The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1905-03-24

Many fell into veritable fiery furnace.
From the sections of the factory which
die not collapse. the operatives were
panic-stricken as they sought their es-
cape.
Many fed down the stairways and
reached the street, others ran to win
dows, for the fire escapes, but in many
cases it was found that these had been
torn away by the explosion. Crazed
and in desperation, several jumped
from the second and third-story win
dows to the ground and were severely
injured.
Finding a safe exit by way Of the
fire escapes out of the question, many
turned to the crowded stairway and
reached the sidewalks, but quite a
number sustained bruises in the rush.
Scarcely had the rear portion of the
structure collapsed when a tongue Of
flame started up from the boiler PIT
and. reaching out as it assembled, COM
municated with the splintered wreck
age. In a moment the entire mass
was enveloped in fire and flames were
rushing easterly. Soon the entire fac
tory was engWfed and d great pillar
of dense black smoke rose from the
burning structure.
Instant death was the fate of many
who went down with the floors that
collapsed. A large number Of men and
women who were working nearer the
windows than the others in the wrecked
a1i fln Il
walls fell. From these unfortunates
a thrilling cry of agony and terror went
up. Almost all had been caught be-
tween broken timbers, lighter wooden
wreckage and heavy pieces Of ma
chinery and upon these people crept
the flames, devouring all in their path.
A few persons succeeded in eXtricating
themselves from the wreckage and
these took up the work of rescuing
their fellow-employes.
BY this time nearby citizens had
arrived to assist the employees who
escaped first In the rescue of their fell
lows. This task became momentarily
more difficult and perilous. for the heat
from the fire was almost unbearable.
By the use of long pieces of timber
the rescners were able to raise parts
of the wreckage and thereby release
some of the imprisoned men and wo-
men and then by rushing into the
smoke pull them from the ruins.
Then it was that acts of sacrifice
and heroism developed. One man
whose legs were caught under an iron
beam cried to the rescuers that they
could not eXtricate him and to help
the girls behind him. He reached over,
lifted the girls one by one in his arms,
and passed them to the rescuers. Then
the fire got to him and he died.
A woman who was entangled in a
shoe machine cried out that she was
dying and suffering and commanded
the rescuers to attend to others. She
begged to be shot. Soon the flames en-
veloped her
Among the first to arrive on the
scene was Rev. James A. O'Rourke,
curate at St. Margaret's Roman Cath
Ollie church. nearby. At the risk of his
life he removed seven men from the
ruins before the fire had reached them
and was returning for the eighth time
when he tainted from the effect of The
smoke and the shock. Father ORourke
many Catholics, both to those who W ere
saved and some who later persisted.
Imprisoned operatives, too far away
for rescue and who knew that their
lives would last but a few moments,
spoke words of encouragement to those
who seemed nearer escape. Some
prayed aloud. Others pleaded with the
rescuers to say goodbye" to relatives
and not few shrieked from pain and
fright. This dreadful spectacle I'M
nerved many who were trying vainly
to get to them and some turned az ay
sick and fainting. Members of the
fire department, with ladders, aided
greatly in the work of rescue, but their
time for work was short. for within q
brief interval fire closed over the
wreckage and the cries of all were
hustled.
Many of the victims were parish
toner's of st. Margaret's church. With
tear-stained and haggard faces, wo-
men and children besieged the rectory
during the day pleading with the
priests for information about husband
father, sister or brother who had been
employed in the factory and who
failed to return home.
Little comfort could be given to these
people and they returned once more to
the scene of the wrecked building.
hoping against hope that a loved one
had escaped the death which claimed
so many neighbors and friends.
At the Campello police station
similar scene was enacted. Mayor
Keith, foreseelng the confusion which
would ensue, posted notices in con-
spicuous places. requesting all employees
who had escaped to go at once to the
police station and give their names.
These names were Immediately posted
and around this list of names lowered
a throng of women-many convulsed
with sobs because the list did not in
clude a relative.
Back and forth from the ruins to the
station house and from the station
house to the ruins these grief-stricken
women fled in a never-ending process
sion, looking at the crisp and smok.
ing bodies as they were placed in pine
boxes and hurried away to the morgue.
Only in extremely rare cases was
there the slightest chance of anyone
Identifying these bodies.