The evening Republican., 1902-05-01
EIGHT GIRLS KILLED
False Fire Alarm In Philadel-
phia Factory Causes Panic.
Two SCORE SERIOUSLY INJURED.
4 Slight Elevator Accident Results
In IL Mad REal Of Twelve Hum
Grcd cigar Operatives
For the street.


PHILADELPHIA. May IAN IN
fortunate accident to deaf and dumb
boy, IsAGor Bacc,ls, was directly re-
sponsible FIR the death Of eight girls
and yOun. women, the fatal injury or
three others and the serious injury of
more kan two score Of girls employed
in the cigar factory Of Hamburger, Ho-
man e. CO.. a branch Of the American
Tobacco company, located at Tenth
street ard Washington avenue.
Tie building in which the disaster
occurred is Il five story brick structure
nnu reaches an entire block. Twelve
hundred persons were at work at the
time Of the accident, 90 per cent Of
whom were girls whose ages range
from twelve years upward.
The trouble began on the fourth floor
of the structure. Raccus, who was Jam
itor of The building, started for the
ffti honr for ball Of twine. The ele-
va,or was at the top of the shaft, and
Bacrus pulled the rope to bring it down.
He opened the door leading to the shaft
and leaned forward to see where the
carriage WAS. As he did SO the elevator,
which was descending slowly, struck
him across the back Of the reck, pin
iOning his head between the elevator
and the floor. A stock boy released
Eaccls and cried for help.
The foreman rushed from the build
,,,lI pl,,I, nd III j.
ntC!y there was panic among the en-
ployccs. Some of the younger girls
tainted, while others. not being able to
control their feelings, cried fire.
Instantly there was mad rush for
the stairway leading into Tenth street
The girls rushed down the narrow
staircase until they reached a bend IN
the exit between the second and thIrd
floors. In their cascrncss to escape the
frightencd leaders fell Others imme-
liiatcly following tripped over the
struggling mass of humanity, and in
less than n minute there were hun
drcds Of children and Young women
Struggling in the passagcwaN
The shrichs and screams of the terror
stricken girls could be heard for Il
block or uorc. During the excitement
m alarm Of fire was turned in, but be-
fore the engines could reach the scene
several of the occupants of the build
Ing had rushed 70 the windows and
junped to the street, Il distance of over
City feet.
When the fremon and policemen ar
rived every effort was made to quiet
the tcrrorized girls. The fremen rush.
I'd up the stairway and begged the girls
70 be calm, telling them that there was
absolutely no danger, but the sight or
The fremen seemed only to add fuel to
the flame.
While the policemen and tiremen
were cudeavoring to quiet the girls on
the stairway ladders We're being run
up on the outside Of the building, and
the employees who had climbed out on
to the fire escapes and window ledges
were quickly taken to the street.
After a few minutes the men were
enabled to check the awful crush on
the stairway, and then began the work
of rescuing those who had been tram
pied and crushed between the second
and third floors. A call for ambulances
had been turned in, and as quickly as
the dead and injured were carried from
lhe building they were hurried TO hos
pitals.
The panic was over in less than half
nm hour. but In this brief space thou
sands of persons had been attracted to
the scene by the wild screams Of the
relatives Of the victims and the shrieks
Of the girls at the windows.