Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-07-23

Binshamton. N. z, July 23.-The ex-
act number Of persons who perished In
the nrs Of the Binshaznton Clothing
Company may never be known. Tho
list Of employees In In the ruins. Only
half q dozen Of tho bodies recovered
have been identified. A careful esti-
mate today places the number Of those
in the building at the time the fire
started at Ill. OF these only hfty-three
are known to have been saved. Six
dead have been identified; fifteen bod
les. charred beyond recognition. are at
the morgue: seven injured are In the
hospitals: forty-six. slightly injured.
lre safe at their homes. Eleven have
been reported by relatives as missing.
and twenty-six others are unaccounted
for.
Mrs. Ida Prentiss. who suffered ter
rible burns about the head. died. today.
and Mrs. Mary Benny. another Of the
injured, 10 not expected to recover
City. officials estimate the death toll
1t nifty, but admit It may reach sixty.
and physicians express the belief that
the bodies Of several OF those lost III
the center Of tho building would never
be found. .
Crowds gathered about the scene OF
the disaster today and silently watched
the men ut work in the debris under
the direction Of Mayor Irving. Charred
bits Of human flesh were picked up
here and there and shortly before noon
a body was recovered, burned beyond
recognition.
District Attorney F. J. Meagher an
nounced today that a thorough investi-
CATION will be made as to the cause OF
the disaster and determine the re-
sponsibility. II any, for the loss of life.
Mayor irwin will issue q proclamation
calling upon tho citizens Of Binghamton
for a general observance of q day to
be set apart for the funerals Of the
victims. AS many Of the bodies are
unrecognizable public funeral will be
conducted by the city. and the unknown
dead will be buried in plot on which
a shaft will be erected.
Frank 8. Ash, Of Binghamton, an in
spector for the state labor department,
said today that the ire escapes on the
building were of a type approved by
the state regulations.
Binghamton. N. Y, July 23.-At day
break today big force Of city employees
began the search for the dead en-
tombed beneath the smoldcring ruins Of
the overhaul factory Of the Binghamton
Clothing Company. Not until the
tangled mass Of brick and steel can be
removed will the full extent Of the
tragedy Of yesterday be known.
Conservative estimates place the
number Of dead at fifty. OF the 125
women and girls trapped in the burning
building, only forty-one are known to
have escaped.
Sixteen charred bodies as yet un-
identified were recovered last night.
Tho identified dead are:
Nellie Connor, Sidney Dimmick. Mary
Cregan. Miss Fulmer. Louise Hartwell.
Mrs. Alvin White. and Mary Pryor.
The list Of the 1874 employees Of the
company who were on the payroll Sat-
urday. some Of whom were on q vaca-
ton. IL In the safe under the ruins.
making the task Of compiling the list OF
dead . difficult one.
Property Loss 100000.
The loss by fire and water to the
buildings and stocks Of Ave concerns 10
Estimated at more than 100000.
The postoffce, built about twenty
wears ago, was badly damaged. but the
mails were saved A temporary office
has been established in = nearby gar
age.
The loss Of the Binghamton Clothing
Company, Of which Reed B. Freeman IL
president, IL estimated at about $4,000.
ali covered by insurance. This does
not include the building which II
rented.
s57 = The heavy loss Of life Il believed to
have been largely due to the fact that
the employees believed that one Of the
fraQuent flre drills was being held and
wee 0lopy 20 fJeave the building. Even
80 G NAs known that the building
g Set clothing
IL