The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-10-26
EIGHTEEN ENTOMBED
IN A BURNING
BUILDING
Horror Stricken Spectators
Watch Them Slowly
Roast to Death.
(By the Associated Press.)

Roast to Death.
(By the Associated Press.)
Philadelphia, Oct. 25.-Eghteen
known dead and property loss amount
ing to upwards of 100000 is the awful
result of "a fire which occurred today in
the business section of the city. The
number of injured is cot known def
nitely, but fully a score of victims
were treated at various hospitals.
Police and firemen are tonight delv-
ing into the ruins in search of bodies
supposed 10 have been buried beneath
the debris, as it is feared that others
besides the known dead may have lest
their lives in the flames.
The buildings destroyed were the
eight-story structure 1919 and 1921
Market street, occupied by Hunt, Will
kinson & Co., upholsterers and furni-
ture dealers, and three three story
buildings occupied by small merchants.
The big furniture building extendede
back half block to Commerce street
and was owned by Henry c. Lea. The
DOROTHY KRAMER.
MARTHA BAKER.
MARGARET HEBDEN.
SUSAN GORMLEY.
HARRY HOUSE.
H. A. SPARROW. a 4 u
CHARLES E. SPARROW.
FRED WELLINGTON.
CHARLES lands.
Three unknown white women. one of
whom is supposed to be Margaret
Grady. One unknown colored woman
supposed to be named Wilson. Five
unknown white men.
At 1920 o'clock the blaze broke forth
in the buildin occupied by Hunt, Will
kinson & Co. The origin of the fire is
unknown. 1t is said that an explosion
of naptha or gasoline in the basement
was the cause, but this is denied by
Mr.. Wilkinson, who says there never
was sufficient quantity Of either ex-
plosive about the building to be re-
sponsible for today's terrible disaster
RuIhor 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
this was the cause of the confiagration.
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 a lingering death in the
presence of thousands of spectators who
were unable to lift hand to their as
sistance The rear of Hunt, Wilkinson
& Company's building faces on Commerce
street, d small thoroughfare. On the fire
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,
woman, driven to desperation, leaped
from window on the top floor and was
dashed to death on the pavement. These
are but few of-the heart-rending scenes
attending the conflagration.
Firemen claim to have seen men and
women unable to reach the windows or
fire escapes, burned to death in the in
terror OF the building. If this be so, lit
tie or nothing remains of these victims
and it is doubtful if any portion of their
bodies will be recovered.
Seventy-nine of the one hundred per-
sons in Hunt Wilkinson & Company s
ployed and the remainder were customers
and outside workmen who were engaged
in putting the finishing touches on the
new eighth floor. More than half of
the firms employees were on the upper five
floors, and it was among these that the
greatest number were killed and injured
With the possible exception of the en-
gineer 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 exist is all that
saved them from sufocation.
Most of those killed were at work on
the sixth floor where women were engaged
iii sewing They were at work in the
rear of the building close to the fire es-
capes, and ecame confused 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 a member of the firm.
Several persons made the terrible lear
from the eighth floor to the sidewalk and
were crushed. while the others ran the
gauntlet of smoke and fire down the rear
fire escape. Among those on the eighth
floor who jumped and were killed were,
H. A. Sparrow, an expert electrical con-
tractor, and Charles Z. Sparrow, his ne
phew, and assistant. A colored woman
also jumped from this floor and was
crushed in the street