The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-03-30
DIED IN FIRE
Fourteen Persons Probably Perished i'm
the Chicago Burn.
DEATH TOLL FEARFUL

NILlI a. 1Ltl "N> ~
Bodies.-Grapic Description OF
Horrible Burning Of Men and Wo.
me- in Fire Caused by Accidental
Explosion OF BenZIne.
Search Of the wreckage for the
remaining bodies Of those who lost
their lives in the Fish Furniture
Company fire horror at Chicago on
Friday was discontinued Friday af-
ternoon owing to the danger from
the falling walls but not until twelve
Of the dead had been recovered and
eleven of those identified.
While earlier estimates placed the
number of victims trapped on the
fourth and fifth floors of the Fish
building as high as twenty, later and
more thorough investigation indicates
with considerable certainty that
there were but sixteen. Two Of these
escaped with their lives, which leaves
but two more to be accounted for.
Leo Steckel, a clerk Of the Fish
Company, who by accident is said to
have started the Gre, told his story
to Fire Attorney Frank Hogan Fri
day afternoon. Although Stocked,
who is but &c years Of age, is adj
mitted more unfortunate than cul-
pable, Attorney Hogan says that he
will bring some charge against the
young man to insure his attendance
at the inquest.
Stoeckel was brought before the
fire attorney with his hand, which
had been burned, swarthed in ban
dages. He appeared heart-broken,
and told his story with difficulty.
About AS p. m.," Stocked said,
"Mr. Mitchell, who Is a member Of
the firm, gave me three piece cigar
lighters, and told me to go to the
finishing room on the fourth floor
and fill them with benzine. 1 had
filled two Of the lighters, consisting
Of q gallon can and was working on
the third, when there vas an ex-
plosion.
"A sheet of flame almost blinded
me, and l did not fully regain my
senses until l had reached the street.
The lighters contained a c%ontrivance
to make a spark, but whether l ig-
ntghted one of them or not, I don't
know. l either dropped the a Of
benzine when the flame shot up In
front Of ME, or it was blown out of
my hands"
Alexander Bush, a street "a con-
ductor, identified one Of the bodies
as that of Rosie Bruncke, whom he
was to have married on Easter Sun
day. He recognized her through the
medium of a number of trinkets, in
Guiding an engagement ring he had
given her.
One Of the victims lost his life In a
desperate endeavor to rush upstairs
to the aid of the women and girls
imprisoned above.
Ten women and girls it is said
were at work on the sixth floor when
the explosion occurred. The spread
Of the flames was almost i~nstantan-
eous, and when the girls rushed to
the stairways they found escape cut
off. They next turned to the front
Of the building, smashing the win
dow. Mortified spectators in the
street saw Emma Ltchenstein step
to the window ledge and heard her
scream for help. Then she jumped.
Falling on the awning over the front
entrance to the store, she lay un-
conscious until DR.. VIM. l.. Kings
ley, crawling out on the canopy, lift
ed her up. She was taken at once
to st. Luke's Hospital, only a few
blocks away. but died o afterward.
DR.. Kingley suffered slight burns.
Emma Lichtenstein was 20 years
old, and was employed as a filing
clerk. Death was due to internal in
juries received in her fall.
Soon after Miss Lichtenstein's des.
perate leap, a crash as If of floors
falling was heard, and the faces at
the window disappeared. DR.. Kins-
ley graphically described his exper'
fence as follows:
Il vas nearby when the fire start.
ed, and when l reached the scene the
sight fairly made my hair stand
on end. The floors of the building
we're a mass of flames. Smoke in
great clouds Vas rolling out of q
windows. l noticed something must
be done but Ike many others there
l was so stricken by the sight oil
the faces half revealed in the sixth
story windows that 1 could scarcely
move. The girls were shouting fol
Gods sake send us help and Others
were crying for the iremen to raise
the ladders. I tried to get up tht
front stairway, but at the third flool
a gust of flame burnt me about thu
face and hands and the next thing
/ knew l vas back in the stree
again. Then came the cries of tn
poor girls trapped in the upper stor!
came to my ears and l saw one of the
girls throw up her hands and
plunge out of the window.
"Her body crashed against tn
canopy over the front end of TIL
| store Scarcp1v knowintr what did