Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-10-31
METl DEATH !. FLAMES
Swift Rush of Flames Devastates
Philadelphia Furniture Store.
EMPLOYEES CAUGHT LIKE RATS

Woman Leaped to Death From Eighth
Story, and Men Burned to Crisp On
Fire Escapes-A Dozen Buried In
the Ruins.
Philadelphia, Oct 26.-Nineteen
known dead and property loss amount
ing to upwards of $500,000 is the awful
result of fire which occurred yester-
| day in the business section of the
| city. The number Of injured is not
known definitely, but fully score of
victims were treated at various hospi-
tails. Police and firemen last night
delved into the ruins in search OF
| bodies supposed to have been buried
beneath the debris, as it is feared that
others beside the known dead may
have lost their lives in the flames.
The building destroyed was the
eight-story structure, 1919 and 1921
kinson & Co., upholsterers and furni-
ture dealers, and three three story
buildings occupied by small merchant
men. The big furniture building ex-
tended back half block to Commerce
| street, and was owned by Henry c.
Lea.
At 1920 o'clock in the morning the
blaze broke forth, and one hour later
the horrible sacrifice of life had been
made and the immense loss of proper
ty had been accomplished. The origin
of the death-dealng confiagration is
unknown. 1t is said that an explo-
sion of naptha or gasoline in the base
ment was the cause, but this is denied
by Mr.. Wilkinson, who says there
never was a sufficient quantity of
either explosive about the building to
be responsible for yesterdays terri
BILE disaster.
Met Agonizing Death.
Such a disastrous fire, attended with
so great loss of life in such brief
period was never before known In this
city. Men and women died linger
ing, agonizing death in the presence
of thousands of spectators who We're
unable to lift a hand to their assist
ance. The rear of Hunt. Wilkinson
& Co.'S building Iaces on Commerce
street. a small thoroughfore. On the
fire escapes at this end of the build
ing two men and one woman were
slowly roasted to death. while the
horror-stricken throng on the street
below turned sick at the sight. In
the front on Market street woman,
driven to desperation leaped from a
window on the top floor and was
dashed to death on the pavement.
Firemen claim to have seen men and
women, unable to reach the windows
or fire escapes, burned to death in
the interior of the building. II this
Is so, little or nothing remains OF
these victims, and it is doubtful if any
portion of their bodies will be recov-
ered
More than half of the firms EN-.
ployes were on the upper five floors,
and it was among these that the great
est number were killed and injured.
With the possible exception of the
engineer, who is missing, all persons
on the first three floors got out of
the building safely. The members OF
the firm had their offices on the third
floor, and their familiarity with the
exits is all that saved them from suf-
location. Mr.. Wilkinson said the
smoke came up the stairway and the
elevator shaft in such great volume
that he and Mr.. Hunt had much diff
Guilty in reaching the street.
Most of those killed were at work
on the sixth floor, where women were
engaged in sewing. They were at
work in the rear of the building, close
to the fire escapes, and became con-
fused by the great quantity of smoke
that rushed up through the building.
1t was reported that goods were stored
against the windows, which prevented
the women from getting out on the
fire escapes but this was positively
denied by member of the firm.
There were eleven employees and
number of outside workmen on the
eighth floor. A ladder reached from
this floor to the roof, which would
have enabled those on that floor to
reach the roof of an adjoining eight
story building, but in the excitement
this means of escape was forgotten.
Several made the terrible leap to the
sidewalk and were crushed, while the
others ran the gauntlet of smoke and
fire down the rear fire escape. A col
ored scrub woman also jumped from
this floor and was crushed In the
street. Many of them, rendered prac-
tically insane by fright, leaped to the
ground, and others, becoming uncon-
scious from the smoke and intense
heat fell to the pavement. When the
firemen arrived Commerce street was
filed with these unfortunates. and for
the space of an hour the police and
hospital service was taxed to it's ut
most capacity.
For an hour the roaring flames
threatened the lives OF every one who