The Washington times., 1911-03-28
LABOR TO PROTEST
FIRE Law LAX|TY
Demonstration In New York
When Unidentified Vic
tins Are Buried.
Continued from First Page.)

was closed at the time of the fire, and
had always been fastened, except on
rare occasions. She will give her story
to the police and to the district attor-
ney.
The fire that destroyed so many lives
began, according to Mrs. Szivos,
under one of the long cutting tables on
the eighth floor. The origin of the
blaze was a match, cutter has since
told her-a match which was stepped
on after it had been accidentally drop
ped under the table.
1t was the custom OF the cutters, she
says. to smoke. but not at the tables.
Many went INTO the hall by the open
stairs. when they lighted their ciga-
rettes.
Mrs. Szivos' statement follows:
II had machine on the eighth floor
of the building. At 4:45 o'clock Satur-
day afternoon the bell rang for us TO
stop work. The machines were so close
together all over the middle Of the room
that 1t was impossible for us to get up
and leave quickly.
Most of us had got up on our feet,
and was fixing my hair, when ! heard
the cutting tables. There were five of
those long cutting tables. side by side,
near the freight elevators, at the rear
half of the room, over by the Greene
street side. running the same way as
Greene street.
Looking over toward the cutting
tables l saw blaze under one OF the
middle tables. more up toward the end
by the freight elevators. / Joined in
bIszs the screamIRg ES fGT eE looked. the
me. along under the tables. which had
on them and under them a great amount
of very inflammable materials.
The flames raced from the cutting
tables to the machines, of which there
were several hundred massed close to-
gether all over the central part of the
loft. The machines were all covered
with lingerie and other light and easy
to-take-fre goods, In various states Of
being finished.
a rush over to the freight elevators. l
am not able to swear positive ely. but I
certainly believe from what ] saw that
those freight elevators had been in serv-
Ice only short time before the fire.
But they had been abandoned. as | he
leve. by the operators. for | saw the
girls over there in a great mass by the
freight elevators.
The door of the stairs by the freight
clev ators was open, and some OF the
girls got out or were killed by that
way.
Il saw number of the girls crowded
over against the door leading to the
stairs by the passenger elevators. on
my side OF the room. BY that time tie
whole room was full Of smoke and
flames, and some of those poor crea-
tures-many OF them I knew well-were
already beginning TO burn.
"A number Of us, thirty or forty. I
think, who knew the place well. had
made our way TO the passenger eleva-
tors. We knew the stair door was
had been fastened-su
we ran 10 the passenger elevator. When
we cot there the flames were close TO us
II was SO hot we scarcely could breathe.
and the smoke took away our sight
My dress was taking fire when a car
came up. Then there was an awful
struggle. Some of us broke with our
hands the glass door to the car. and
then, oh. what an awful struggle % get |
in. One girl seized me by the hair and |
tried to drag me from the elevator. She |
vas frantic to get in ahead of me. None |
Of us was able, ] am sure, to realize |
fully what we ewre doing. We were de !
Tending. suppose. what you call in
stinCt.
The door 10 the stairs by the pas
Senger elevators was always fastened. !
rlosed locked That was done because !
the bosses were afraid we girls would |
steal something and take It out of the |
place by that way.