New-York tribune., 1913-07-30
B|NGHAMTON FACTORY
FIRE ALARM At FAULT
At Time of the Disaster 1t
Failed to Ring as Arranged
in Drill System.
WAS SOUNDED BY TWO MEN
Witness Says; Nothing Nat
urally in a Building Would
Make a Fire Spread as Rap
idly as That One Did"

Pjnchamton, y. Y. July 29.-Tt was de-
veloped at the Coroner's inquiry into the
,ause Of the loss Of life in the factory Of
the Ringhamto9 Clothing Company to-
dav that failure Of the fire alarm to sound
properly was one contributory cause.
Four witnesses, Alice Ashton. Catherine
BRADY. Theresa Higgins and Catherine
Iav.lor asserted that the fire alarm rang
continuously from the first stroke instead
n giving signals as had been taught.
When the giyls were instructed in the fire
drill the witnesses testified, they had
been told 70 prepare 10 leave their seats
on the first ring, but not 10 rise until the
second ring. then pause for the third ring
before stepping forward
On this afternoon there was one con-
tinuous rinS without intermission, and
most Of the girls remained seated until
wq,ned by Sidney Dimmo-k and Nellie
Connor 20 hasten down stairs.
Reuben Hall. who first discovered the
flames. gave testimony th1t probably ex-
plans the confusion i'm the factory alarm
system After fighting the flames until
he saw 1t was useless, he said. he ran
out and set the factory alarm or tho first
floor This may have prevented Sidney
pimmock the factory's fire drillmaster,
from giving the usual two signals for
fire drill, as this continuous connection
might have inteIfered With alarms sound
ed on the floors above.
Miss Mary Hogan testified that she
worked on the top floor With Miss Nellie
Gleason she went down the first stairs
safely. Miss Hogan testified that Miss
Gleason remembered that she had left
her purse upstairs and thought she had
time 70 return for it and went back and
was never seen alive again.
Fire Chief Charles HoCg testified that
In his twenty years Cf experience IN SIGHT
inr fires in Binghamton he had never
seen a fire burn as fercely IS the one last
Tuesday Nothing which would natu-
rally be in the building would cause a fire
70 spread as raTidly as that one did ne
said
Tammany made a flank movement on
Governor Sulzer to-day through the ne
dlum Of the BnghamtOn fire. II has been
an open political secret for some time that
the Governor has cast longing eyes toward
the State Fire Marshals department,
where the appointees are not under the
civi. service. and there are many fat
political berths. Sulzer has been quoted
as desiring TO improve the service. The
Birghamton fire Tanmany leaders be-
lieve. furnished an excellent opportunity.
At the suggestion Of George F. Roesch,
the first deputy, the state Fire Marshal
will send communication 10 Governor
Sulzer requesting him 20 direct the State
civil Service Commission % furnish list
Of thirty names for an appointment OF
thirty devs 20 inspect all factories in the
state.
The plan is that If Governor sulzer IS
in earnest he will take the civil service
examination and qualified. even though
they be Tammany men. but If he is look
Ing for patronage he viii name his per-
sonal supporters. which VIII give Tam
many the opportunity OF exploiting the
Governor as trading upon the Binghamton
tragedy 10 aid his henchmen.
Albany. July Representative Of the
State Labor Department. the State Fac
tory Investigating Commission, the New
York Consumers League. the Committee
on Safety Of the City Of New York, the
New York Child Labor Committee the
Allied Real Estate Interests Of New York
City and the Central Federation Of Labor
to-day requested Governor Sulzer 70 send
a special message 20 the legislature urg-
!rg an amendment 10 the IRE laws which
would compel the inclosing Of all stair
ways In factory buildings over two stories
in height
The Governor told the delegation he was
in sympathy with the object sought but
that he would not send any special mes
sages 10 the Legislature, because he main
tanned the Legislature had adjourned and
could not meet again until next January.