The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-10-31
FIRES AWFUL WORK.
Flames Rapidly EnvelOp Big Fac
tory in Philadelphia.


known definitely, but fully a score of
victims were treated at various hos
pitfalls. Police and hremen are delv-
ing into the ruins in search of bodies
supposed to have been buried beneath
the debris, as it is feared that others
besides the known dead may have
lost their lives in the flames. The
buildings destroyed were the eight
story structure, 1919 and 1921 Market
street, occupied by Hunt, Wilkinson
& Co., upholsterers and furniture
dealers and three three-story buildings
occupied by small merchantmen. The
big furniture building extended back
a half block to Commerce street, and
was owned by Henry c. Lea. The list
of known dead is as follows:
The Victims.
Dorothy Kramer, Martha Baker,
Margaret Hebden, Susan Gormley,
Harry House, II. A. Sparrow, Charles
L. Sparrow, Fred Wilmington, Charles
Lands, three unknown white women,
one of whom is supposed to be Mar
garet Grady; one unknown colored
woman, supposed to be named Will
son; five unknown white men.
Origin Unknown.
Never in its history has Philadel-
phia experienced fire which spread
with such rapidity. At 1920 o'clock
Friday morning the blaze broke forth
in the building occupied by Hunt,
Wilkinson g. Co., and one hour later
the horrible sacrifice of life had been
made and the immense loss of prop
erty had been accomplished. The
origin of the death-dealing confia-
grafton is unknown. 1t is said that
an explosion of naphtha or gasoline
IN the basement was the cause, but
this is denied by Mr.. Wilkinson, who
says there never was sufficient
quantity of either explosive about the
building to be responsible for FRIDAYS
terrible disaster. Rumor has it also
that an elevator constructor at work
in the basement permitted the flame
of his lantern to communicate WITH
some of the gaseous liquids stored in
the basement and that this was the
cause of the COnflagration.
Death in Terrible Forms.
Such a disastrous fire attended with
SO great loss of life in such a brief
period was never before known in
this city. Men and women died lin
gering, agOnizing death in the pres
ence of thousands Of spectators who
were unable to lift hand to their as
sistance. The rear of Hunt, Wilkin-
son & Co.'S building faces on Com
merce street, a small thoroughfare
On the lire escapes at this end of the
building 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 a WON
an, driven to desperation, leaned
from a window on the top floor and
was dashed to death on the pave
ment. These are but few of the
heartrending scenes attending the
contiagratiOn. Firemen claim to have
seen men and women, unable to reach
the windows or fire escapes, burned
to death in the interior of the build
ing. If this be so, little or NOTHING
remains of these victims and it is
doubtful if any portion of their
bodies will be recovered.
Unable to Escape.
Seventy-nine of the 100 persons in
Hunt. Wilkinson d, Co.'S building when
the fire started were employees, and the
remainder were customers and ont.
side workmen who were engaged in
putting the finishing touches on the
new eighth floor. More than half of
the firms employees were on the IN,
per five floors, and it was among these
that the greatest number were killed
and injured. With The possible excep
tion of the engineer, who is missing
all persons on the first three floors got
out of the building safely. The mem
bers of the firm had their offices OF
the third floor, and their familiarity
with the exits is all that saved them
from sUiIOcation. Mr.. Wilkinson said
the smoke came up the stairway and
the elevator shaft in such volume that
he and Mr.. Hunt had much difficulty
in reaching the street. Most of those
killed were at work on the sixth floor,
where women were engaged in sew
NO. They were a work in the rear OF
the building close to the fire escapes,
and became confused by the great
uantity of smoke that rushed NJ
through the building. 1t is reported
hat goods were stored against the
windows, which prevented the women
from getting out On the fire escapes,
out this was positively denied by a
member of the firm.
There were eleven employees and q
number of outside workmen on the
eighth floor. A ladder reached frou
this floor to the roof, which would
have enabled those on that floor 70
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 9th.
ers ran the gamut of smoke and fire
down the rear fire escapes. Among
those on the eighth floor who jumped
and were killed were II. A. Sparrow
an expert electrical contractor, and
Charles L. Sparrow, his nephew and
assistant. A co!ored scrub woman also
jumped from this floor and was crushed
in the street.
On the seventh floor there were 20
upholsterer at work and, thanks to
the great presence of mind of the fore
man of the floor, who is an official OF
the fire department at Mount Holly, n,
j., all escaped unhurt. AS soon as he