The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-06-16
FEARFUL CRASH
s.
Probably Thirty People Killed in Montre-
al Disaster.
fire ADDED TO HORROR
of Sprinkler System Tank
on Roof of Herald Building Give
Way, Precipitating Mass Metal
and Water, Weighing 35 Tons, to
Basement.

Basement.
Between twenty and thirty people
lost their lives Monday when the sup
ports of the sprinkler system tank,
on the roof of the Herald building,
at Montreal, Canada, gave way, and
the great mass of metal and water,
weighing thirty-five tons, went crash
ing to the basement.
Fire broke out Immediately, add
ing it's horrors to the disaster. The
firemen displayed splendid heroism
in rescuing scores of people from
perilous positions in the tottering
alls.
Some of the walls had to come
down before the work of recovering
the bodies could be safely attempt
ed, and it was not until six O'Clock
in the evening that the first body,
charred and mangled beyond recog-
milton, was brought out.
All of those who escaped agree
that the first warning of the impend-
ing disaster passed almost unnotlc-
ed. There was slight creaking,
then a little more, somewhat more
pronounced, but it was not until the
ceiling plaster began to fall that a
rush for the stairway began.
Before anyone reached it there oc-
Cured a final deafening crash, and
then chaos. Some survivors tell OF
falling one and two floors before
awful crash died away, and then they
found themselves able to crawl
through the dense dust to place OF
safety. The majority sought safety
by rushing to the front of the build
ing.
Fortunately all of the floors held
for about thirty feet fack from the
front wall, and to this is due the
fact that the death list does not run
into the hundreds, for there were
nearly three hundred people in the
building at the time.
When the first hook and ladder
company reached the scene the fire.
men found the windows of the up
per floors crowded with people, and
the crowd on the sidewalk urging
them not to jump. Not one did
lump. Ladders were quickly placed
in position and those in danger were
brought to the ground.
One ladder was hoisted, reaching
to the fourth floor, on which the
bindery was located. 1t came be-
tween two windows. From one OF
tn ese a little girl crept along the cop
ing until she could reach the ladder.
Grasping ring with one hand and
placing a foot on another, she lent
a helping hand to eight other girls
twice her size. When all the girls
had reached the ladder and had bsen
brought down to safety she came
down alone. By this time the flre
had started and smoke was pouring
from the front windows. The little
girl tainted when she reached the
bottom of the ladder.
A dozen injured people were car
ried from the ruins by the firemen,
many of them with broken limbs.
OF the rescued that of Bred Vidal,
stereotyper, was the most daring
Half an hour after the firemen reach
ed the building Vidal was heard
groaning, and was located under a
girder, from which he could not he
dislodged. Despite the fact that the
flames were creaping near three fire
men began to cut away and stuck to
their task. In the crowd outside was
Father Martin.
When he heard of the fight against
death, he went into the building,
and administered the last rites or
the church to the semi-conscious
man. Finally. however, the beam
was cut through and Vidal released,
not a moment too soon. Both his
legs and some of his ribs were brok-
en-.