The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1905-03-21

| sections Of the factory which remain
ed standing operatives were panic
stricken as they sought to escape.
Many fed down stirways and reaeA-
! ed the street, others ran to windows,
! fire escapes in many cases having
been torn away by the explosion In
desperation many jumped to the
ground and were dangerously injured.
The crush on the stairways resulted
in numerous minor injuries.
Wreckaqe Catches Fire.
Scarcely had the rear portion of the
structure collapsed when a tongue of
flames started up. from the boiler pit
and reaching out as It assembled com
municated with the splintered wreck
age ana iurmeaiately afterwards with
the standing walls Soon the entire
factory was in flames.
Instant death was the fate of many
who went down with the floor that
collapsed A large number of men
and women who were working near
the supports were alive after the
floors and walls fell From these un-
fortunates thrilling cries of agony and
terror went up. Almost all had been
caught between broken tmbers,
lighter wooden wreckage and heavy
pieces of machinery. A few persons
succeeded in extricating themselves
from the wreckage, but more were
roasted to death.
Work of Rescue.
BY this time nearby citizens had
arrived to assist the employees who
had escaped in the rescue of their
fellows. This task became mOmentar
arily more difficult and perilous, for
heat from the fire was almost unbear-
Ible. BY the use Of long pieces OF
timber the rescuers were able to
raise parts of the wreckage and there
5y release some of the imprisoned
victims and then by rushing into the
smoke pull them from the ruins.
Deed Of Heroism.
Then it was that acts OF sacrifice
md heroism were seen. One man
whose legs were caught under an iron
beam cried to the rescuers thai they
could not extricate him and to help !
the girls behind him. Stretching out /
his arms he lifted several girls one by
one and passed them TO the rescuers.
Then the fire rushed on aim and he 1
died.
A Woman Heroine.
A woman who was 5ntangled in a
shoe machine cried out tha. she was
lying aud commanded the rescuers to
attend to others who might live. She
begged 10 be shot. Soon the flames
her.
A Priests Brave Work.
Among the first to arrive on the
scene was Rev James A. ORourke
,urate at 81. Margaret's Roman Cath
,lic church nearby. At the risk of
is life he removed seven persons
rom the ruins before the fire reached
hem and was returning for the
eighth time when his shoulder was
iislocated and he tainted from ex
laustion
Father o'Rourke's Statement.
Father o. Rourge sa;u: Pinned be
itdAH NtuNs bAtINo VI AlteAAAAAN--|
fmber and twisted coils of pipe
we're many, ol. so many poor men
md women, suffering terrible agon-
es.
In order to reach these impr.son-
a sufferers we had TO crawl through
he debris and with the aid of large
imbers we raised the wreekage /
which held fast several men and wo-
nen. In this manner and by brute
strength We pulled out seven en-
,loyes.
Pulled Mans Leg of.
"Ry this time the flames were al
most upon us and we were about TO
lee for safety when one poor fellow
,egged that a last effort be made 10
ave him. Three Of rs grasped tae
nan by the shoulders aad arms and
uggsd and pulled until suddenly he
iried. My God. my leg is pulled on
1T was terrible. especially 50 be
iause a moment later, with our cloth
ng sc0rched. We were ordered away