Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-26

were the only ones besides porters, ele-
vator conductors and engineers and fire.
| men at work in the big building after 8
o'clock this afternoon. The three floors
! women and men busy at their machines
and benches and most Of them in a high
good humor that they had received their
wages and the days work was about
to close on the eve Of their holiday. The
closing hour was o'clock and many Of
the employees had left their work and
were preparing to go home when Just
| as the hands Of the clock pointed at
two minutes to s there was Whit OF
smoke from the eighth floor, a rumbling
sound and q flash Of flame.
Shrill screams sounded the alarm and
panic and dread seized the hundreds Of
| men and women who began the despair
ing struggle for life
Many Thrown From Fire Esoaps-sss
The windows opened ut their dizzy
height on space. One steep and narrow
fire escape. loose on it's fastenings and
terminating far shove the ground, trailed
building into the blind court that proved
to be pit Of death. One person at q
time could tread its binding way, and
many who rushed for this slender thread
| Of promised safety were dashed head
long to the court below by those who fol-
lOW00 IN the WllQ stampede.
The flames, after the first flash, began
| to climb and eat their way upward with
amazing rapidity. Driven like cattle be-
fore this storm Of flame and smoke, the
women and girls sought the windows. and
within three minutes after the alarm had
been given the trapped and freuzied wom-
en- began to leap to the street below.
| A man who from the street had seen
the Whit Of smoke from the eighth-story
window ran to Broadway and turned in
the ninth-story window. He pulled the
alarm again and again, and then rushed
| back. The two falling bodies surprised a
teamster who was passing below the
building. He looked up and saw the win
dows Of the eighth, ninth and tenth floors
peopled with the pale faces Of women,
and family heard their asonized cries.
Puffs Of smoke were coming from these
windows.
Blanket Used for Life Net.
| The teamster, who had the heart and
courage Of q true man, and valued human
life more than those who had failed to
safeguard the lives of the men and wom-
en- who were working to enrich them,
stopped his horse and stripped the an
imal Of Its blanket. Two or three other
men who had run up saw his plan. and in
I . moment they were holding the blanket
far below the windows where women
were tottering. One jumped from the
ninth floor. struck the blanket and
brought the men down In q heap. She
was killed instantly.
Others ran up and again the blanket
/ was stretched. Another woman jumped
and she. too. brought down the men who
held the blanket and was instantly killed.
The men realized what a pitiful effort
was theirs. and as it looked like an invi-
tation to death to spread the blanket
1 again. they stood helplessly by.
From below 1t could be seen that the
women at the windows were beating out
the flames that now and then caught In
| their dresses. One woman, her clothing
| afre. threw her pocketbook and then her
nat from the window. She then hurled
DR.: Keefe Of St vincent's Hospital was
driving past In the ambulance as two
more bodies Of women fell to the pave
ment. He jumeed out and ran up. BY
sidewalk. He found signs Of life in
l three OF them. A taxicab drew I'D. Dr.
keefe placed two Of the women In the
and started for the hospital. The woman
In the ambulance died and one In the
taxicab died while DR., Keefe was work.
ing S over her her; The other one died after
called. '-'.
i swarmed on Fire Escape.
inside the building tho two passenger
iand two freight elevators. were running
The one fire escape swarmed with
human beings. swaying to its dizzy
height. and ending abruptly above de-
lpressed areaway some fifteen feet from
the ground. Women and men were
dropping or being pushed from it to the
concrete flooring OF the areaway, some
LOT them to rise and disappear. and others
to remain huddled up, silent or groan-
ling.
!, All this had happened in such a small
Ispace OF time that the first piece OF ap-
paratus had not reached the scene A
!. those wagon rolled up. and the screech
gines could be heard. For a moment
this held the fire-girdled prisoners In
, the windows. The firemen first on the
j. scene snatched out their life net. and
many men In the gathering crowd sur
rounded 1t.
), Az soon as 1t was spread there was q
. cry OF warning from those looking up.
; and group Of women, estimated at more
than q score, jumped almost together for
|. the net-the only avenue q escape. The
net gave way. fiingang those who held II
to the pavement. and the pile Of lifeless