The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-07-24
SIXTY THREE DIE
IN FACTORY FIRE
WOMEN AND YOUNG GIRLS ARE
BURNED OR CRUSHED.
FORTY OTHERS ARE MISSING
Flames Start in Basement and Are
Supposed To Have Originated by
the Throwing of Cigarette in
Pile of Rubbish.

Binghampton, N. Y, July 23.--Sixty-
three persons, mostly women and
girls, lost their lives in fire which
destroyed the overall factory of the
Binghamton Clothing Company yes
terday. At least forty others are
missing today. The financial loss
will be about $250,00O. Lines of
blackened bodies are in the morgue
but Identification will be difficult
Seventeen women and girls are suf-
fering from wounds i'm the hospital
and some of these are expected TO
die, State and city officials ale max
ing an investigation and the police
are keeping back crowd OF relatives
hunting for their loved ones. Little
could be done during the night to-
wards searching for the bodies for the
ruins We're too hot. The work is
progressing today, President Free
man of the clothing company says
the factory complied with the state
laws and he cannot understand how
the fire started unless workman
threw cigarette in a pile of refuse.
Flame Sweeps Out Bodies.
Twelve girls were taken to the hos
pltal badly injured. There were heart
rending scenes when several girls,
clinging to fire escapes, were swept
by sheets of flame or jumped from
the factory windows.
K. J. Lawrence, bookkeeper of the
company. said he was working in the
office when the first alarm sounded,
The flames were under the front
stairway. There ALSO was rear
stairway, and fire escapes at the
south side OF the building.
Try to Drive Women Out.
Most Of the women were employees
in the machine-operating room on the
fourth floor. They made no attempt
to hurry from the building at first.
thinking the alarm was for Are drill
Messengers rushed through the build
ing to drive the women out.
Just then" said Lawrence, "the
whole building burst into flames. 1t
was of the ordinary factory construc-
ton, with timber supports and brick
walls. but ii went up like powders
pun and all was over. When the
flames rushed up the front stairway
1t was awful
The women were in panic in an
instant They rushed to the fire es-
capes and many of them leaped from
the windows
Il had % names on my pay rolls,
but some of the employees were gone
on vacation. The lists are all inside
the burned factory. didn't have
time TO put them away or to close
the safe. 1t is impossible for the
present to call the roll or get an &C.
curate line on those who are miss
ing"
Autos Afford Hospital Service.
Second and third alarms were turned
in, and every available piece of fire
apparatus in the city set at work
Meanwhile ambulance calls had been
sent out and squad OF automobiles
had been pressed in for hospital sery-
ice.
Most OF the injured. including those
who had been overcome with smoke
or fright. were carried into the Knick-
erbocker garage few hundred feet
array There all the available physi-
clans in the city were gathered.
The injured girls were wrapped in
blankets. given first aid. and then
rushed to the city hospital as rapidly
as possible. ~
Meanwhile the fremen had been
striving to stop the advance of the
flames. Their efforts were gradually
successful. but every building on the
west side of Water street between
Spice alley and Henry street was
damaged