Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-10-31
Fire was in the Heart Of the
Business District.
PEOPLE CRAZED BY FRIGHT
A Number Of Persons Were Crush cd to
Death by Jumping from Windows
10 the street, While Others Were
Cremated.


is not known definitely but fully
score of victims were treated at vari-
Gus hospitals. Police and firemen
are delving into the ruins in search
of bodies supposed to have been
buried beneath tie 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, Will
| kinson d Co.. upholsterers and furni-
ture dealers, and three three-story
buildings occupied by small mer-
chants. The big furniture building
extended back half block to Conn
merce street, and was owned by
Henry c. Lea. The list OF known
dead is as follows:
Dorothy Kramer.
Martha Baker.
Margaret Hebden.
Susan Gormley.
Harry House.
II. A. Sparrow.
Charles f. Sparrow.
Fred Wilmington.
Charles Lands.
Three unknown white women, one
of whom is supposed to be Margaret
Grady.
One unknown colored woman, sup
, posed to be named Wilson.
Six unknown white men,
At 10: 20 a. M the blaze broke forth
in the building occupied by Hunt, Will
| kinson & Co., and one hour later the
horrible sacrifice of life had been
made and the immense loss of proper
ty had been accomplished. The ORR
gin of the death dealing confiagraton
is unknown. 1t is said that an ex-
plosion 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 the terrible dis
aster. 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 base
ment and that this was the cause of
the contiagration.
Such a disastrous fire attended
with so great a loss of life in such a
! brief period was never before known
in this city. Men and women died a
lingering. agoniZing death in the
presence of thousands of spectators
who were unable to lift "A hand to
their assistance. The rear of Hunt,
Wilkinson & Co.'s building faces on
Commerce street, small thorough
fare. On the fire escape az this end
of the building two men and one wo-
man 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 leaped from a window
| on the top floor and was dashed to
| death to the pavement. These are
but few of the heartrending scenes
attending the confia grafton. Fire
men claim to have seen men and wo-
! men. unable to reach the windows or
| fire escapes, burned to death in the
| interior of the building. If this be
so. little or nothing remains OF these
victims and it is doubtful if any por-
| ton of their bodies will be recov-
! cred
Seventy-nine of the 100 persons in
| Hunt. Wilkinson & Co.'S building
| when the fire started were employees
! and the remainder were customers
! and outside workmen who were put
| ting 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 thGse
! that the greatest number were killed
| and injured. With the possible eX-
ception of the engineer, who is miss
| ing, 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 sutfocation.
Mr.. Wilkinson said the smoke came
! up the stairway and elevator in such
! great volume that he and Mr. Hunt
had great difficulty in reaching the
| street. Most of those killed were
at work on the sixth floor, where wo-
! men were engaged in sewing. They
| were al work in the rear of the build
| ing, close to the fire escape, and be-
| came confused by the great quantity
| of smoke that rushed up through the
| building.
On the seventh floor 20 upholsterers
| were at work and. thanks TO the pres
! ence of mind of the foreman of the
| floor. who is an official of the volun-
teer fire department at Mount Holly,
| y. j., all escaped unhurt. AS soon
| as he learned of the. fire he mar
| shalled his men aud led them through
| the thick smoke down the stairway
and safely into the street. There
were II employees and a number of
| outside workmen on the eighth floor.
| A ladder reached from this 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
| side walk and were crushed, while the
others ran the gauntlet of smoke and
fire down the rear fire escapes.