The age-herald., 1901-10-26
Bremen Are Digging in the Ruins in Search for
 Dead Bodies
LEAP TOGROUND FROM FRIGHT
Two Men and Woman Slowly Roast ed to Death While Horror
 Stricken Throne Turn
 Aside at Sight.

Philadelphia, October 25-Nincteen known dead. and propertly loss amount ing to upwards of s5oO,OOO is the result of a fire which occurred today in the business section of the city Fully a score of injured were treated at various hospitals. Policemen and fire men are tonight delving 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, 1219 and 1221 Market street. occupied by Hunt Wilkinson 6. Co. upholsterers and furniture dealers, and three story building occupied by small merchant men.
 List of the Dead.
 The dead are:
 Dorothy Kramer, Martha Baker, Mar garet Hebden, Susan Gormley, Harry House, H. A. Sparrow, Charles E. Spar row, red Wilmington. Charles Landis. Walter Stearley, J. F. Armstrong, Mrs. Martha Banks, colored: rMs. Mary Mitch ell. colored; Margaret Grady; one un- known white woman; three unknown men.
 Never in It's history has Philadelphia experienced fire which spread with such great rapidity.
 At 1925 this morning the blaze broke from the building occupied by Hunt, wn- kinson Company, and one hour later the horrible sacrifice of life had been made and the immense loss of property had been accomplished. The origin of the confiagration is unknown. It is said | that an explosion of naphtha or gasoline | in the basement was the cause, but this is denied by Mir. Wilkinson. Rumor has l, 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 base ment and that this was the cause of the con1agration.
 Died Agonizing Deaths.
 Men and women died lingering, agon- izing death in the presence of thousands of spectators who were unable to lift hand to their assistance. The rear of Hunt, Wilkinson & Company's building faces on Commerce street. small thor oughfare. On the fire escapes at this end of the building two men and a woman were slowly roasted to death while the horror-stricken throng on the street be- low turned sick at the sight In front. on Market street, a woman, driven by des- peration, leaped from a window on the top floor and was dashed to death on the pavement. Bremen claim to have seen men and women, unable to reach the windows or fire escapes, burned to death in the interior of the building.
 When the fire started more than half of the firms hundred employees were on the upper five floors and 1t was among these that the greater number were killed or injured. With the possible ex- ception of the engineer, who is missing all persons on the first floors got out of the building safely. Most of those killed were at work on the sixth floor, where women were engaged in sewing. It was reported that goods were stored against the windows which prevented the woman from getting out on fire escapes but this was positively denied by mem Der of the firm.
 Forget Escape In Excitement.
 There were eleven employees and a num- Der 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 sidwalk and were crushd while the others. ran the gauntlet of smoke and fire down the fire escapes
 As if by common impulse the majority of the employees attem pted to reach places of safety by means of the fire escape on the Commerce street entrance of the structure Many of them. rendered prac- tically insane from fright. leaped to the ground and others. becoming unconscious from the smoke and intense heat fell to the pavement. When the firemen ar rived Commerce street was filled with these unfortunate victims.
 By noon the fire was under control and at o'clock this afternoon a force of men began clearing away the debris for the purpose of recovering the bodies of the victims.