The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-11-27

Newark, " j., November 2s.--In ten
minutes, twenty-five girls were burn
ed alive this morning, or crushed TO
death on the pavement in leaping from
windows and fire escapes Of the four.
story brick factory at the corner OF
Orange and High Streets. The latest
count tonight shows that twenty of
the twenty-five bodies recovered have
been identified, and that six girls
are still missing. They may be among
the unidentified dead, or they may be
In the ruins. The collapse OF a wall
tonight interrupted further search.
Fifty were taken to hospitals, OF
whom two may die. Among the In
1ured is Joseph Il. Sloane. deputy five
chief, who was overtaken by the fall.
ing wall and buried In bricks and rub
bish. He is badly hurt, but may re.
cover.
Petrided With Fright.
The rush of the flames was so in
credibly swith and threw such unrea-
soning terror into tho huddled work
Ing girls on the top story that the
body of one was found still seated on
charred stool beside the machine at
which she had been busy when the
first cry of fire. petrified her with
fright.
HorrihIc as must have been what
went on In; The smoke 6f tiiaA. crowded
upper room, what bcfell outside in the
bright sunlight was more horrible yet
The building was furfously lnfia mrnable
and the first gush of flames had cut
off all possibility of escape by the stair
ways. The elevators made one trip
but took downno passengers and never
came back. The only exit was by two
narrow fire escapes, the lower steps Of
street.
Onto these overcrowded and steep
lanes. scotched hot by the Jets from
lower windows, pressed forward a
mob OF women blind with panic, driven
by the fire and the Others behind them.
a net had been spread beneath the
windows and the girls began to lump.
Like rats out of a burning bin" was
the way fireman described the pell
nell descent. They. bolted out Of the
windows like a thick treacle. rolled
upon the heads OF those below then.
and cascaded off the fire escape to the
pavement sixty feet below. Some OF
them stood IN the windows outlined
against the flames and jumped clear;
others from the landings; still Others
from the steps where they stood: The
air was full Of them, and they fell
everywhere-into the net, on the
necks of tiremen. and fifteen of them
on the hard stone slabs. When the
awful rain ceased there were eight
dead in the street, and the cutters
ran red. Seven more were SO badlv
crushed that they died in hospitals
Fifty are still under surgeons care
Panic Spreada
Clouds of smoke and show ers sit OF
burning embers spread over the city
and rained down on neighborinc roofs
AS the news flew-andsit lost nothing
in the telling-panic spread to other
factories, where many OF the girls in
peril had friends and relatives. and
several firms had to shut down FOR
scene and made the work of the hre-
men and police more difficult. Italian
silk workers fell in the street and
prayed and lamented pitiably. Priests
and clergymen worked, their way
through the press to give the last
consultations to those OF their different
faiths.
Ambulances and automobiles, COM
mandeered for emergency service, We're
hurrying In opposite streams 4 to the
HOSPITALS and back again.
Before any semblance OF order could
be restored every police reserve in the
CITY had ,been called out, and it was
not until late that the estimate Of
property loss would even bo yentured.
The fire department. now guesses
$165,000, but no statement from the
owners and tenants is yet available.
The building was four-story brick
structure, occupied on the two lower
floors by the Newark Paper Box Com
pany and the A. "A. Drake Paper Box
Company: on the third floor, where the
fire started, by the Anchor Lamp Com
pany and the Aetna Electric Company,
and on the top floor, where the death
list ran heaviest, by the Void Manu-
featuring Company. makers of under
wear, The wooden floors were soaked
with oil drippings from the machinery,
and the flames ate through them like
pasteboard. When they warped and
weakened, the weight OF tho machin-
cry tore them from the walls, and they
fell into the basement In horrible
ladle of hot iron and margled human
ity.
sadie Benson. an employe OF the
Aetna Electric Company, was cleaning
an electric light fixture In q Gasolene
(Consinued on Fourth Page.)