Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-07-04
Through Fire In a C|eve-
land, Ohio, Store.
Fireworks Explode and Panic
Ensues Among The Clerks.
FIrsmen Do Heroic Work In Rescu.
Ing Those In Danger.
.1Nt1Gt

Cleveland, Ohio, July 3.-Six persons
were killed, at least two others were
fatally injured, fully 80 more were Sc
verely hurt, as the result of fire in
S. S. Kreagc's s. and 10-cent store on
| ontario street today.
The following is the list of dead and
seriously injured:
Dead
Emma Schumacher IS. floor walker.
Marie Wagner, II, clerk.
Anna Trefall. "a. clerk.
Friday Trefall. II. clerk.
Elizabeth Reis, clerk.
Mary Hughes. q, shopper.
Jane l.. Parker. years old.
The seriously injured:
Anna Hildebrandt, IS, internally
Laura Horak, 16, burned about body
and hip broken.
Mrs Anna Falscher, o5. arm and hip
broken.
Carrie Bowerman. internal injuries.
Helen Catraski, IA. trampled upon
and internally injured.
The fire followed an explosion of fire
works on display in the store. The
exact cause of the explosion has not
been determined. A woman who was
at the fireworks counter said the stock
was isnited by sparks from 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 a
panic seized the hundreds of clerks and
shoppers. A mad rush was made for
the doors and windows. Many jumped
from the second and third floors
The store which is located near the
busiest corners in the down town dis
trict was well filled with shoppers,
mostly women and children. Practical
iy 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. crazed by the possibility
Of injury or death, ali on the main floor
rushed for the front and rear doors.
The front doorway soon was lammed,
the rear door was too small for all who
sought safety there and the rear win
dows were closed with iron bars.
Several women forced to the rear of
the store by the approaching flames
finally sought safety under counter.
where their bodies were found two
hours after the explosion. The five wo-
men had been sutfocated The siXth
victim, the 4-year-old son Of Mrs.
George Parker, was knocked to the
floor in the first panic. There he lay
unconscious and trampled upon until
suffocated by smoke.
Cleveland, Ohio, July Six persons.
five women and 5-year-old boy are
known to be dead, while possibly
score of others were more or less Sc
riously injured as the result OF an eX-
plosion of fireworks In the ;. krease
s. and Decent store on Ontario street
today A panic among the hundreds OF
clerks and customers followed the ex-
plosion Flames and smoke filled the
four upper floors of the store.
Two of the dead girls were WORKING
at the fireworks counter on the ground
floor. This counter was situated in the
center of the store and was box shap-
ed. The girls were inside the enclos-
ure. When the explosion occurrd they
could not escape. The girls dropped to
the floor and sought safety under the
counter The flying rockets and crack
crs were exploding about them.
Customers about the counter had an
opportunity to escape No one stopped
to save the girls. They burned to death
in this trap.
IT was not known until nearly two
hours after the fire that any lives had
been lost. This was made known when
the fircmen began searching the build
ing after the flames were conquered.
The cllarred bodies of the girls and the
little boy were found on the first floor
and in the basement.
The fire was started when one of the
clerks was demonstrating one of the
pieces Of fireworks. A spark ignited
the other pieces.
The noise of the explosion startled
those on the floors above and q panic
ensued. Smoke and flames were drawn
CONTINUED on Page Two)