davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-03-26
When Fire, Mans Slave, Becomes Master

NO ES OF 7 HE HOLOCAUST.
= 14s boaies recovered at II y
= O'Clock. 4
Police estimate 15o dead. I
Firemen estimate 175 dead. 4
= Mostly Italian women and
= girls. 4
= More bodies still remain in 4
= building. 4
= Three survive from Ieapins
. from building. 4
= Structure was ten story build 4
= ing, supposed to be fire proof.
= Only one fire escape in the
= building. 4
= Many girls fell through the air,
= their clothing blazing. =
= Life nets broken by the crash 4
= of bodies and became useless.
. 1t was not frenzied hope for
= escape but the quick choice of 4
. two horrible modes Of death 4
. either by fire, or by being crush
= ed on the bricks below 4
= Notable Fire Disasters. I
= Lives lost:
= Dec. 5, 1876, Brooklyn theatre
. 2se. 4
= May 25, 1887, opera comique,
= Paris, 200.
= Feb. 8, 1892, Hotel Royal, N.
. ". %.
= May IA, 1897, Charity Bazaar,
= Paris, 15o
. March II. 1899, Windsor Ho-
= tel, N. ", as.
. June 80, 1900, Hoboken Piers 4
and Ships, 145.
= Feb. 2, 1902, Park Ave Hotel, 4
= N. ". 21 4
= Dec. 80, 1908, Iroquois Theatre, 4
= Chicago, COZ. 4
= June IS, 1904, Steamboat eenl. =
= sIocum. 1921. 4
. Nov. 2e, 1910, Factory, New 4
= ark, NJ. j., 80. 4
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-03-26

our eyes; they were jammed in the
windows, no one was lucky enough to
be able to jump. But one by one from
the jams. down came the girls, bura
ing, smoking, lighted bodies, with dis
heyeled hair of the girls trailing up
wards. They had fought each other
to die by jumping instead of by fire.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-03-26

tenth trip the flames drove him from
the car.
John Gaspar, the other passenger
elevator man, has not been heard
from.
The total number of employees of the
Triangle Shirt Factory, which occu-
pied the seventh, eighth and ninth
floors, was between 300 and 400 and
there is no actual evidence yet that
more than half of these escaped.
The following firms occupied the
building: Triangle Waist Co; Kahn
& Walch; Maurice Blum; Harris
Bros; Blinstein & Myers; n. Stern
&, Son; Martin Bates, Jr, hatters.
Bodies Piled on the Sidewalk
At six O'Clock tonight the fire chief
said that in his opinion the total list
the sight while others sank to their
of dead would be upwards of one hun
dred AZ that hour sixty-two dead
bodies had been counted in six piles.
which We're stacked up cordwood fash
ion, in Green street and Washington
square. OF the several hundred en-
ployes of the Triangle Shirt Waist
Co., in whose plant on the seventh
floor the flames originated, only frac-
ton had been accounted for.
in the cases of the 62 bodies piled
on the sidewalk, death had resulted
from the victims jumping from the
seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth sto-
ries
In the panic which resulted from
the flames, scores of young men and
women were trampled on and over
come by smoke. AS the entire build
ing was gutted and the flames are
still raging, it is impossible at this
hour to estimate how many bodies
had been incinerated within the build
ing.
The fire started from an
explosion, believed TO have oc-
Cured in the cutting room
on the seventh floor. where a guam
tity of gasoline is said to have been
stored. At G:15 Inspector Berger es-
timated the dead at from 100 to 12o.
AT 6:15 the firemen began digging for
the dead bodies and removing them
to the morgue. Many of the bodies
were so badly crushed as to be al
most unrecognizable.
AS the fire companies rushed up,
every available net was brought into
play, but most OF them were useless.
They seemed merely to serve for a
target for the terrified victims and
they jumped so fast that the nets
were broken and those who had
hoped for life crashed through and
were crushed to death. their blood
being scattered over the firemen.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-03-26
Stories of Survivors.

