The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-25
MANY LIVES LOST
IN CHICAGO FIRE
Eleven Believed to Have Been
Trapped by Flames and
Perished
ONE VICTIM JUMPS
FROM SIXTH FLOOR
Picked Up Fatally Injured
Others Slide Down Elevator
Cable and Escape-Damage
$4,000.

CHICAGO, March 25.--Twelve per-
sons were killed and number OF
nfhars -Mere-xeriouSl%- in1ursd- ina
ore to-day which destroyed a six
story building occupied by l.. Fish
= CO., furniture dealers at Nineteenth
street and Wabash averae While
there are many rumors that the death
list may run up to fifteen or twenty.
Fire Chief Koran said at / Z. NJ.
he believed all the dead had been
recovered. At that nour the build
Ing had been entirely destroyed. and
nothing rem me standing but the four
walls.
Ethel Finkelstein. sixteen. jumped
from sixth floor and died half an hour
later.
Five other no, yet identified.
The missing:
Myron Bell. advertising manager
for Fish 4 Co. HI. II. Mitchell. broth
er-tn-law Of l.. Fish: Bert Sinclair.
clerk: Thomas Sullivan, clerk; veron-
lea McGrath, Rose Brunsie. Ethel An
t1ersofl. Mrs. Burden. Mary Wargo
and girl named Sullivan. all employ
ed by Fish & Co. At least three are
numbered among the unidentified
dead, but which ones Is not known.
Due TO Careiessness.
s+~-JT The fire started at A. NJ. and Is
said to have been caused by an at
tempt by an Office boy To fill a cigar
lighter with alcohol Whether the
blaze originated in the basement,
which was allied with infiammabie ma
teriais, or on one Of the upper floors
has not been established.
Part of the building was used as
d store house and the furniture on
ali the floors furnished fuel for the
names. which spread rapidly.
All the down town fire companies
were called When they reached the
building. the flames had got 10 far
No 10 make II impossible 70 save the
structure Several tiFesnen endeaver-
"a % enter the burning Building but
were overcome by smoke and heat and
carried ont.
The missing persons were all en-
pioyed In the office Of the company.
which was on the sixth floor. The
girls worked in the stamp and mail
order departments. All the persons
employed on this floor dashed for the
stairways and elevator shafts as soon
tha=si -hEsake-ssssss-
Isaac Fish member of the firm.
who had n narrow escape. says the
automatic elevator doors in the build
tag closed shortly SITTER ssae ssre start .
I'd. M. y. Getners aud Fish himself
prIed open the doors and slid dawn
the elevator cable 10 the main floor.
no other injuries.
- Z ruzFti by FeaE,
Miss Efnkelsteln YVES one of the first
10 reach the stairways. IN panic
vi fear she ran from the steps to
window and ieaped to the ground.
She struck the edge or a glass covered
awning at the main entrance of the
building and sustainec injuries from
which sht died in st. Luke-s nospItai
half an hour later.
number OF other girls employed
by the eompan, " .aped by the stair
ways, bat suffered severe injuries
How many were hurt is not known.
AT 1850 A. Nj. the firemen recover
ed three dead bodies from the ruins
OF the Fish & Co. building. At that
hour the building was a complete
wreck. only the four walls standing.
This makes four known dead,
Two more bodies were recovered
from the burned Fish Il Co. building
ii l2.s5. All the dead are women.
AT 1890 p. NJ. the bodies of two
men were taken from the ruins OF
the Fish building This makes eight
known dead,
sAil the bodies SO far recovered are
burned almost beyond hope of recog-
nition
Miss Finkeistein and the other girl
victims were near rescue Just before
Miss Finkelstein leaped 10 death. The
girls were leaning out OF the front
windows on the sixth floor. when thseI
f}remen put up a long ladder. Then
several frcmen started UP. When
half way sudden explosion forced
. sheet or flames oupt, blocking their
progress. A few moments later the
girl jumped.
Rescuer Injured.
Dr. William Kinssey was badly
burned about the race and hands
while trying to rescue the girls.
when ! reached the scene" he
said. THE upper floors OF the build !
Ing were mass OF flames. Hanging
out Of the windows on the sixth floor
were five or ELK girls screaming fer |
help.
N Z For Gods sake help us!' they
cried. rant into the building and |
got az Tar as tho third floor before |
the fire drove me out.
ssAs came into the street again I |
saw the Finkelstein girl throw up her
hands and cry. Look OUT apo the
next moment she plunged headlong |
from the window. She struck the
GlasS canopy over tho front entrance /
and hung there. AneIi we picked |
her up her facc WA scrrfpsy burned /
md her body badly torn and cut
BY the time the ffremen got their I
LADDERS against the front of the build /
f1g II was too late, and tho escape /
e the people on the sixth floor was
cut on"
Il AZ 1880 all hope that any of the |
raiKsfnw PERSONS were still alive hsN I
been abandoned.
II All OF the urned bodies had to
be token out pheemeai an arm being t
FOUND here. a head or seg there.