Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-25
(aT OFF FbYFLAMES;
MEN AND GIRLS DIE
Perhaps Twenty-Five Are
Burned Up in Big Chicago
Furniture Factory.
TRAPPED ON SIXTH FLOOR
BEYOND HOPE OF RESCUE
One Girl Jumps to Death From
Window of Top Story.
coMpANIoNs' CRIES UNHEEDED
Seven Other Bodies Recovered From
Ruips-Auditor and Advertising
Manager Among the Missing.

Ruips-Auditor and Advertising
Manager Among the Missing.
CHICAGO March 25.-It is said there
we're twenty-five woman employees on
the fifth and sixth floors of the Fish fur
niture building, 1906-s Wabash avenue.
DESTROYED by fire today. Some of these
may have escaped. All are dead, many
believe
II will be many hours, if not days, be-
fore the exact number can be ascertain
ed Meanwhile Fire Marshal Horan ex-
presses the opinion that twelve will cover
the number of dead.
Among the missing are: Henry NJ.
Mitchell auditor, brother-in-law of Sig
mund Fish, one OF the partners. and
Miner W Bell. advertising manager.
Bodies Recovered From Ruins.
Al 12:30 O'Clock seven bodies had been
recovered from the wreckage. Most of
them were burnt and mutilaied almost
beyond recognition.
Tie body of Mrs Hannah burden, fore
woman, was identified by means of letters
which had escaped the fire. Another
body. from the gold filing in the teeth,
is believed 10 be Mr.. Bell, the advertising
manae ger.
With the addition of Emma Lichten
stein, who died at the hospital. the known
Gead al 12::io O'Clock number eight The
]. ci,tenstein girl jumped to death from a
;xth-story window.
Heat Delays Search.
Firemen poured water on the building
Two hours and a half before the
i1es were sufficiently subdped to make
search for bodies. The heat made the
!: of removing the wreekase difficult.
aa hoEs.s search, however. resulted
the recovery ,f three bodies.
.,..s-s5S Vac fa;sea 10 elhe ssAa.,. story, |
7srss 80 IA est a5ses in a desperate effort to
fss,ua any Cne who misnt be alive.
.s5cnt forty employees are known to
ave escaped. john Schmidt and Wit
liam Peterson, eabinetmakers. who work
n Iii repair room. were among these
Wien a great sheet OF fame snGt across
lie fioerS tiiev were knocked down, oht
si,hougf almos. stified they managed 10
tsawl to the front stairway, whence lhey
made their way to the sbeet
Girls Cry for Help Unheeded.
Ten women and girls. it is said. were at
work on the sixth floor when the expiG-
sion occurred. The spread Of the fiames
vas almost instantaneous When the
girls rushed to the stairways they founo
escape cut off.
They next turned to the font or the
building smashing in the window. Hor-
fifed SPECTATORS in the street saw one
OF the girls step to the window ledge and
heard her scream for help. Then sne
jumped
Falling Oh the awning over the front
entrance 10 the store, she lay uncon
scious until Dr.. William j. kihsley,
crawling out on the canopy, lifted her
tp. She was taken at once to St Luke
Hospital only a few blocks away, but
oled soon aiterward
Dr. kius,ev suffered slight burns.
Later il was learned the girls name
Vas Emma LicEtsnstein. She was twenty
FEARS old, and was employed as Ming
tierk. Death was due TO internal IN
tufies received in her fall.
Soon after Miss l.ichtensteins desperate
Fap crash as of floors falling, was
beard. The faces al the window disap-
teared.
DR.. Kinsley's Account.
br. KiuSiey graphically described his
experience a ,foliows:
Il wa nearby when the tire started.
when rcaritcd the scene the sight fair
l. made my hair stand on end.
The floors Of the building were a mass
aameS. Smoke in great clouds was
ti!ins out of the windows.
ffttu. something ufusi ne doHt.
Something must be done But, like many
pliers there. was so stricken by the
Hsni of the faces. half revealed, in the
fxth-story windows that | could scarcely
bove.
The girls were shouting For Gods
take. send US help. Others were crying
tor the firemen to raise the ladders.
tried to get up the front stairways.
et the third floor gust of flame burnt
PIE about the face and hands The next
/ n
psain.
Then again the cries of the poor girls
trapped in the upper story came TO my
kafs. ! saw one OF the girls throw I'D her
pands and plunge ont of the window
Tier body crashed against the canopy
seer the front end of the store. Scarcely
sao"ins what | did. / ran up the stair
800 20 the first floor, crawled out of the
slhdow and then carried her down lad
'er which fireman had raised"
Locked in Elevator.
isaac Fish, secretary OF the Fish Fur
Company had a narrowing ex-
Eriehce He had entered the elevator
rreh The explosion occurred
ine coor of the car was AUTOMATICALLY
Ea' In a frenzy Mr.. Fish and the
sIsaiof boy attacked it with - stool
thct was in the cage and stIcceaded in
Preaking ii down. -
haiining through the third, second and
hoois Mr.. Fish and the boy shouted
scarcely needed alarm finally emerying
s..o ths street with the panic-st,icker
toRd from these floors
shccofding To Mr.. Fish. the fire started
neh an employe went into the finishing
sepaftinent on the fourth floor Ia gel
h,e alcohol for cigar lighter The
,ilc spark OF the lighter, according
Mr. Fish. started the fire, which quick
ieacfed cans OF benzine nearby and
Cpiosions followed rapidly
flsh thinks that all employees on
fourth floor escaped. He could see
W nope fer those above.
Fire Department Blamed.
SIMON Fish, another member of the
I'm declares the firemen were slow In
pohoing to the alarm and tardy In
tislns ladders TO the upper stories. He
That iiremen interfered with en-
r0'es who were attempting to make res
~ aud declares he will prefer charges