Between sobs the survivors told
fearful stories of the scenes about
them as they succeeded in escaping.
One OF the first girls to reacn the
street was Anna Daughcrty. who
ran wildly from the blazing building
wnen she finally reached the street.
When oyertaken By policeman she
gasped II am Anna Daugherty. but
do not know where | live and I've
forgotten ever thing, / think don't
know how il all came about. but
do know that while We We're waiting
for ladders some Of the girls were
too scared to wait and jumped Har-
~ Cansora was one of the first to see
the flames issuing from the Top win
dows. I was at the very door of the
building, he said later, when the
girls ran screaming to the street. I
helped hold the net while twelve girls
Jumped but the scenes so shocked
me that | had TO leave. Bodies rainel
down all around US. tae girls dropping
as soon as they saw the nets, before
we mad time TO spread them.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-03-26
Fourteen Instantly Killed.

The clang of the fire apparatus
coming from all directions and the
shouts of the excited people, attracted
crowds from all directions and in a
short time the streets leading into
Washington square were jammed. AS
each body crashed to the pavement,
the women nearly went insane. sew
eral men tainted from the horror OF
the sight while others sank to their
knees and prayed and cried. complete
" unstrung. From one side of the
building fifteen women and girls
Jumped, one after the other so close
that they touched in the air. Four
teen were instantly killed while the
fifteenth, a Il year old girl, was taken
out of the pile more than an hour al
ter the fire started, still alive and
badly hurt.
Heroic Work Of Elevator Man.
Joseph zito, one of the two passeng-
er elevator men made ten trips, but
none above the sixth floor. After the
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-03-26
Trapped on Ton Floors.

NEW YORK, March 25-Criminal
negligence cost the lives of a number
u wage earners, estimated by the po-
nVe az 100 this afternoon. Trapped on
ule Top floors of burning factory
ouiiding supposedly of the most mod
ern flre proof construction, more than
palf thousand persons had the choice
VI probable death by fire or by jump
ing 70 the street pavements OF those
VINO Jumped, three survived, while
'ne Others were crushed out of all hui
hidn senPblance. Some of the people
managed to reach the street bv means
oi tle stairways and two OF the four
eieFators with which the building was
equipped. The remainder perished
iHisefably, while fremen and specta-
tofs RACED impotently on the street,
poWerless to do anything. Strong men
"ept, While others stormed TO and fro
.aihiy endeavoring to do something
lor those who were beyond human aid.
he building is a ten story structure
.ocated on the northeast corner of
washington Place and Green streets.
because of the fact that it is located
u what is known as the high pressure
1oiie, where an unlimited supply of
wafer Is always available, and its ex-
.ellor was brick and stone, there was
oniy one fire escape on it. This was
@hat IS called on inside exit" and
vi my reached to the seventh floor.
ne interior stairways were narrow,
as they were seldom used.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-03-26
Nearly All Women and Girls.

Nearly All Women and Girls.
The three upper floors of the build
s were occupied by the Triangle
naist Co. manufacturers of womens
siiiit waists, cloaks, etc The lower
oUrs were occupied by miscellaneous
=, .u'iection of manufacturing concerns.
ne triangle Co. employed $50 per
sons' most of whom We're women and
asso"hg girls. AS usual, in f-es of this
9cter, the majority OF dead are
y men.
ne responsibility for the holocaust
! = placed squarely on the city building
es'artment by Fire Chief Crue. While
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-03-26

(Continued on page s.)
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-03-26

CONTINUED on page 81
Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1911-02-01
NV Y Y y
BANNICTER MFRWN
xkxEz<xzcAzv0Az&> BIZ
RAY WALTER y
1909 ~ ooDo. rasAo q cor4pArxsr-

