South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-07-23
Relatives of Missing Girls Wait
All Night Hoping That Bodies
May Be Recovered From
Ruins.
INVESTIGATE
THE FIRE ESCAPES
Factory Inspectors on Scene to
See Why Imprisoned Work
erS Could Not Escape.

BINGHAMPTON. y. y, July "a
Sixty three persons. mostly women
and girls. lost their lives in the FIRE
which destroyed the overall factory
OF the Binghampton Clothing CO.
here Tuesday.
This was the estimate OF the police
Wednesday after reports had been re-
ceived from the hospitals and relatives
of those who were employed
Lines OF blackaned bodies are
awaiting Identification in the mOrgue,
| but they are SO horribly burned that
only by the chance OF finding some
bit of clothing that might be recog-
nized by relatives is there hope OF the
bodies being turned over TO the proper
prsons
Seventeen women and girls are SUI
fering from serious injuries in the
hospital. OF this number IL Is be-
lieved that at least ten will die. Their
condition is pitiful. s fine are So
terribly burned that their bodies
hardly resemble human forms. other
are suffering from broken and crushed
limbs.
And of the most seriously injured
those who may not live out the day
their injuries appear unbearable. In
addition 10 broken bones suffered hy
jumping from upper floors, their
bodies are terribly burned.
rigid investigation into the cause
OF the fire started Wednesday
Mothers HystericaI.
Throughout Tuesday night greaf
crowds surrounded the ruines OF the
overall factory. Many were attracted
by mere curiosity. but mingling In the
crowd We're hysterical mothers and
fathers hoping TO hear some word as
TO the wherea bouts Of children en-
ployed in the factory. As the night
wors On the curious departed for
their homes. but when dawn broke
Wednesday, those searching for rela-
tives still stood about the smoulder-
ing ruins which today viii certainly
give up more Of its dead
OF the employees in the factory at
the time OF the fire "a are still miss
ing. The bodies recovered late Tue
day We're found on the edge OF the
factory ruins. and "Wednesday the in
terror was 20 be explored. Little
could be done towards searching Tor
bodies Tuesday night as the ruins
were still intensely hot.
Pres. Freeman insisted wednesday
that he believed the fire had been
started by some emplOve throwing "a
cigaret in waste material near the
door. The total loss was placed az
S20O, 600 Wednesday. This included
$4,000 10 the post office and the loss
on five other buildings.
II was stated at the morgue
Wednesday that but 70 bodies were
held there. Earlier reports Of num-
bers running into the twenties were
due 10 the fact that some OF the
bodies We're taken out in pieces and
hurried examination led 10 the be
lief that more than a score OF the
dead had been recovered.
careful checking up in the
morgue, however. revealed that the
torn and burned pieces Of humanity
made only 19 bodies.
Enough Fire Escapes.
II was predicted Wednesday that
one phase Of the investigation. which
would be launched would be a probe
into the means provided for the me
plOyes 70 reach fire escape A re-
port filed after the last inspection of
the factory in 1912 declared that
steps were needed inside the building
so that the workers could reach the
fire escapes leading from windows
These windows were some distance
from the ground.
The big. outstanding fact or thz
catastrophe is its suddenness. In this.
CONTINUED OK PAGE FIVE.)