Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-11-27

NEW YORK, Nov. 26.-(special Tele-
gram)-Two score girls dead, half dozen
dying, and as many more injured, are the
effects OF a fire caused by an explosion
of gasoline, that swept through the upper
floors of factory building at 2i6 High
street. Newark, N. j., today
Twelve were instantly killed by jumping
from windows and fire escape landings,
Eight others died in hospitals Of injuries
sustained the same way. The others were
burned TO death, ana the bodies Of most
of them are buried under a great heap OF
ruins More than 800 girls we're at work
in the building when the panic started.
The estimate of forty dead Is conserva-
tive, according 70 Chief Ashley OF the New
| ark fire department. He and his men were
( Mortified when they entered the ruins
after the fire was out and came upon heaps
OF charred bodies. A portion Of the High
street wall OF the building tumbled into the
| street late this evening and buried Joseph
e. Sloane, deputy fire chief Of Newark.
Chief sloane Fatally Injured.
A fireman, standing at Sloane's side, saw
the wall falling, shouted a warning and
jumped in time to escape injury. Sloane
was completely covered with the wreck
age. Firemen dug him out and carried him
/ into Engine No. 4 headquarters, whence he
was taken to a hospital. His injuries are
! likely TO prove fatal.
The firemen were ordered out and the
two upper stories Of the wall were blown
off by the force OF streams from the water
towers. As the wall fell. beams and floors
that had been clinging to II dropped into
the piles. OF ruins in the cellar and buried
the bodies that had been abandoned. The
fire department chief said he thought there
were from twenty-five TO twenty-five bodies
in the ruins before the wRvering wall
caused an interruption OF the work OF re-
moving the dead Il may take two Ior three
days TO remove the wreckage
The body OF a young girl was found
seated on a charred stool beside the iron
frame OF a sewing machine on the top
floor where she and some eighty-five others
had been employed in making underwear
for the Wolf Manufacturing company
ParalyEed by fright she had been unable to
move from her machine, and was scared by
the blasts Of flame that enveloped her.
Only n Few Escape.
OF all the employees Of the Wolf concern
not dozen escaped death or some form of
injury It is quite likely that many OF the
bodies will never be identified.
Frederick Welmer, chief inspector of the
public prosecutors office, has begun
ptTbOnhl AnNthubhllOn IN OIQef TO Tx Ln0
responsibility for the disaster and to take
such legal steps may appear to be
necessary
Il am not prepared to talk right now"
he said Il am making thorough investi-
cation and may have something TO say
later. l don't think, however, that the
factory people had a permit to use gaso-
line"
The loss OF life was due to poor facilities
to escape from the burning building. There
were but two fire escapes, one at the front
and one at the rear of the structure, some
13O feet apart.
No Chance to Get Out.
The fire escape platforms were small and
the ladders narrow and steep. The lower
platforms we're about twenty five feet from
the ground and there appears to have been
no ladders for climbing to safety The
panic stricken girls we're either forced to
jump by the pressure from behind or above,
or jump in terror when the fire. working
down to the second floor. burst through
the windows
Many more lives would have been lost
but for the prompt action OF the members
OF Engine Company No. 4, which is directly
across the street from the factory They
got a score Of girls off the lower fire escape
platform on the High street side Of the
building and thus made room for others
who were pushing down from above.
Spectators who were early on the scene
were unnerved by the horror Of IT, Six
girls jumped at once for life net and not
one reached It.
The screams Of the girls on the upper
floor afraid 10 take the four-story leap,
with flames sweeping upon them from
behind. sounded above the shouts Of fire.
men, whisthng and putting Of engines and
the ringing Of BELLS
The fire started from a gasoline ex-
plosion on the third floor IN the factory
occupied by the Anchor Lamp company
and the Aetna Electrical company
sadie Henson, an employe OF the Aetna
company, was cleaning an electric lamp
fixture In an instrument into which she
was required TO pour gasoline. Following
the pouring OF a portion OF gasoline the
liquid burst into flames and the blaze
communicated with waste paper ana
wooden splinters nearby can Of gaso-
line was next attacked by the first and
it exploded.
Brave work of Employees.
Lewis Coke, an employe OF the box fac
tory on the second floor had just left
the workropm and was in the hail when
the explosion came. II was forcible enough.
j he says % knock him against the wall
George Rush, foreman OF the box factory
! ran out into the hall and up the stairs IN
E the third floor. lie was followed by Coke.
r Rush and Coke guided a score OF glrIs
down the stairway
4 Eugene McHugh foreman OF the Aetna
Electrical company proved himself a