self, why, l would whisper. I never
felt so like a conspirator."
She paused to look up at the street
sign at the corner which they had
reached, and turned to the right on
shady avenue.
We'll, 1 got into the boat" she con-
t1nued. I told him that my father
was prepared to pay him large sum
of money for the papers, but he only
| shook his head and said, No, no. !
named a sum; then larger one; but
money did not seem to tempt him,
though 1 made the second offer as
large as I dared.
How much will you take then?'
/ asked at last. Instead of answering,
he bent down and started the motor,
and then l noticed for the first time
that while l was talking we had been
drifting away from the dock. l made
ready to jump overheard We were
near the shore and the water was not
deep; anyway, l am a fair swimmer.
But he turned and seized my wrists
and forced me down into the bottom
Of the boat. I struggled, but it was
no use, and when opened my mouth
to scream, he choked me with one
hand and with the other pulled from
his pocket a handkerchief and tried
to put 1t in my mouth"
She gave weary little laugh.
"It was such a crumpled, unclean
handkerchief, I couldn't have stood
it. So I managed to gasp that if he
would only let me alone l would keep
quiet"
1.-THE brute!" muttered Orme.
ooh, I don't think he intended to
hurt me. What he feared, as nearly
as I can make out, is that I might
have him intercepted if he let me GO
free. That must have been why he
tried to take me with him. Prob
ably he planned to beach the boat
at some unfrequented point on the
North side and leave me to shift for
myself
when your boat came, of course
didn't know who was In it. I never
dreamed it would be you. And 1 had
promised to keep still"
Hardly a binding promise"
well, before he stopped threaten
ing me with that awful handkerchief,
he had made me swear over and over
that I would not call for help, that
I would not make any signal, that l
would sit quietly on the seat. When
you recognized me, felt that all need
of observing the promise was over.
Naturally" muttered Orme.
She sighed. at does seem as though
Fate had been against u.s." she said.
Fate is tickle" Orme returned.
''You never know whether she will be
your friend or your enemy. But I be-
lieve that she is now going to be our
friend-for a change. Tomorrow I
shall get those papers"
Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1911-02-01

pathy with him went even so far as
to accept his attitude when it was
shade more than friendly.
More than friendly! Like a white
light, the truth flashed upon him as he
stood there on the rocking platform OF
the car. He and she would have to be
more than friendly! He had never
seen her until that day. He did not
even know her name. But all his life
belonged to her, and would belong to
her forever. The miracle which had
been worked upon him, might 1t not
also have been worked upon her? He
felt unworthy, and yet she might care
might already have begun to care
but he put the daring hope out OF his
mind, and looked again at Maku.
The Japanese had not moved. His
face still wore its racial look of pa
tent Indifference; his hands were still
crossed in his lap. He sat on the edge
of the seat, in order that his feet
might rest on the floor, for his legs
were short; and with every lurch OF
the car, he swayed easily, adapting
himself to the motion with an uncon-
scious ease that betrayed supple mus
cles.
The car stopped at corner and
the man and woman got out, but
Maku did not even seem to glance at
them. Orme stepped back to make
way for them on the platform, and as
they descended and the conductor
rang the bell, he looked out at the
suburban landscape, with its we'll
lighted, macadamized streets, its va
cant lots, and its occasional houses,
which seemed to be Of the better
class, as nearly as he could judge in
the uncertain rays of the arc lamps.
He turned to the conductor, who met
his glance with the look of one who
thirsts to talk.
people used to go to parties in car
riages and automobiles" said the con-
ductor, "but now they take the car
when they've any distance to go. It's
quicker and handler"
81 should think that would be so,
here in the suburbs" said Orme.
ooh, this amt the suburbs. We
crossed the city limits 20 minutes
ago."
"You DON'T carry many passengers
this time of night"
"That depends. Sometimes we have
a crowd. Tonight there's hardly any
one. Nobody else is likely to get on
now"
''Why is that?"
"Well, it's only a short way now
to the connection with the elevated
road. People who want to go the
Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1911-02-01

