The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1913-07-25
FIFTY GIRLS DIE;
FACTORY BURNS
IN new YORK
Young Women Are Crushed in
Fire Panic.
TWENTY-FIVE BODIES FOUND
Flames Start in Basement OF Four.
Story Building and Escape Ut
Workers Is Cut Off; Scores
Leap From Windows.

Binghamton, N. Y, July 23.-FlIty
persons were killed and manyinJureos
| a dozen mortally, in a fire which swept
the four story factory building OF the
Binghamton Clothing company. me
victims were chiefly women and girls.
Twenty-Five bodies have been recoV-
cred.
In the city hospital and in private
institutions are 80 injured.
Some twoscore persons are known
to have escaped as by miracles from
the building, which burst into flame
like tinderbox and became roaring
furnace in a short time after the first
alarm was sounded. About 125 per-
sons were in the factory when the fire
broke out. Those unaccOunted for. or
most of them, are believed to be In
the red-hot ruins of the structure.
Women Caught In Trap.
After the first fierce blast the fire
seemed to burst from every other part
of the building at once. Upon the fire
escapes girls, women and men were
ing to get onto the iron ladders. But
the flames we're too quick for them.
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 stream from their hose were
turned into steam without effect upon
the fire. The life nets and extension
ladders of the firemen were equally
useless. There was no chance for
those caught on the upper floors ex-
cept 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 connected account OF
what took place on the upper floors
of the factory when the employees
there, mostly women and girls, real
lied that the fire call was no false
alarm and that death was sweeping
upon them.
Bodies Fall to Street
The fire escapes were not large
enough to hold all who rushed madly
to the exits and there was dash for
the windows, the trapped victims
screaming with pain as the flames
swept upon them from behind and
scared their bodies.
Then from windows and fire escapes
bodies began dropping. They fell thick
and fast. The building was only 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 wom-
en- operators were working, and it was
among these that death and injury
were greatest.
Six Deep at Windows.
Vernon Wilbur, superintendent Of
service in the burned shop, said:
Lynn Dibble and ran to the fire
escape and climbed up our ladder. We
dropped two girls to the men below.
They were standing five or six deep
in each window with the flames raging
directly behind them. They we're mad
with pain and the sound of their cries
was as if the wind were bowling in
our ears
Some features Of the catastrophe
were brought out in a statement by
Reed B. Freeman, president of the
company which operated the burned
factory.
81 was in the Offices when Mrs. Free
man called to me that there was a
fire." said Mr.. Freeman. II ran out on
the main floor and saw flames coming
out from under the open stairway.
Some of our employees are so addicted
to cigarettes that smoking being for
hidden in the building, they went out
into the alley every hour or so for a
puff. l believe one of these. on re-
turning to work, threw his cigarette
under the stairway.
"Soon the flames had begun to
sweep throughout the ground floor like
a fash.
IF the facts ever become known
believe it will be found that the heads
Of departments showed splendid hero
ism in sticking to their posts and dr.
recting the girls. Under the rule of
the fire drill, they we're so instructed
and believe all stayed at their posts,
some to perish in the flames"
The total money damage is not ex-
pected to exceed 100000.