New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-18
Six Women and Man,
Overcome by Fumes
in Dye Plant
FALL AS THEY
TRY TO ESCAPE
Factory and Wharf Are
Burned-Loss Approx
mates $375,O00

Seven 1eTsOHe' ei~ Va NN
..,. burned 70 death yesterday in the
s.. ~ the Oakes Manufacturing Com
,.rv Blackwell Street and the East
sir.r. Astoria. Two men are missing
IA are believed to be dead. The dam
,-. yrs about SS75,0O0. Many firemen
r,rs overcome temporarily by smoke.
The seven persons lost their lives in
room on the second floor, less than
,Yteen feet from the ground, from
vS;cb broad iron stairs led to the
.-ound floor. while an outside stair
,.se and a fire escape provided addi-
iional exits.
REM. MISS ELEANOR, stenographer,
twenty years old, SPA Ninth Avenue
Long Island City.
DAUPHMANN, MISS ELIZABETH,
bookkeeper. twenty years old, 4O2
Vsndeventer Avenue, Long Island
City.
JUHRENS. MISS LILLIAN, stenogra-
pher. twenty years old, SOC Fifth
Avenue, College Point.
KIENZLE, MISS EMILY, bookkeeper,
twenty-five years old, 646 Seventh
Avenue. Astoria.
LINDSAY. MRS. CATHERINE, tele-
phone operator, twenty years old, no
Mott Avenue, Long Island City.
SAUERMANN, MISS ELIZABETH.
stenograDhcr. seventeen years old, 73
Forty-seventh Street, Corona.
yoGEL, ROBERT, assistant book
keeper. thirty-eight years old, 32s
EektOrd Street, Brooklyn.
Missing
COOK, HENRY c., treasurer OF the
company, forty-two years old, 772
Quincy Street, Brooklyn.
CRlSTMAN, FREDERICK, head book
keeper, thirty-ive years old, 1912 Ne
brsska Avenue. Brooklyn Manor.
The Office building was a two
story L-shaped building Of corrugated
iron, the upright Of the L fronting the
riyer. IL was surrounded by storage
sheds and other buildings connected
With the plant, which manufactures
dys extracts and which has been con-
sdersbly extended since the war COM
vslled recourse 10 logwood dyes.
Blaze Started BY Acid
Storerooms occupied the ground floor
Of the Office building. At noon two
sleeiricisns were al work on the lights
u storeroom directly beneath the
ohce. which Is at the river end OF the
building. One Of them. according to
H. ". Lang. assistant superintendent,
Eho was in the room. knocked over
adder.
Il is believed the ladder hit a car
boz or crucible containing potent
1eld. As Nr. Lang turned at the crash
.e saw a volume OF smoke roll up. He
Dashed 70 the stairs. sounding an alarm
as be went
Joseph Wild. a chemist. who was in
ne storeroom with his assistants-Io-
seph Bosbsl. Tony Klecker. Robert
Cheney and Henry Kock-ran out, fol-
owed By the electricians.
Upstairs Mr. Lang saw Mr.. Cook, the
treasurer. seated at his desk. The rest
o. the Office force were perched about
@ window sills. desk tops and chairs.
soEt Of them were eating their lunch
con and none had the slightest sus-
Eieion that fire had started.
Get out Of here ouickl" shouted
Lang. "The place 10 afre!"
Trapped in Room
Besides the half dozen windows there
ssre three stairways leading to safety.
td i never occurred 70 the superln-
ksdent that there would be difficulty
getting out. without another glance
me women and men in the Office he
ian 70 his desk. snatched few papers
shleh he thrust into the safe and
slammed the door.
ne turned 20 find the room 80 thick
tih smoke that not a person was WIS.,
.eie, and the windows were mere blurs.
ne smoke cut like a knife as he at
tempted 70 draw his breath and he
cropped 70 the floor half strangled.
ne dragged himself across the floor
he FIRE escape window.
Nr. Lang was the only person who
g'I out Of the oflce. Seven bodies were
isaad hours later huddled az the win
e'T through which Lang reached the
re escape. They were not there when
es got out. His hands and left arm
ftis burned.
II is believed that either through go
~ 70 the lockers in the rear Of the
Guiding % get hats and coats, in an
s1ort 70 save documents. or because OF
ne Tunes that filed the air, the Office
sofEsrs dropped unconscious long be-
tsmef.
'nrte alarms brought every engine
Long Island City, many from the
,.Isshpoint section OF Brooklyn and
- hfeoosts. From such distances did
engines come that a horse on the
~ wagon Of Company 26l dropped
before II reached the fire.
Oespite The efforts o. the fremen
WIND carried the flames and sparks
to!oiniDg buildings. The FIVE stor-
- warehouses Of the Oakes Com
- IN which were 10000 tons Of log
.syyo, worth $50 ton, were destroyed
l 80 ths,r contents. The wharf Of the
Sil@ Veneer Mills caught FIRE and
cAinszed 70 the extent Of $4,000.
amber yards and factories thronR
si. sieniiy, and schooners and barges
i,,1 hirn with lumber and coal, are
20 By scores along the piers.
t,.pisyts were ordered out OF fac
go nearby, and fremsn and IonR.
g.msn helped work the boats be
ms range o. heat and sparks
~. Tor The veneer company's wharf
"syr plant.
va. reserves from several station,
ss.,L required 70 Keep the crowd In
W. Tor The sro.k. IA Nxtft.x a..