The Washington herald., 1910-11-27

GIRLS RUSH To RESCUE.
Others working In the same room ran
to her and attempted to put out her
clothing and subdne the fire that was
eating it's way along the floor by throw
ing on It bags of sand. In this way
time was lost and the third floor was
pretty we'll ahre when one OF. the girls
ran over 10 the FIRE house Of Engine
Company M. I. across tho way and telss
Capt. Darcie Van Volkenburg th,t there
was a fire in the factory.
The captain telephoned IN an alarm and
with the several men of his company
hurried TO the building. He hastened to
the third floor. but by the time he had
reached the landing his way was cut off
by smoke and he had to retreat into the
open. There were four floors in the
building. and from the first the stairway
was cut of from the top.
When the firemen reached the street
again smoke was pouring from the win
dows of the top story and the easements
were filled with young women who
sought escape.
Nfo GAA AtSAtf %-ttA ~-s+
VOlkenburg. "and We will help you.
Don't jump The trucks will be here in
a minute
jam Onto Ladders.
Fire truck No. 2. only two blocks away.
arrived and ladders were run up to what
windows could be reached. The girls
piled from the windows near the fire
escape on High street onto the steel
ladder and jammed their way down.
At the lower landing there was fif-
teen-foot jump, which an emergency lad
der. suspended on hooks. was designed
to protect. The girls were unable 70 lift
the ladder from It's rusty fastening
Fireman oscar Brown went TO a nearby
store and got stepladder. which he
placed under the last landing of the fire
escape and helped the girls down. Al
ready some of these at upper windows
had jumped.
Three priests, Rev. John A. Dillon, su-
perlntendent of parochial schools; Rev.
John E. KIernan. and Rev. William p.
Brennan. from ST. Parick's Cathedral,
had learned that some of their parish
toner's were employed in the place and
hurried 10 the fire. They helped those
who had already jumped or been carried
out. and when IL was evident that others
stiH ia the building must perish. raised
their hands.
The hundreds who had already gathered
about the building hushed themselves into
silence when the clergymen removed their
hats and prepared % give conditional alb
solution. The crowd was so still that the
priests EGO vos absolvo' could be heard
above the cracking of the flames and the
kissing streams from the fire nozzies-
Streets Are Thronged.
News of the FIRE had spread, and the
st Gets about the doomed building were
black with men and women. Many of
them were fated to see their children
burned TO death before their eyes. A
white haired man. InmIndful of the spray
Of water that glanced from the walls
knelt on the pavement and besought God
to save his daughter.
Women fought with the police 10 get
through the lines and tore al the patrol
mems uniforms IN a frantic effort 10
reach their loved ones. Again and again
The police had to drive the crowd back to
make room for the bodies that firemen
were carrying out
Twenty minutes after the fire had start
ed, all escape was cut of for the girls
employed on the third and fourth floors
They gathered al the y indows and many
of them jumped. Firemen with nets tried
to catch them.
Net squads ran from window to window
wherever they saw a white form darting
down through the thickenlng smoke. On
a parapet stood four girls. They waited
until a shot of flame breaking through q
ventllator forced them to the edge, and,
clasping their arms about each other.
jumped. The IRE net broke and all were
killed.
Girl Jumps Four stories.
At fourth-story win low a girl stood
with hair ablaze. Sometimes she ap-
peared about 10 leap. but held back.
Driven forward BY the smothering smoke.
Georgia Flooring. Good. 1925 per fea.
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