The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-25
About 40 Employees Escaped
From the Building.
ONE GIRL WHO JUMPED
Died Shortly After Being Taken
to the Hospital.
Blaze Started From an Ex-
plOsiOn of Benzine.

Chicago. March 25.-Twenty-two per-
sons are dead in a fire which
attacked the L. Fish Furniture COM
pany building at 19O6-19OS Wabash
avenue here today. About 40 en-
ployes escaped. A girl who jumped
from a third-story window died in g.
hospital.
Ladders were raised to the sixth
floor. the topmost one. in an effort to
rescue anyone who might be alive.
The fire is said to have started from
an explosion of benzine in the repair
rooms on the fourth floor.
John Schmidt and William Peterson,
cabinet makers. who were at work in
the repair room, were among those
who escaped slightly burned.
When great sheet of flame shot
across the floor they were knocked
down, but managed to crawl to the
front stairway whence they made
their way to the street. The fire they
said was preceded by an explosion,
which shook the building.
One of the dead is said to have been
a man who perished in an endeavor
to rush up the stairways to the aid
of those imprisoned above.
Ten women and girls. 1t IS said. were
at work on the sixth floor when the
explosion occurred. The spread of the
flames throughout the upper floors
was almost instantaneous and when
the girls rushed to the stairways they
found their escape cut off. They next
turned to the front of the building,
smashing the windows. Then sudden
ly- one of the girls stepped out on the
window ledge and screamed for help.
Then she leaped- She fell on the avn
ing over the front entrance to the
store, where she lay unconscious un-
til man, crawling out on the canopy,
lifted her UP. She was taken to st.
Luke's hospital only a few blocks
away, but died soon afterwards.
Dead May Reach %.
1t. is said there were % employees ON
the fifth and sixth floors of the Fish
furniture building which was destroyed
by fire today While some of these may
nave escaped, 1t IS believed all are dead
1t will be hours before the exact num-
bers can BE- ascertained.
Following is the list missing:
Ehe Missing.
Veronica McGrath. aged IL stenog-
rapher.
Gertrude Quinn. 90 folder.
Lillian Sullivan, 16, folder.
Mary Wargo. 20. folder.
Hannah Burken, 80. foreWoman.
Rosie Brucke, IT. stenographer.
Ethel Anderson. Is. stenographer.
Henry NJ. Mitchell. auditor, brother
in-law of Sigmund Fish. one of the
partners.
Miner w. Bell. advertising manager.
Bert st. Claire. 2s, confidential clerk.
William Green, "a. clerk.
According to Mr.. Fish, the fire start
SQ Wnen an CIlplOye went INTO the mn
ishing department on the fourth floor
to get some alcohol for cigar lighter.
The electric spark of the lighter, ac-
cording to Mr.. Fish. started the fre,
which quickly reached cans of benzine
and explosions followed.
Mr.. Fish expressed the belief that
all employees on the fourth floor es-
capped, but could see no hope for the
% or more above.
Loss 100000.
Aro foI fc
900, equally divided between building
and stock
The Fish Furniture company occu-
pied two buildings, separated by an
alley, one building fronting on Wabash
avenue, where the fire occurred. and
the other on State street, which is a
block west of Wabash avenue. Those
in the State street store looking across
the alley could see the girls on the
fifth and sixth stories of the burning
structure rushing back and forth to
the windows screaming for assistance.
At times they clung to each other
Then some of them disappeared with
their hair and clothing blazing.
Fire Marshal Horan stated that an in
vestigation as to the preparedness of the
building for fire would be made. The
building had but one fire escape, he said,
whereas 1t should have had two.
Simon w. Fish, another member of the
at It's height made charges of negiigence
against the firemen. In bitter language
spending to the alarm and tardy in rails
ing ladders He protested that fremen in
terfered with employees who were attempt
would prefer charges against the fire de-
Dartment-
'I believe there would have been no loss
of life if the firemen had responded
promptly" declared Mr.. Fish.
Marshal Horan declared that his men
responded without the loss of a second
and expressed tn opinion that Mr.. Fish
would withdraw his charges after he had