Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-07-22
Flimsy Factory Building at
Binghampton Turned Into
Death Trap When Blaze
Breaks Out Below.
FEAR CRAZED VICTIMS
JUMP FROM WINDOWS
Dozen Badly Injured Carried
to Hospitals; Records De-
stroyed; Exact Number Dead
May Never Be Known.



Binghampton y. y. July g2
Fort girls nFe believed to have lost
their lives in a nre which destroyed
afternoon The fre started nt 2 80
O'Clock and had completely destroyed
the hnilding in twenty minutes. one
hundred and twenty-five girls we're
in the factory when the fire was dis
covered. The police declared that
az least forty failed Go ESCAPE.
Twelve girls were taken 10 the hos
pital badly injured.
There were heart FendinE scenes
when several girls cling 20 the fire
escapes were swept Dy sheets of
windows. Exactly how many We're
penned inside was hard to determine
Ia the panic. The walls Of the buiic-
ing fell al 1850 o'clock.
Al g.45 p. m. two bodies were seen
lying on Division street cSt complete
~ Ia two. Others can he seen IN the
ruins.
II is now thought the number Of
lives lost will exceed forty
=. J. Lawrence. bookkeeper 81 the
company, said that he was working
In the office when the first alarm
sounded. Tho nllfnes WERE under the
troni stairway. There also was a rear
stairway and fire escapes al the south
side Of the building
Most of the women were employees
In the machine operating room on
the fourth fiOor They made no at
tempt tO hurry from the building at
hrst. thinking that the alarm was for
q fire drill
Messengers rushed through the
building TO drive the women out.
Just then said Lawrence, THE
whole building burst into flames. n
was of the ordinary factory construc-
ton, with timber supports und brick
walls. Bpt % went up like powder
"A pun and all WAS over. When the
names rushed ui. the front stairway
~ was awful The women were ia "a
panic Ia an instant. They rushed 10
the fire escapes, and many Of them
leaped out Of the windows. had one
hundred and twenty-five names ON
my payrOlls but some OF the empioVes
were gone on vacation. The lists are
all inside the burned factory. s
didnt have time To put them away
or close the safe. n Is ilnpossihle
Tor the present 40 call the roll or get
an accurate line on those who are
missing"
An hour after the first alarm had
been sounded The policemen aud fire.
H'h N'i' WINNIE hmVnb the dthfih
81 the wrecked building, As near as
they could ascertain the dead num-
bered about twenty and the Injured
about tifty.
Most oi those hurt received their
injuries In jumping from the upper
floor, where more than half OF tho
hands We're az work when the alarm
sounded. OF the i2b persons IN the
factory, six comprised the office
force on the first floor. five were cut
ters on the second floor. twenty were
operators ON the third floor, and
eighty were machine operators on the
top floor About 100 of the 1875 were
girls and women.
Second Rad third alarms were turn
cd in and every available piece OF
apparatus In the cry set at work
Meanwhile ambuiance calls had been
sent out and "A squad of automobiles
had been pressed IN for hospital SER
vice Most OF the injured. including
those who had been overcome With
smoke or fright wre carried into
smoke nr fright were carried into
drad feet away Here All the ayaila-
bic physicians were gathered The
Injured girls were wrapped Ia hlan-
kets, given first aid and then rushed
to the city hospital AZ rapidly as pos
sible,
Meanwhile the flremcn had been
striving 10 stop the advance Of the
flamea. Their efforts were grndu-
allv Rucccssltil but every building on
the west side of Water street between
Spice alley and Henry street wht
more or less damaged.