The times., 1899-03-22
A FATAL FIRE IN OMAHA.
Two Women Lose Their Lives an.
Thirteen Are Injured.

Thirteen Are Injured.
Omaha, Neb., March 2i.-Fifteen women
were imprisoned in the third story of the
Patterson Block this afternoon as the re-
suit of an explosion. When it looked as
If all would be burned to death, thirteen
of the women leaped to the stone pave
ment below. One was killed. one died to-
night, and all the others were more or less
seriously injured. several, it is feared,
fatally
The plight Of the women was witnessed
by thousands of people who were unable
to render aid. Men rushed beneath the
swaying figures as they clung TO the sills
of the windows and yainly attempted to
break their falls with their outstretched
arms. The women were forced to jump
or be burned to death and the firemen did
not arrive in time to save them because
the building burned rapidly in the interior
In number of cases the frenZied women
did not leap until they were badly burned
and their clothes were on fire. They ian
from window to window, pleading for the
crowd below to save them. Then in their
agony and terror they sprang from the
burning building.
The dead are Mrs. Thomas Taylor and
Mrs. A. L. Samuelson. The victims are all
members of the ladies' branch of the Royal
the time the fire broke out were in session
in Labor Temple, which occupies the top
story of the building.
The explosion occurred in closet under
the stairway leading to the room occu-
pied by the women, and from the first their
escape from that direction was cut off
A fire escape was available on the opposite
side of the building. but the only one who
had sufficient presence OF mind to reach
hat lot Me- n a ~,
appeared to suceumb to the excitement the
moment she reached the ladder. and drop
ped the full distance. Two of the women
made their way through the flames to the
staircase and escaped. though severely
burned. Mrs. j. C. Holy came out in this
way, but in the struggle was parted from
her six-year-old daughter. AS she reached
the pavement in safety she discovered that
her child was not with her. Though her
flesh was still burning from her terrible
trip through the flames she dashed back
into the furnace. went to the third floor
again, and brought her child down in
safety. Both were terribly burned
There were many instances of personal
bravery and great presence of mind among
the imprisoned women. Mrs. Susie Allen,
wife of the chief clerk of the Alpha Camp,
Woodmen of the World, appeared at a
window with the flames about her. She
situation. Men rushed beneath her, taking
off their coats to break her fall Some
screamed to her to leap while others waved
her back, saying the fremen would soon
arrive Mrs. Allen leaned far out over the
window to breathe freely and at the same
time encouraged her companions to hold
on to their perilous positions in the win
dows until rescuers arrived Finally she
could stand it no longer and motioned to
the crowd below that she was about to
jump. She carefully wrapped her skirts
around her and leaped far out from the
building Her body turned over number
of times and her head struck the stone
Tagging. She was probably fatally injured
A number of the women escaped with
broken limbs and few burns. Mrs. Tay-
lor clung to a window until life was al
most extinct and when her dead body was
picked up from the pavement little remain
ed but charred flesh.