street and walked rapidly To rne
cleaning sign.
Orme followed slowly, keeping on
the other side of the street. If Maku
was hungry, why, Maku would eat,
while he himself would wait outside
like a starving child before bakers
window. But Maku, it seemed, was
not hungry. Through the window
Orme saw him walk to the cashiers
desk and apparently ask a question.
In answer, the woman behind the
desk pointed to huge book which lay
on the counter near by. Orme recog-
nized 1t as the city directory.
For some time Maku studied the
pages. Then he seemed to appeal to
the cashier for help, for she pulled
the book to her, looked at him as
though she were asking a question,
and then, rapidly running through tho
leaves, placed her finger at certain
part of a certain page and turned the
book around so that the Japanese
could see. He nodded and, after bow
ing in curious fashion, came back to
the street
Orme had, meantime, walked on for
a little way. He would have gone to
the restaurant in an endeavor to find
out what address Maku had wished,
but for two reasons: The cashier
might refuse to tell him, or she might
have forgotten the name. In either
Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1911-02-01

the cross-bars which protected the
windows at the end of the car.
In his favor was the fact that Maku
would not expect to see him. Doubt
less the Japanese was more concerned
with his aching head than with any
suspicion of pursuit, though his
somewhat indeterminate profile, as
any feeling at all. So Orme stood
where he could watch without SEEM
ing to watch, and puzzled over the
problem of following Maku from the
car without attracting attention.
The refusal of the other Japanese to
accept the girls offer of money for the
papers had given Orme a new idea Of
the Importance of the quest. Maku
and his friend must be Japanese gov
eminent agents-just as Poritol and
Alcatrante were unquestionably acting
for their government. This, at least,
was the most probable explanation
that entered Orme's mind. The syndi-
cate, then-or concession, or what
ever it was-must be of genuine inter-
national significance.
Though Orme continued to smother
his curious questionings as to the
meaning of the secret, he could not
ignore his general surmises. To put
his confidence in the girl-to act for
her and for her alone-that was
enough for him; but it added to his
happiness to think that she might be
leading him into an affair which was
greater than any mere tangle of pri-
Vate interests. He knew, too, that,
upon the mesh of private interests,
public interests are usually woven.
The activity of a Russian syndi-
cate in Korea had been the more
or less direct cause of the Russo
Japanese war; the activity Of
rival American syndicates in Vene-
zuela had been, but few years
before, productive of serious in
ternational complications. In the
present instance, both South Ameri-
cans and Japanese were interested.
But Orme knew in his soul that there
could be nothing unworthy In any
action in which the girl took part
She would not only do nothing I'M
worthy; she would understand the sit
uation clearly enough to know wheth-
er the course which offered itself to
her was worthy or not.
In events such as she had that
night faced with him., any other girl
Orme had ever met would have shown
moments of weakness, Impotence, or
fear But to her belonged calm
which came from clear perception of
the comparative unimportance of pet
ty incident She was strong, not as a
Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1911-02-01
Gave No indication of Feeling at All.

man is strong, but in the way wom-
an should be strong.
The blood went to his cheeks as he
remembered how tenderly he had
spoken to her in the boat, and how
plain he had made his desire for her.
What should he call his feeling? Did
love come to men as suddenly as
this? She had not rebuked him
there was that much to be thankful
for; and she must have known that
his words were as involuntary as his
action in touching her shoulder with
his hand.
But how could she have rebuked
him? She was, in a way, indebted to
him. The thought troubled him. Had
he unintentionally taken advantage
of her gratitude by showing affection
when she wished no more than COM
radeship? And had she gently said
nothing, because he had done some
thing for her? If her patience with
him were thus to be explained, it
must have been based upon her recog-
milton of his Inconsistencies.
Still, the more he pondered, the
more clearly he saw that she was not
a girl who, under the spell of friendly
good will, would permit a false situa-
ton to exist Her sincerity was too
deep for such CLOSING of fact. He
dared assume, then, that her sym
Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1911-02-01
CHAPTER Viii.
The Trail of Maku.

