Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-03-16
Explosion at Inc Socialislic Col ony at Englewood Caused
 Very Much Damage
THE INMATES JUMPED
Hemmed in By Fire inc Occupants of the Place Became Fran!lc-- Child ren Were Tossed From
 the Windows.

EuSleWOOQ, IN. J., MdFCQ l0.- Helicon hall, the home of Upton Sin clair's socialistic colony, was burned to the ground following an explosion about dawn to-day, which tore the front part of the building away and sent flames to every corner of the structure
 The fifty-five persons who com prised the settlement, including the author of ''The Jungle" and his wife, were shut in by the flames, and jumped from windows on the second and third floors. Children were tossed from the windows in their night clothes and caught in the arms of men and women or in blankets held by them.
 A number of women in the colony received sprains, bruises and cuts.
 The explosion seemed to have oc- cured in the ball room and was of such force as to be heard a mile away. As it was not caused by the boilers of the heating plant, suspicion was aroused that it was the deliber- ate work of some malicious person. Fire followed the explosion at once and quickly spread through the lower part of the building, shutting off the escape of the occupants, who at first rushed for the stairways, but were turned back by the flames. As there were no fire escapes the members of the colony began to jump from the second and third story windows. The men first threw out blankets and then used them to break the fall of the women and children who were dropped into them. Charles w. Hill ker. the engineer, made his way through the smoke to the top floor and carried a number of women and children to the windows and dropped them into the improvised fire nets.
 Mir and Mrs Sinclair, who occu- pied room in the front of the build ing, were thrown from their bed by the explosion and jumped out of the window.
 The Sinclair cooperative colony was established last October and in- cluded number of educators and men and women engaged in literary pursuits. The cooperative servant plan was adopted, the meals being served in common in large dining room.
 Five persons who were injured by jumping from windows were taken to the Englewood hospital. They were:
 Miss Helen Knowles. assistant housekeeper, burned about the face and injured by jumping.
 Miss Alice McGowan, back injured and suffering from shock.
 James McNin. burned about the face and neck.
 Miss Leonie Eichtenberg. burned on face and body and suffering from shock
 Mrs Grace McGowan Cook. the writer of short stories, bruised and perhaps injured internally; taken to Englewood hospital.
 Mrs Marietta D. Kimball. illus trator, suffering from shock: taken to hospital.
 William Montague. professor of philology at Columbia university. face and back injured by jumping: at Englewood hospital.
 Miss Edith Summers. private sec retary to Mir Sinclair. suffering from shock.
 The dead: Lester Briggs. Provi- dence.>R l.. community carpenter: cut off by smoke and burned to death on the third floor.
 Some of the members of the col ony, in anticipation of ire, had pro- vided themselves, with improvised fire escapes of ropes which were used to good advantage in lowering some of the children and women from the windows. Those who were unin- jured walked barefoot through the snow to nearby cottages where they were cared for.
 On investigation it appeared that the explosion was the result of leak ing gas.
 Lester Briggs. who occupied a room on the top floor, was awakened by Miss Margaret Hoag. a writer. Miss Hoag jumped from a window. but it is believed that Briggs was blinded by smoke and was unable to find his way out
 Prof Montague and Miss Alice McGowan were injured by striking against coping in their jump from their windows. Mise HcGovan's cos- dition is critical and Miss Fitehenn- berg's injuries are serious Both are in the hospital. MT Sinclair suffered cuts from broken glass. hut assisted in holding the blankets ss fire nets while the others jumped into them
 Mrs A. C. Moves. vho was the house manager and who had apart nents on the first floor. discovered the danger. She had 10 time to dress. but fed clad only in her night robe to the lattfced tower. near the main building. seeking the bell rope It vas gone. so she climbed up hand over hand fifty feet to the top. where she seized the rope and rang the -r-