that portion Of the building before II
attacked the front.
In less than ten minutes after the ex-
plosiOn that started the fire all escape
for the inmates by the stairs and eleva-
tors was cut off. There remained only
the windows and single fire-escape, a
narrow iron thing, not over IS inches
from side to side.
This was speedily covered with a
string of people, some on one side some
on the other. Many of those who could
not reach the ire-escape made their way
TO the front windows and 1t was out or
these that Clark, Smith, and Binz hurled
themselves to death
LEAPS TO DEATH.
Clark was book-keeper for the Olmstead
Scientific Company, on the seventh floor,
and remained to put the books in the
safe. He might have escaped had he run
at one of the seventh-story windows, and |
4 few minutes afterward showed him !
self in window on the sixth floor The |
fire was close upon him, the floors and |
walls behind him were crashing down, |
and II was certain death to remain |
where he was. There was no possibility /
IF help, and ne took his only chance. |
Three seconds later he was dead on the |
pavement below.
Miles a. Smith, a salesman for the
)lmstead Scientific Company, also leaped
rom a window on the sixth floor He |
hesitated some time before taking the |
cap, but, like Clark, understood that II
vas his only hope. He was instantly
,illed. his body being horribly mangled
Edward Binz, the cashier of Sweet,
Wallace & Co., on the sixth floor, fell
'ictim to his desire to save others and
0 protect his books from harm. Upon
tearing the alarm he ran to the rear of
he store to warn the employees TO run
or their lives. He then rushed back TO
lis desk, gathered his books, and jammed
hem into the vault. Then he started for
he stairway. but the flames Were ahead
f him. and he turned back. There was
othing but the window, and to this he
vent. He clambered up on the sill, and
TODD there in view of the crowd below.
lark and Smith had already bedaubed
he pavement with their life-blood. The
uilding was roaring mass of flames.
nd Binz's face and hands We're badly
urned before he jumped. He pondered
he matter but a few second. Then his |
Orm shot downward through cloud of
anne and smoke, and in the drawing of
0CONCLJTDED ON SECOND pAcr,