The Trail of Maku.
When for the second time that night
he babe the girl adieu and saw her
enter the house of her friends, Orme
went briskly to the electric car line.
He had not long to wait. A car
came racing down the tracks and
stopped at his corner. Swinging
aboard at the rear platform, he
glanced within There were four pas
sengers-a man and woman who, ap-
parently, were returning from an eve
ming party Of some sort, since he was
in evening dress and she wore an
opera cloak; a specialized man, with
a black portfolio in his lap; a seedy
fellow asleep in one corner, his head
sagging down on his breast, his hands
in his trousers pockets; and-was it
possible? Orme began to think that
Fate had indeed changed her face
toward him, for the man who sat
huddled midway of the car, staring
straight before him with beady, ex-
pressionless eyes, was Maku.
Under the brim of his dingy straw
hat d Willis OdAOd6O W cS III avn IA6AI
around his head-so tight. that from
its under edge the coarse black hair
bristled out in distinct fringe. The
blow of the wrench, then, must have
cut through the skin.
Well-that would mean one more
scar on the face of the Japanese.
The other scar, how had Maku come
by that? Perhaps in some battle with
the Russians in Manchuria He
seemed to be little more than a boy,
but then, one never could guess the
age Of a Japanese, and for that mat
ter, Orme had more than once been
told that the Japanese had begun to
impress very young soldiers long be-
fore the battle Of Mukden.
While making these observations,
Orme had drawn his hat lower over
his eyes. He hoped to escape recog-
milton, for this opportunity to track
Maku to his destination was not to be
missed. He also placed himself In
such a position on the platform that
his own face was partly concealed by
Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1911-02-01
SYNOPSIS.

At the expense Of a soiled hat Robert
Orme saves from arrest girl in a black
touring car who has caused a traffic jam
on state street. He buys a new hat and
is given In change a five dollar bill with:
remember the person you pay this to-"
written on 1t. A second time he helps the
tady In the black car, and learns that in
Tom and Bessie Wallingham they have
mutual friends, but gains no further hint
Oh her identity. He discovers another in
Scripion on the marked bill, which, in
SutIle attempt to decipher it, he copies
ana places the copy In drawer In ms
apartment. Senior Poritol. South Ameri-
can, calls, and claims the marked bill
Orme refuses, and fight enSues In
which Poritol is overcome. He calls in
senior Alcatrante, minister from his coun-
try, to Vouch for him. Orme still refuses
to give up the bill. Orme goes for a walk
and sees two JapS attack Alcatrante. He
rGsscues MIN. Returning to his rooms
Orme is attacked by two Japs who eff
1ect forcible exchange of the marked
bill for another Orme finds the girl of
the black car waiting for him. She also
wants the bill. Orme tells his story. She
recognizes one of the JapS as her father
putler, Maku. The second inscription on
the bill is the key to the hiding place of
important papers stolen from her father.
Both Japs and South Americans want the
papers. Orme and the Girl" start out in
the university grounds in Evanston the
hiding place Is located. Maku and an
other Jap are there. Orme fells Maku
and the other Jap escapes. Orme finds In
Maku's pocket a folded slip of paper. He
takes the girl, whose name is still I'M
known to him, to the home of friend in
Evanston. Returning to the university
grounds Orme gets in conversation with
guard at the life-saving station. They
hear a motor boat in trouble in the dark
ness on the lake. They find the crippled
boat. In it are the Jap with the papers
and Girl" She jumps into Orme's boat.
but the Jap eludes pursuit.
Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1911-02-01

rest of the way by the elevated, would
walk. And after we pass the ele-
waited there's other car lines they're
more likely to take, where the cars
run frequenter."
do you go to the heart of the
city,"
mo, we stop at the barns. Say,
have you noticed that Jap in there?"
The conductor nodded toward Maku.
What about him?"
"He was put aboard by cop. Looks
as though somebody had slugged
him."
That's So" commented Orme. His
head is bandaged."
Judging from the bandage, it must
have been nasty crack" continued
the conductor. But you wouldn't
know he'd been hurt from his face.
Say, you can't tell anything about
those Johns from their looks, can you,
now?"
"You certainly can't" replied Orme.
The conductor glanced out There's
the elevated" he said. "I'll have to
go in and wake that drunk. He gets
off here"
Orme watched the conductor go to
the man who was sleeping in the
corner and shake him. The man
nodded his head vaguely, and settled