The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-07-25

There was a roar, front and rear,
and the flames belched forth clear
across Wall street, on which the.
building fronted, whitening the shade
trees on the river bank and scorching
a building across the alley in the
rear.
After this fierce blast the fire
the building at once Upon the fire es-
capes girls, women and men were
clustered and inside others were wait.
ing to ct on the iron ladders. But the
flames were 100 quick for them.
Many Jump or Fall.
When the firemen arrived in re-
Spouse to the telephone alarm they
were unable to get within 200 feet of
the burning building, and the ends Of
the streams from their hose were
turned into steam without effect
upon the fire. The life nets and ex-
tension ladders of the firemen were
equally useless.
There was so chance for those
caught on the upper floors except the
last resort to jump, and this many
took, while others fell, shriveled and
crumpled with the heat.
Scarcely one of the survivors was
able to give a connected account OF
what took place on the upper floors of
the factory when the employees there,
mostly women and girls, realized thai
the fire call was no false alarm and
that death was sweeping upon them.
The coolest among them recalled
that women tainted by dozens and
that the scene was of indescribable
confusion.
Some of the men employees ap.
parently kept their heads and did
their best to rescue the imperiled
domen.
Flames From Rear Sweep Victims.
The fire escapes were not large
enough to hold al who rushed madly
to the exits, and there was dash for
screaming with pain as the flames
swept upon them from behind and
scared their bodies.
Then from the windows and fire es-
capes bodies began dropping. They
fell thick and fast The building was
but four stories high and many who
jumped even from the topmost floor
escaped with their lives, although
most of them were badly MANNED.
1t was on the fourth floor that most
of the women operators were work
ing, and it was among these that the
loss of life and injury was greatest.
AS soon as the first of the fire vic
tins were brought to the hospital con-
valescents among the regular patients
were set to work tearing up bandages;
physicians sawed UP every available
board for splints to bind up the bro
ken limbs, and Fathers Ellis, Walsh
and MLoughlin and Rev. Mr.. Francis
came to offer spiritual consolation to
the dying and injured.
Doctors and Nurses. Keep Cool.
Never before in the history of Bing-
hamton has such scene been enact
ed in the local hospital, and despite
the fact that the injured and dying
lay all about, the doctors and nurses
worked with amazing rapidity and
coolness.
Scarcely an hour after the fire ev-
cry one of the patients there had been
attended to and made as comfortable
as possible. Most of them were badly
burned and were swathed in bandages
from head to foot.
Says Panic Ensued.
Mary McDonough, an employe, told
a simple story of escape. She was on
the fourth floor when the fire broke
out. The employees on that floor
thought it was fire drill at that time
and marshaled, in line slowly. When
the flames burst upon them many
tainted and panic ensued.
THE first burst in upon us. do
not know how I got to the street, but
think / tainted and was carried out
by some one unknown to me-"
Vernon Wilbur, superintendent of
service in the burned shop, said:
II. ran to the fire escape and climb
ed up the ladder. l dropped two girls
to the men below. They were stand
ing five or six deep in each window
with the flames waving directly behind
them They were mad with pain, and
the sound of their cries was as if the
wind were bowling in our ears"
Mrs Ida Prentice did her best 10
get the other women employees to fee
when the alarm first sounded, believ-
ing the danger great. She stayed in
the building. directing the girls. until
| the last minute. Then, wrapping a
large sheet. of awning material about
her, she jumped from a fourth-story
window.
Reed B. Freeman, president of the
company which operated the burned
factory said he believed the fire start
ed from lighted cigarette thrown un.
der the stairway.
EaoIes Lake