The Cairo bulletin., 1907-05-02
WOMEN FIGHT TO
ESCAPE; 80 HURT
100 PATRONS or CHICAGO LUNCH
CLUB IN PANIC AS BUILD
ING BURNS.
LEAP ON EACH OTHER
From Alley Window, Only Means Of
Escape--Frantic With Fear They
Struggle Mady With Ser
ious Results.

Chicago, May 1.--More than a hun
dred people were penned In burning
building today at 255 Wabash avenue,
and narrowly escaped with their lives.
That none was killed seems little
short of a miracle f lly half of
them, however, wose l-jured in a
greater or less gree, hut no one is
expected 10 die
Many Of these who were only
slightly hurt made off in the con
fusion before their names were learn
I'D by the police. The more seriously
injured were:
MISS ROSE WILEY
KATE O'ROURKE.
SAMUEL KENNEDY.
GEORGE HOLBROOK
T. O. O'HARA.
The building was four story
structure The first floor was oc.
copied by the Storey and Clark Piano
company and the second floor by the
Lotus Lunch club. The two upper
floors were unoceupied. All thosa in
jared were either pa'rons or employ
es of the lunch club.
Small Crowd Prevented Deaths.
The fire broke out shortly bsfore
noon and before the rush If the lunch
hour had commenced. If Il had oc
Cured later when tho place was
crowded with the usual number many
deaths would have occurred. The
number of patrons in the place at the |
time was rs or 80 and employees. 25.
The fire star ed ia the basement ii |
is presumed from a defect in the elec |
tr.c apparatus. 1t sp.ead with greal |
rapidity up the elevator shaft and |
within few minutes cut off escape |
to the street by stairways. the eleva |
tors being rendered useless, and the |
stairway choked with fire and smoke |
The only escape left to the people
who had made their way TO tn |
street at the first alarm was through
a small window at the back which
opened onto a fire escape leading
down into the alley About so occu-
pants of the lunch room were caught
with Ouly Ailln tlldlIN ~ tSIdpI' |
Tha great majority of these were
women and they made frantic rush
for the window, fighting fiercely in
efforts to escape. Those who first
stepped on the fire escape were al
most Immediately pushed off and fell
TO the alley 20 feet below. Before
they could rise or get out of the way
Others fell or jumped upon them.
Women Pushed From Ladder.
WOmin piled upon each other in
mass from which they were dragged
as quickly as possible by men who
ran from neighboring stores but with
out exception. every enc of those who
came out of that rear window was in
jured in some manner The last half
doz n women who appeared at the
window were rescued by the police |
and fremen witho1U injury.
The first man to rush to the aid
Of the panic stricken women on the
ire escape was Daniel Kerr, a police
man. II put up shcrt ladde.
which reached the foos Of the fire
escape and grabbing Miss Kate
D ORourke just as she was pushed eff
he lower par of the iron stairway,
started TO carry her down the lad .
Ter He descended but two or three
'ounds when a number Of other wo-
men either jumped or fell upon him
md Miss O'Rourke.
Both were dashed to the paw ment
With a pile of women on top OF them.
Kerr was slightly hurt and Miss
)Rourke injured internally. The lad. !,
Ter which Kerr had brought was !,
mashed to pieces and no more res :
.ues we're made by its means.
The damage by fire and water TO =
he building ard to the property Of :,
he tenants is estimtted at $4,000. e