The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-08
GIRLS WERE IN A PANIC
ing Furnace-Screens Were Nailed to
the Windows. Making Escape Difficult.
The Fire Escapes Too Small to Ac-
commcdate the Crowd-A Miracle That
More Lives We're Not Lost.

Reading, Pa, Dec. 7.-One of the
most appalling fires that has ever Wis
tied this city occurred to-day when the
extensive hosiery mill of the Nellie &,
Horst company took fire destroying
the plant, causing the death CT
one person and injuring 81 9th
er employees Of the company
what was at first supposed to be the
bodies of two persons proved tonight
to be the separated parts of one body.
1t is that of Miss Louisa Clay, aged 4S,
who was the only person killed All
the other employees have been account
ed for. OF the 81 persons who were
injured, 81 are badly hurt.
ly injured:
Hestor Mowbry, shoulder dslocated.
Mamie Ritter, ankle fractured.
Sallie Christman, arm broken.
Emma Lance, nose broken, hip dislo-
Gated
Annie Baer, ankle broken, seriously
injured internally.
Winnie Baer, leg broken.
Annie Brunner, ankle broken.
Sallie Bausher, leg broken.
Sallie Clay. knee fractured.
Miss Ibach. ankle broken.
II,
Emma Lorah, both legs broken
Annie Mahoney, leg broken.
Bessie Schaeffer, thigh broken.
Gertrude Sefert. leg broken.
Jennie Warner, both legs broken.
Sallie Sherman, internally injured
Catherine Luppold, internally injured.
Maggie Whitmeyer, leg broken.
Ielah Hendersbaw, both thighs frac-
tured.
Mary Yeich, compound fractures of
arms.
The remainder of the 81 had hands
or faces burned, limbs bruised or other
wise injured.
The hosiery building was large
four-story structure and nearly 900 per-
sons were employed, most of them be-
ing women and girls. The fire was dis
covered about II o'clock and in few
moments the girls were panic-stricken.
They made dash for the fire escape
and the stairs, but found that the lat
ter means of escape would not carry all
of them down at the same time. Sew
eral hundred Of the girls then made
dash for the windows and appealed to
those in the street to save them. Lad
ders were brought into use and many
girls were taken from the burning
building safely. Most of them, how
ever. jumped and We're seriously in
jured For few minutes from every
window on the second and third floors
lodged in the arms of those below, but
many struck the ground. They were
picked UP and rapidly removed to hos
pitfalls or their houses. Many of the
girls who escaped by the stairways and
fire escapes We're badly burned, but
none of them, it is believed. seriously
injured. It is not known how Miss
Clay met her fate, but it is believed
she tainted and was then burned to
death. The fire travelled with great
rapidity. owing to the inflammable
stock in the building. BY those who
saw the progress of the fire it is con-
sidered miraculous that there was such
a small loss of life.
There is much criticism among the
employees because of the fact that -he
screens in the windows, except those
at the fire escape, We're securely nailed
to the window sills The girls had to
break the screens before they could
get out to leap to the ground. Some of
the employees say that the doors were
locked, as a rule, after the employees
were in the buildirsg.
The fire was cause by an explosion
of gasoline in the singeing room. The
loss is estimated at about $275,000. on
which there is an insurance of about
S150 0O0