The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1910-12-01
PERISH I'M
FLAMES!
Twenty-Four Girls Meet
Horrible Death IN Fac
tory Fire Trap.
Plute Corporations in the
Mad Rush for Gold Sac
rifice Human Lives---
Ignore the Fire Escape
Law of the State.

| Law OF the State.
New York. Nov. O.-Twenty.four
women and young girls paid the pen
atty for being wage earners Saturday
They died horrible death in a
roaring fire which ate like finder q
factory building at High and Orange
streets, Newark ~
Thirty.one more were hurt AMI
burned. twenty OF them fatally.
Three are still missing. The dea tn
list may reach fifty
/ For the entire building of four
tioo1s. where 122e human beings had
worked, there was Just one fire es-
cape.
Even the police who were present
spoke bitterly ofGthis criminal care.
lessness on the part OF the little CAPT
talists who herded these women and
girls in an old and oil soaked build
ing.
Twelve girls were Instantly Killed
by jumping from the fourth floor
frcni7 windows or from FIRE escape
landings.
Others died later from injuries re.
ceived in the same way.
The other victims were burned to
death III the vertable furnace that,
within twenty minutes had doomed
the old building to destruction
When the dread cry of fire rang out
the girls were caught in a trap.
They choked the single fire escape
in an instant.
They crushed each other in despcr.
ate struggles down the narrow stair.
way.
Nearly all the charred bodies arc
those of Young girls who only a few
hours ago, We're looking forward joy
ouslv to the freedom OF Saturday aft.
ernoon and night.
The bodies fell and lay on the pave.
mcnt in heaps. Twenty-three were
counted at one time.
The city authorities at once issued
proclamation "deploring'' the calam,
ity. and calling for relief funds. The
had nothing to say about proper in
! spection beforehand.
There is also talk of "crimina! pros.
eCution it has all happened
One hundred and twenty-five girls
We're employed in the building by. the
I five firms CHARTERED there. On the first
I floor was the A. A. Drake Paper Box
| Company, the Newark Paper Box
I Company had the second floor, the
Aetna Electric Company and the An
! Choir Lamp Company were on the third
/ floor and the fourth floor was occu
| pied by the Louis Wolf Company
! manufacturers of muslin unhergar
The fire escape was jamme1 with
girls from the second and third fioors
a moment after the cry Of fire was
! heard. Those who were on the es
cape could not move down. a mo
! ment later there was an explosion on
The third floor and burning splinters
set fire to the dresses Of some of the
.ifls on the escape outside.
The fire broke out about 80 ain
and is thought to nave been caused
by the explosion of sasolene lamp
\ In the first rush to escape the
girls piled one over the other anc
jumped for the street. Fireman witt
safety nets. workmen with Wagon
covers and coats tried to catch then
as they fell and it is estimated tina
nearly thirty we're saved in this way
While some jumped others rat
down the blazing stairway. The strong
Knocked down and trampled the veal
and those who escaped told hystericai
" OF others who had fallen. and hat
; been trampled or who had succumbet
before the fierce breath of the fame
and the overpowering smoke