Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-14
100000 Blaze Sweeps
Through the Six-Story
Baker Building on Clin-
ton Street.
CORSET WORKERS FLEE,
USING FIRE.ESCAPES
FOrewOman, a Heroine, CoolIy
Directing the Rush of Women
Employees on Upper Floors.
Policeman Assists in Rescues.

since the High street disaster of 1910
broke out in the Baker building, at
6s-71-79 Clinton street. near Mulberry
street, today.
The blaze swept through the Baker
structure In a few minutes. but all
of the 800 persons at work there
safely escaped. 1t was a four-aiarm
fire. that brought out almost every
available piece of fire apparatus In
the city.
The loss is estimated at 100000. OF
this amount damage to the amount OF
100000 was caused to the building,
which is owned by the Baker Printing
Company, of which William A. Baker
Is the president
The balance of the loss will fall on
the II. w. Company, concern that
manufactures corsets. The firm ia
controlled by George c. BatschelIer &
Co., of 100 Fifth avenue, New York.
The fire lasted more than two hours.
1t broke out at 9:95. just when all
the employees of the ii. and w. firm
had settled down to their work for
the day.
NO cause for the blaze could be
found. The fire began In the base
ment.
Many of those who witnessed the
thrilling scenes, the rush and hur-
ried flight of the throngs OF en-
ployes were amazed that everyone
got out safely
with awesome speed the blaze en.
veloped the entire building. Through
out the whole building there was ths
most remarkable calinness, Every
girl dropped her work. and, leaving
her clothing, tok the fire-escapes.
Practically everyone had gotten
safely to the streets even before ths
arrival of the firemen. who were on
the scene two minutes after the alarm
OF fire was sounded.
The cause of the fire Is unknown.
1t is believed to have started in the
basement. One report had it that
boiler had BURST; another, that
crossed electric wires were respon-
sible The blaze spread so quickly
that none of the persons Ia the
building had time to get their hats
and coats
! Employees Of the building were first
inforced of the fire by the ringing oil
the automatic fire alarm system. The
girls dropped their work Instantly.
A cry of "Flre!" was heard through
out the building. There was a rush
for the stalrways. Clouds of smoke
greeted the girls as they swung open
the doors leading to the stairs A
general rush to the fire escapes then
| began.
Miss Emma Weber. the forelady for
the IL. & w Company. was a heroine
Of the fire. She was on the fifth floor
when the alarm sounded She inlme-
diately took charge. Exhibiting tho
calm Of a veteran fire general She
| jumped on q chair and thence to
table. where she was in full view OF
every girl on the floor.
| Girls, be quiet!" she commanded.
| There's no need for any excitement.
The building Is on fire, and unless you
go about orderly you might all be
hurt. Go as quickly and as quietly
as you know how to the fire escapes
! While Miss Weber her face white
and stern, talked quickly to the work.
ing girls, there was not sound. II
| took less than a minute, Miss Weber
says, for the girls on that floor to get
to the fire escapes to the rear of the
| building leading to an alley that runs
through to Lawrence street.
By this time almost the entire
| building was enveloped In smoke and
| flames. The girls on the other voors
had taken to the fire escapes on both
| front and rear sides of the building
and were making their way to tbs
street. Miss Weber, although chok.
| ing with the dense smoke, forced her
way to every zoor in the building
| and groped around to make sure that
no one had been left behind. Then she
made her way TO the street.
Among the earliest ON the scene OF
the fire was Edward Schwartz, who
is In charge of the Bertillon identiff-
cation bureau at police headquarters
/ He and Detective Frank Donnelly.
also of the headquarters staff, were
on their way to take some measure
ments Of finger prints at a place on
Market street, where there was ROD
| berry. Ihey We're near l4dWIeiSo
street when they heard the alarm.
, Both men at once ran into the
Baker building and hurried to where
| the girls and women were hastily
| making ready to leave. The police
men ordered everybody out. Some of
the women wanted to wait until they
could get all of their clothes from the
( lockers. They were ordered to quit
and Immediately obeyed Instructions
Policeman Ryan, who sent in the
first alarm, also did splendid work in
getting out the employees of the II. &
! " plant. He went to every floor
He was accompanied by Policeman
| Cleveland and by the two men from
police headquarters. They We're prae-
tically the last to leave the burning
building
I Within seventeen minutes after the
first alarm of fire from box SO, corner
| Market and Mulberry streets, WAS
received at the central office 2eO fire.
men and twenty-five fire. lighting
machines were either at the scene or
ON their way to engage in the battle
with the flames.
II was a spectacular sight to Wit
ness horses, engines, trucks, hose
wagons and motor vehicles dashing
through the city streets from all