The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-14
Twenty-Seven UnfOrtunates Are
Hurled Into Flaming Pit
During Fire in Montreal.
MANY VICTIMS EXPIRE
In TERRIBLE TORTURE
Attempts at Rescue Have to Be
Abandoned in Face of the
Flames.

! MONTREAL, Canada, June 13.-Be-
tween twenty and thirty persons lost
| their lives today when the supports OF
the sprinkler system tank on the roof OF
the Herald building gave way and the
great mass of metal and water. weigh
| ing thirty-five tons. went crashing to
| the basement, The list OF missing COM
piled by the police totals twenty seven.
Fire broke out Immediately. Fircmeu
displayed splendid heroiSm in rescuing
scores OF people from perilous positions
Wllnin the totterlng walls. some of which
| had To come down before the work OF
recovering the bodies could DC safely at
tempted 1t was not until after o'clock
this evening that the first body was
brought out.
All those who escaped agree that the
first warning OF the impending disaster
passed almost mnoticed. There was Il
slight creahng: but IL was not until the
ceiling plaster began TO fall that a rush
for the stairway began
Several survivors tell OF falling one
and two floors and crawling through the
dust 10 place of safety. The majority
sought safety by rushing to the front of
the building. facing on Victoria square.
All the floors held for about thirty feet
back from the front wall. and to this
Is due the fact that the death list did
not run into the hundreds, for there were
nearly 500 persons in the building at the
time.
Saved With Ladders.
When the first hook and ladder com
pany reached the scene the firemen found
the windows OF the upper floors crowded
with people and a crowd on the side
jumped. 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. II came between two windows.
From one of these little girl crept along
the coping until she could reach the lad
der. Grasping rung with one hand.
and placing a foot on another she lent
a helping hand 10 eight or ten other
girls twice her size. When all the girls
had reached the ladder and had been
brought down. she came down alone. BY
this time, fire 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 persons were brought
from the ruins by the nremen, many OF
them with broken limbs. The rescue OF
Fred Vidal a stcrcotyper. was the most
daring. Half an hour after the iiremcn
reached the building VidalS groans were
heard. and he was located under sir
der, from which lie could not be dis
lodged. Although flames were, creeping
pcrilouSly near. three firemcn began 70
cut the girdcr away. In the crowd out
side was Father Martin When he heard
of the fight against death lie went into
the building and administered the last
sacrament To- the semi conscious man.
Finally, however the beam was cut
through and Vidal was released. not
moment too soon Both his legs and
several ribs were broken.
Some Narrow Escapes.
Every member Of the editorial stan
escaped unharmed, their quarters being
In the front of the building.
Fred Maloncy a linotype operator.
worked on a machine at point farthest
from the Victoria Square window. He
rose from his chair the alarm, and
as he did so the machine on which he
had been working disappeared through
the floor.
The fire started from the stereotyping
department. the Goals from the furnaces
evidently being distributed on the diff
fercnt doors through which the pots
passed on their way 10 the basement, for
The fire appeared TO start simultaneously
on all the lower floors.
The building was valued at $4,000
and was owned by the Herald company,
while The valuation of the plant is placed
AT $500. 900, About half OF the linotype
battery remained In position, and II is
believed the two newspaper presses To-
Gated In the basement were not seriously
damaged The rest OF the plant is hope
lessly wrecked. The insurance on the
building and plant Lotallcd Sl7I,O00,
The Herald appeared this evening as
an eight-page paper. arrangements nav
ing been made with the Gazette to con
tinue publication until new quarters can
be obtained.