The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-08
Many Factory Girls
Injured in Effort
to Escape.
TWO SAID TO Be DEAD.
Over Sixty Manned In
Wild Stampede for
Freedom.

Reading, Pa, Dec. lone of the
most appalling fires that have ever Wis
tied this city occurred today when the
extensive hosiery mill of the Nolde &
Hoist company took fire, destroying,
the plant, causing the death Of one and
possibly two persons, and injuring
about 60 other employees of the COM
pany. One badly burned corpse was
recovered from the ruins this afternoon
and could not be identified. 1t is be-
lieved that at least one other body is
in the burned building OF the 81 per-
sons who were injured, the following
30 are the most seriously hurt:
Ester Mowbry, shoulder dislocated;
Mamie Ritter, ankle fractured and
otherwise badly hurt; Sallie Chrstman,
arm broken; Emma Lance, nose brok-
en-, hip dislocated; Annie Baer, ankle
broken, serious injuries internally;
Winnie Baer, leg broken; Annie Brun-
ner, ankle broken and otherwise badly
injured; Sallie Bauer, leg broken; Ka-
tie Boyer, face disfigured arms and legs
hurt; Louisa Barron, severely injured
legs; Annie Bowman, internally in
Jured; Salli8 Clay, knee fractured; Ka-
tie Dapler, internally injured; Ella
Kinkle, internally injured Miss Ibach
ankle broken; Mamie Kramer, inter-
nally injured; Catherine Kelly, inter-
naIly in jured; Mamie Lachman, leg
broken; Frances Luden, back severely
injured; Emma DOran, both legs brok-
en-; Catherine Luppold, internally in
Iured; Annie Maherny leg broken,
Bessie Schaeffer, thigh dslocated !;
Minnie Schwartz, leg broken; Sallie
Sherman, internally injured; Gertrude
Seibert, leg broken; Jennie Warner,
both legs reported broken Maggie
Whitmeyer, leg broken; Leila Hender-
shaw both thighs fractured; Mary
Yeich, compound fracture of arm, Sc
rtously injured otherwise.
The remainder of the 81 had hands
and faces burned, limbs bruised, or
were otherwise injured. The hosiery
building was a large four story struc-
ture and nearly 900 persons were en-
ployed, most of them women and girls.
The fire was discovered about II
o'clock, and in few moments the girls
were pantcstricken. They made dash
for the fire escape and the stairs but
found the latter could not carry all Of
them down at the same time Several
hundred of the girls then made a rush
for the windows and appealed to those
III the street 10 save them. Ladders
We're brought into use, and many girls
were taken from the burning building
safely. Most of them, however, jumped
and were seriously injured.
For few minutes from every win
dow on the second and third floors
girls leaped one after the other. Some
lodged in the arms of those below but
many struck the ground. They were
picked up and rapidly removed to hos
pitfalls or their homes. Many of the
girls who escaped by the stairs and
fire escapes were badly burned, but
none of them, it is believed, were Sc
riously injured.
There is much criticism among the
employees, of the fact that the screens
in the windows, except those at the
fire escapes, were securely nailed to the
windowsills. Some of the employees say
that the doors were locked, as a rule
after the employees were in the build
ing.
The fire was caused by an explosion
Of gasoline in the smuggling room. The
loss Is estimated at about $275 900, on
which there is all insurance Of $150,00O