The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1913-07-24
SIXTY DEAD FROM
FIRE FACTORY GIRLS
THOUGHT WAS FAIL ST
|Confuse Alarm With
Call For Fire
Drill.
FLAMES CUT OFF
Escape and Many Burn With
in Sight of Onlookers at
Binghampton, N. Y.
FLAMES CUT OFF

Binghampton, N. Y.-At day
break big force of city employees
began the search for the dead en-
Itombed beneath the smouldering
ruins of the overall factory of the
Binghampton Clothing company. Not
iuntil the tangled mass of brick and
steel is removed will the extent of
yesterdays tragedy be known, al
though conservative estimates place
the number of dead at over fifty
About 1875 employees, mostly wo-
men and girls, were trapped in the
burning walls. OF these only forty
the known to have escaped. Sixteen
charred bodies are as yet unidentifi-
ed. OF those recovered last night s
are identified.
The list of employees on the pay
roll Saturday, is in a safe under the
ruins. making the task of compiling
the list of dead more difficult.
The loss by fire and water to the
building and stock of five concerns
is estimated as over 100000, largely
covered by insurance.
Only six bodies recovered from the
ruins have been identified. A care
full estimate this morning places the
number i nthe building at the time
of the fire at 115. Firty three are
known to have been saved. The be-
lief is expressed that the bodies of
several of those lost in the center
of the building can never be found.
The death list is estimated today
as high as so. District Attorney Mea-
CHEN announced that thorough in
vestigation will be made into the
cause of the disaster to determine the
responsibility, if any.
Thought 1t Fire Drill.
The heavy loss Of life it believed
due to the fact that the employees,
believing it one of the frequent fire
drills, was being held, were slow in
leaving the building Even when it
was known that the building was
afire, many returned to the dressing
rooms upstairs for clothing and valu-
ables.
The flames spread rapidly and the
intensity of the heat prevented the
firemen from getting within fighting
range of the building until rescue
was impossible. Women and girls, too
weak to go forther, dropped exhaust
ed to the single fire escape in the
rear of the building. ana were liter
ally roasted to death. portions OF
their bodies dropping to the street.
Roasted Oh Fire Escape.
Others jumped and wede killed
Half a dozen panic stricken girls
rush ed into the elevator which was
standing on the fourth floor and a
second later dropped to their death
Reed B. Freeman, president of the
company, estimated that $50 employ
ees were in the building. The girls
he said, disliked the fire drill which
forced them to appear In the streets
in their rough working clothes. Ac-
cording to Freeman, this was one of
the chief causes of the heavy loss OF
life. Officials of the company declar-
ed that all the fire laws were observ.
ed.
1t is believed by officials that a
lighted cigarette thrown into rubbish
shortly after the noon hour caused
the conflagration. Fire Chief Hogg
said that he believed the fire escape
inadequate A fund for survivors has
been started.
An Early Account.
Binghampton, N. y.-Fifty persons
were killed, according to last nights
estimate and as many injured, a
dozen of them mortally, in fire
which swept the four story factory
building of the Binghampton Cloth
ing company this afternoon. The vic
tins chiefly were women and girls
Early last night % bodies had beer
recovered In the city hospitals ant
private institutions are 80 of the
, injured. Some two score persons are
known to have escaped as by mir
acle from the building which burs
into flames like tinder box and be
came roaring furnace almost i'm
: mediately after the first alarm wa
: sounded. About 125 persons wer'
; in the factory when the fire brok'
out. Those unaccounted for or mos
- :, of them are believed to be in the re'
q hot ruins of tn structure.
y Around the scenes of the disaster
;, the greatest the city has even know
!, Thousands watched the workers las
night in the glare of three big search
> lights, many in the throng being re
a strained only by the closely draw
: police from rushing into the ruins t
: seek the bodies of relatices o
" friends.
Bodies in Fiery Pit.
Water in many streams is bein
O poured into the fiery pit that fey
l. hours ago was the cellar of the burn
# ed establishment. AS the ruins wer
l. cooled slightly from nine to ten. in
e spot upon which the streams of wat
l. ler were centered, men went forwar
e to dig as long as human enduranc
is would permit them to work. Occas
/. ionally body was found and take
If quickly away The building wa
l. equipped with fire escapes and an a,
ltomatic fire alarm. The alarm tipkle