Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-03-26
EXPLOSION IN FACTORY TRAPol
WORKERS ON UPPER FLOORS.
ONE JUMPS TO DEATH; WtHLEI
OTHERS DIE IN FLAMES.
BODIES GA N N O Z
BE I d E N TI-FIED D.
REMAINS TAKEN OUT FROM
UNDER TONS OF DEBRIS AND
LOWERED TO STREETS WITH
ROPES.

Chicago, March 25.-Twenty persons
lost their lives In fire which attack
ed the Fish Furniture company build
Ing at 1906-1908 Wabash avenue here
today. Forty employees escaped. A.
girl who jumped from third story
window died at the hospital. The
dead We're trapped, 1t Is said, on the
fourth, fifth and sixth floors, when an
explosion of benzine on the fourth floor
wrapped the building In flames. Il
! One of the dead is said to have been
a man who perished In a desperate
endeavor to rush up a stairway to aid
those imprisoned above. Those killed
were all women and girls. Ten Of the
latter, it is said. were at work on the
sixth floor when the explosion occur
red. The spread of the flames cut or
their escape at the stairways. They
then turned to the front Of the build
ing, smashing the glass in the wins
dows. The horrified spectators IL the
street below looking through the haze
|of flames, smoke and spray Of water.
could see diHly the faces OF the girl1
framed UP in the windows abeyc.
Girl Jumps to Death.
Suddenly one OF the girls stepped to
the window ledge, her face picture Of
terror, and screamed for help. The
turmoil below suddenly turned to ail-
ence as the form poised and then
sprang to the street below. She fell
on an awning over the front entrance
of the store, where she lay uncon-
scious until DR.. Kinsley. crawling out
on the canopy, lifted her up. She was
taken to st. Luke's hospital, but died
soon afterwards. Later 1t was learned
the girls name was Emma Lichten-
stein.
Soon after Miss ichtenstein's des-
perate leap crash of floors falling
was heard and the faces at the window
disappeared.
At noon the loss Of life was estimat-
ed at twenty or more. The interior Of
the ruin was still very hot from the
smoldering debris when a, fireman en-
tered the building to search for the
bodies. The fifth and sixth floors had
collapsed, falling in tangled mass to
the fourth. A half hours search re-
suited in the recovery Of three bodies.
Partial list Of tho Missing.
Following is partial list Of Tho
missing:
Veronica McGrath
Gertrude Quinn.
Lillian Sullivan.
Mary Wargo
Hannah Burden.
Rosie Brucke.
Ethel Anderson.
Henry M, Mitchell, auditor. and the
brother-in-law of Sigmund Fish, one Of
the partners. Z
Miner w. Bell.
Bert Sticker.
William Green.
At 1880 seven bodies had been re-
covered, most OF them burned and mu-
tilated almost beyond recognition.
Cause OF tho Fire.
Isaac Fish. secretary of the com.
pany says the fire started when an
employe went into the finishing de-
partment to get some alcohol for a
cigar lighter. The electric spark Of
the lighter, according to Fish, started
the fire, which quickly reached cans
Of benzine nearby and explosions fol-
lowed rapidly. Fish expressed the be-
lief that all OF the employees on the
fourth floor escaped, but could see no
hope for those above.
There were twenty-five on the fifth
and sixth floors and 1t Is possible all
are dead. The financial loss will be
100000.
AS one by one the crushed and
blackened bodies were removed from
the wrecked building and taken to
the nearby morgue the police had diff
Guilty in restraining an immense crowd
which surged about the scene. Among
these were persons searching for
friends and relatives and they fought
the police to get a view Of the bodies
as they were being taken away. Many
women tainted and others screamed
hysterically and struggled to prevent
being lead away. The bodies were
dug from under tons of debris and
were lowered to the street by means
Of ropes.
At2:30 o'clock this afternoon twelve
bodies had been recovered. Those
identified were Veronica McGrath and
Mrs. Hannah Burden. Three bodies
were found together in a corner OF
the wreckage, their position showing
they had been in an attitude OF
prayer when death came.