The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-09-18
TRAPPED IN ROOM
TEN ARE DEAD IN
IN Ne WARK FIRE
Girl Jumps from Window to Her
Death
RUN THROUGH THE FLAMES
Fire Starts Suddenly in American
Button Factory Where 300 Girls
Were Employed.

Newark, n. j., Sept. 17-Trapped in
a cloaMoom on the top floor, eight
girls boy and a man perished here
today in a fire which destroyed the
plant Of the American Button COM
pany. Another girl was killed when,
seeking to escape from the flames. she
leaped from a window, Nine other
girls were injured, several fatally
AT O'Clock the factory hummed
with the industry of more than 800
young women engaged in making but
tons for army and navy uniforms AT
$3.50 the building was a fiame-swept
ruin. the top floor of which formed a
tomb for workers who had been driven
into the cloahoom by flames and
smoke At 4.30 the fire was virtually
extinguished and the task of identity
ing victims was started.
The girls on the lower floors made
their escape, some by jumping and
others by the fire escapes. Most of
the dead and injured were working in
the carding room at the top of the
building. II is believed that when they
found exit by means of fire escapes
and stairways cut off they fed in a
panic 10 the cloakroom, where their
. bodies were later found huddled to-
getheT. All were burned beyond
recognition and II was only through
trinkets and bits of scorched attire
that Identification was at all possible
One girl summoned up courage to
Jump to the street from the cloak room
window She died almost Immediately
OF her injuries
The fire started in cans of lacquer
stored on the second floor, according
TO superintendent Frederick w. Goer-
des. who said that an explosion result.
/ ed when defectiyely insulated
electric wire came il contact with one
Of the cans.
! The flames spread rapidly to the
roof and nearly a hundred men and
girls at work on the third floor found
/ that not only was escape by means OF
interior stairs cut OFF. but that their
I only other means of exit, fire escape
/ was swept by flames which spurted
Trough windows II was the sight OF
/ The seemingly impossible barrier that
threw the girls into a panic Several
girls jumped from windows. but most
Of them ran the gauntlet Of flames and
reached the street by the fire escape
Most of the workers on the top loor
also descended the fire escape, and
/ ,hose who perished lost their loves
! only when they climbed back after
I descending part way
Running into the cloakroom. they
closed the door behind them. thinking
20 shat out the flame, but the door
I was soon burned down. One girl was
seen on the w.ndowsill and was evi
lently preparing to jump to the ground
when suddenly she toppled over back
ward
With the first alarm, police reserves
from all precincts were summoned
Every automobile ambulance was AIS,
called out and many other autOm0
biles We're Communicated TO carry th,
injured to hospitals Several sailors
and soldiers who happened 20 the FIRE
attempted to reach the upper floors
ana rescue the workers. but they wer,
iryen back by smoke and flames
IN a statement tonight Mayo
Charles II Gilleu declared that an i'm
spection which he had made of th,
button factory had resulted in a deci
sion 20 ask the grand jury and prose
cuior TO make q full investigation o
he fire.
81 inspected the building he said
and ON the second floor found a part
/ tion screened off with wire. and no
with walls of masonry The factor.
looks somewhat like a fire trap to me
81 have commenced a rigid ant
sweeping investigation of every fac
iory in Newark and the investigation
win not cease until have found ever
fire trap in the city and driven then
out"