Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1913-07-24

fire laws have been observed. Fire
drills have been held at regular inter-
walls and the regulation that all lint
be swept from the floors at least once
a day had been needed. 1t 10 the the
ory of President Freeman that light
rubbish shortly after the lunch hour
was the cause OF the disaster. Fire
Chief Hogg, as he left the ruins early
this morning to get a few hours sleep,
declared that in his opinion the hre
escape was adequate.
1T simply withered in the heat he
said
The building was four-story
structure, A feet wide by 130 feet long,
and was built 1S years ago as cigar
factory The fire escape was at the
rear. There were two stairWays from
the top floor, one to Center street, at
the rear, and the Yother to Wall street
at the front. The interior OF tne pullu-
ing was of wood. The offices and stock
room were located on the first moor,
but most of the operatives were work
ing on the third and fourth floors.
The fire started in the center OF the
first floor near the stairway. The
doors and windows were open and Gre
ated draft which contributed to the
rapid spread of the flames A fund for
the survivors has been started
The building was equipped with fire
escapes and an automatic alarm sys-
tenn. The alarm tinkled at 2:30 o'clock.
Mrs. Reed b. Freeman. wife OF the
proprietor, telephoned to the central
fire station. The usual apparatus for
a first still alarm responded. some ex-
cited person at Warren and Chenango
streets. four blocks away, saw a burst
OF flames and pulled the box there.
The rest of the companies answered
this alarm That meant 10 minutes
more delay for part Of the firemen. But
even those who arrived first We're un.
able to do anything. The first puff OF
fire leaped along the staircases ana
walls, up the elevator shaft, along the
floors and ceiling There was roar,
front and rear, and the flames belched
forth clear across Wall street, on which
the building fronted. whitening the
scorcring the building across the al
ley at the rear. After this fierce blast
the fire seemed to burst from every
part of the building at once.
Burned Like finder.
Upon the fire escapes girls men and
| women We're clustered and inside others
| We're waiting to get onto the iron lad
ders. But the flames We're too quick
for them The slow starting of the fire
aster, the delay III getting all the fire
men to the scene may have been re-
sponsible for part of the loss of life
! But persons who We're early on the
scene said that these things did not
materially affect the result.
When the firemen arrived In response
to the telephone alarms they We're un-
able to get within 200 feet of the burn
ing building, and the ends of the
streams from their hose We're turned
into steam without effect upon the fire.
The life nets and extension ladders of
the firemen We're equally useless. There
| was no chance for those caught on
| the upper floors, except the last re-
sort to Jump. and this. many took while
others fell. shliveled and crumpled with
| the heat.
4 Many Women tainted.
Scarcely one of the survivors was
/ aDle to give a complete account of
! what took place On the upper floors
oi the factory when the employees there.
mostly women and girls. realized that
| the fire call was no false alarm and
| that death was sweeping upon them.
| The coolest amsng them recalled that
women tainted by the dozens and the
scene was one of Understandable con-
| fusion Some of the men employees ap-
1 parently kept their heads and did their
best to rescue the imperiled women.
\
to hold all who rushed madly to the
| exits. and there was Il dash for the
| windows, trapped victims screaming
/ .;ith pain AS the Flames swept upon
| them from behind and scared their
/ bodies
r!,en from windows and fire escapes
bodies began dropping, They fell thick
! and fast. The building Was but -four
| stories high and many Who jumped.
even from the topmost floor, escaped
With thei. lives. although most of them
were badly MANNED
1t Was on the fourth floor that most
4 of the women operators we're working
! ana it vas among these chat the loss
i Of life and injary was greatest. As
socE as l!ia fife victims "ere brought
- tire hospital con.alescents among
the reguiai. patients We're set to worli
tearing up band.tges: physicians Sawed
4 up ,vei,y available board for spiuts IL
bird ilp the broken limbs. and Father
| Ellis, Walsh and McLoGghiin, together
4 with Rev. Mr.. Francis came to offer
spiritual consolation to the de- .-rateiA
injured.