Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-05-03

Philadelphia, May IAN I'M
fortunate accident to Il deaf and dumb
boy. lsadOr Baccus, was yesterday d.
rectly responsible for the death of eight
girls, aged from II to IS, the fatal in-
jury of three others and the serious in
jury Of more than two score of girls en-
ployed in the cigar factory of Harbur-
ger, Homan 4 Co.. Il branch Of the
American Tobacco company, located ut
Tenth street and Washington avenue.
The building in which the disasteroc
CURED is a tive-story brick structure
and reaches an entire block. Twelve
hundred PERSONS were at work at the
time of the accident, 0Opercent Of whom
were girls, whose ages range from Il
years upward.
The trouble began on the fourth floor
of the structure. Baccus started for
the fifth floor for a ball cf twine. The
elevator was at the top of the shaft
and Baccus 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 descend
ing slowly, struck him across the back
of the neck, piniOning his head be-
| tween the elevator and the floor 4
stock boy released Baccus and cried for
help. The foreman rushed from the
building to call an ambulance and I'M
mediatcly there was a panic among the
employees. Some of the younger girls
tainted while others, not being able
to control their feelings, cried fire.
instantly there was Il mad rush for
the stairway leading into Tenth street.
The girls rushed down the narrow stair
case until they reached bend in the
exit. between the second and third
floors. In their eagerness to escape
the frightened leaders fell. Others i'm
mediately following tripped over the
struggling mass Of humanity and in
stantly ther were hundreds of children
and young women struggling in the
passageway. =,
The shrieks and screams OF the terror
stricken girls were terrible. During
the excitement an alarm of fire was
turned In, but before the engines could
reach the scene several Of the occupants
CT the building had rushed to the
windows and jumped to the street.
distance of over 80 feet. When the
tiremen and policemen arrived every eff
fort was made to quiet the terrorzed
girls. ..., ..
The firemen rushed up the stairway
and begged the girls to be calm tell
ing them that there was absolutely no
danger, but the sight of the fireman
seemed only to add fuel to the fame.
While the policemen and firemen We're
endeavOring to quiet the girls on the
stairway ladders were being run up on
the outside of the building and the EN-
plOyes who had climbed out on to tie
fire escapes and window lodges were
quickly taken to the street. .
After few minutes the men were en-
abled to check the awful crush on the
stairway and then began the work of
rescuing these who had been tralnpled
and crushed between the. second and
third floors. A call for ambula nccs had
been turned In and the dead and injured
were hurried to hospitals. 7.
While this was going on the scene
about the structure was heartrendlng,
The building is located In a section
largely inhabitated by Hebrews, many
of whom were caught. in the. terrible
crush. Parents and relatives Of the un-
| fortunate girls were screaming and
rushing about the streets and 1t was
almost, Impossible for the police tors
strain the mothers and relatives of sup
posed victims from entering the .biiiid-
ing.
The work of; rescuing the girls from,
the windows was necessarily tedious.
They were so excited that they did not
seem to understand the pleadngs of
the tiremen. A nearly every window.
of the huge strilcturewere girls screalm-
ing and crying for help. .,... .,..- 1,
Many were SO excited that it was with
the greatest difficulty that they were
prevented from jumping from the burld-
Ing, notwithstanding that there was not
a sign of fire and their rescue seemed
only the work of a few moments.
The panic was over In less than half
an lBhiss. but In this brief space
tllodsaJlls Or !personssshad been at
tracted to tile scene BY The wild screams
of the relatives +of The Victims and
the shrieks Of the girls attke windows.
Because ofSthe gEeatsexeltement it
was almostS imposaaSts I'D get an in
telligent idea Of the disaster and it was
three hours after the accident occurred
before single victim was identified. .