The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-07-04
PRELIMINARY
JULY FOURTH
CELEBRATION.
Six Girls and a Little Boy Vic
Tins of Fireworks
Explosion.
WILD PANIC IN FIVE
AND TEN-CENT STORE
FATALITIES CAUSED BY MAD
RUSH WHEN THE CRY OF
FIRE" WAS RAISED.

Cleveland. July 3.-Seven persons were
killed. at least two others were IA
tally injured and fully thirty more were
severely hurt as the result of fire
I'M s. S. Kreags scent store on Ontario
street today.
The Dead.
Emma Schumacher, IS years of age;
floor walker.
Marie Wagner, IL; clerk.
Anna Trefall, 90; clerk.
Frida Trefall, II: clerk.
Elizabeth Refs. Il: clerk.
Mary Hughes. %: shopper.
James L. Parker, years OF age.
Seriously Hurt.
Anna Hildebrandt, IS; internally.
Laura Horsk. 16; burned about body
and hip broken.
Mrs. Anna Falscher; arms and hip
broken.
Jennie Singer: head injured.
Carrie Bowman: internal injuries.
Helen Gatraski. IA; trampled upon
and internally injured.
Emma Jaskins; leg broken.
Fire Followed Explosion.
The fire followed an explosion of
ions differ as to the exact cause of the
explosion. A woman who was at the
fireworks counter said the stock was
ignited by sparks from a device which
was being demonstrated to her by a
clerk.
Fire Chief Wallace and the store
manager were of the opinion that the
pieces were ignited by an arc light.
Immediately following the explosion
an alarm of fire was sounded, and pam
ic seized the shoppers and employees.
A mad rush was made for the doors
and windows. Many jumped from the
second and third floor windows.
crazed by Fear.
! The store, which is located near the
busiest corner in the downtown dis
trict, was well filled with shoppers,
mostly women and children. Practi-
cally all of the clerks were young girls.
Although the explosion of the fireworks
caused CONSERVATION, the real panic did
not occur until some one shouted
Fire" For an instant a hush came
over the crowd. Then women screamed,
some tainted and sudden fear over
came them.
Crazed by the possibility of injury or
death. all on the main floor rushed for
the front and rear doors. Quickly they
were damned in the front doorway.
During the jam those who had at
tempted to escape by the rear door were
blocked in their passage.
Jam at the Door,
who sought safety there. and the rear
windows were closed with iron bars
Those who could not escape i'm this di-
rectiou turned to the front door, While
| practically every one on the main floor
was able to leave without injury by
way of the front door. it was mainly
because of the jam at that door that
the seven unfortunate ones lost their
! lives. Two of the clerks. seeing no pos
sibility of immediate escape at the front
door. ran to the basement The base
| ment. windows also were barred with
| iron, and their return to the maip floor
was cut off by the approach of the
flames.
Bodies Found Under Counter.
| The women were forced TO the rear
of the store by the approaching flames.
and they finally sought safety under a
counter, where their bodies were found
two hours after the explosion The
five women had been suffocated. The
seventh victim. the 4-year-old son of
|
the floor during the first panic There
he lay unconscious and trampled upon
until suffOcated by the smoke.
! While the next panic upon the main
tfloOr was in progress the flames from
the fireworks counter rapidly advanced
to other parts of the store. The smoke
and flames were whirled up the stair
ways to the second and third floors
Frenzied Crowds.
The frenzied crowds of clerks and
shoppers who were endeavoring To find
a means of escape by way of the stairs
were frustrated by the suffOcating
smoke. The elevator made several trips
during the first few minutes of tine
| fire and took many to the main floor.
Hundreds of persons were near or in
! front of the store at the time of the
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