The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-14

man had almost reacneQ her when a
belch of fame covered her like a wave
died in sight of the horror stricken
crowd
The position of those who had taken
refuge in the rubbish-ch oked fire rs-
capes became more and more despS-
rate every minute. They feared to
jump, and they could not wait until
the scaling ladders reached them so
intense was the heat. Now and then
scream. A baby was flung into the
arms of a policeman below by its
fear crazed mother Just as the pO-
liceman caught the child, the mother
dived to the ground. Her body struck
the policeman on the head and he fell
unconscious. The woman escaped in
jury by the fall but she had been
badly burned. The baby was unhurt
Death was reaping a harvest on
other fire escapes on the building as
well at this time. In the rear two
men and two women were seen on
the escapes. The women came first
and every step they made was blocked
by some can or box of rubbish often
too heavy for them to lift. The men
would then come to their assistance
and hurl the obstruction into the yard.
The quartet We're descending slowly
between the third and fourth floors
when flames burst from the windows
all about them. The flames darted up
from the third floor windows, en-
veloped the two men and women.
They fell and were roasted to death.
Their bodies were got down by the
firemen.
Through the smoke another figure
was seen on the fire escape on the
fifth floor. No one could tell whether
it was man or woman The clothes
were af1ame. In a moment the person
sank to the escape and died.
On the top of the fire escape at the
other side of the house lay three
bodies. Mrs. Solomon and her two
i 4
overcome there by the Aames.
Two other members of the Solomon
family were seen to look from the
| windows and then fall back in the
the husband and father, was one of
those rescued by Patrolman Dwan.
When he reached the street his
I whiskers had been burned off and he
more than one hour he had been wan
dering around in this condition
searching for his family, when he
came upon the bodies after they had
AS he recognized the scharred remains
he broke into passionate weeping,
with agonized cries of "Mein kinder.
mein kinder His experience was
paraneled by dozens of others in the
house. After the fire was under con-
troll the street was filled with half
dressed weeping people seeking for
their relatives implOring the police
|
and rescue the loved ones whom they
believed perishingf there. Yet one
man. whose family bad been saved,
bewailed the loss of some jewelry left
in his apartment and begged a fire
man to save it for him.
The desperate resourcefulness of
some mother in her effort to save the
lives of her children was shown when
a bundle was. seen to fall from a high
window in the burning building and
lighting fly up in a heap of snow In
the center of the bundle wrapped
around by several thick blankets and
comforts was found a 4-Year-oid boy
who suffered not at all from his un-
usual experience. The fate of the
mother is not known.
One cause of the terrible loss of life
was due to negligence in failing to keep
the slxylight door free and clear. 1t
was not only fastened tight, but also
frozen
As the flames rushed up the stairs
the tenants dashed for the roof. They
found the door which should have
swung easily open, fastened down. I'm
able to burst it open and, wedged in by
a surging mass below, numbers were
burned to death.