Year: 1874


glri struck between two rounds in such manner
that her back was instantly broken, and her head
hung down swaying back and forth, and wniie tn"
body remained IN rhat position man and WOMAN
in turn struck against II, bounding on again
to the ground. All the persons VINO at'
tempted to escape from the attic did not make
q clean jump to the ground. rope was thrown
out OF the window by somebody, which reached
good part OF the way to the ground, and quite
number SLID down this rope as far as possible ana
then dropped the rest OF the way. thus escaping
instant death. though ali were more or less IN
jured. Two OF the girs-Allce stafford and Nancy
Mullen, who were among those who used the
rope-had their hands badly burned by the fric
tion. and the former had her back injured and
both ankles disocated by the fall The persons VINO
availed themselves Of this rope would have es-
capped serious injury had not the rope caught fire
from the names bursting out or the windows ana
burned or some forty feet from the ground.
Matthew Dillon, one OF the spinners. and the
man who first discovered the fire, gave to
HERALD reporter this evening his version or


THE BEGINNING AND PROGRESS OF THE CONFLAdRA-


TION.


He says that ut ten minutes to seven O'Clock,
Saturday morn.Rg the help were all on hand and
to work. The nre originated on the back pulley of
the last pair OF mules but one in the
north end, about eighteen feet from that
extremity OF the MILL There were three water
pipes in tho room and even medium supply OF
water would have saved the chronicling OF such
fearful disaster. The hose had been attached TO
the pipes two or three years, but IN that time no
water had ever passed through them. g feel
confident" no said that no man could have
passed to the upper story after came from tue
room on account OF smoke and names" This
pulley generally runs very fast and is apt to get
on Are in few moments II not regularly oiled.
1t is d. The ,Shacp pattern and manuisc.
tured by Marvel Davoe of Fall River, be-
ing the only make used in Granite
Mil No. I. When ] first saw the names
they were what should cali chip fire.yery small
indeed in dimensions, but few inches; couia al
most have extinguished them with my hand.
sprang over my mule to the one adjoining where
the fire originated and attempted to quench the
flames, but was unable to do so as the fire In
that one moment had gained strength, and, like
hghtning, had caught the belts saturated with
Oil and was wnirled ike flash around the
pulley connecting with all the belts in that vicinity
and communicating the flames In an impossible
barrier from one side OF the mill to the other. l
think could not give expression TO the rapldity
with which this wall Of fire spread itself and
seemed 10 dispute by its power the utmost
strength Of man and all mechanical appliances.
Seeing IN an INSTANT tHe eHleTSeuCy vi tuC Sliud"
tlon grasped coil OF hose that was attached to
my mule alley opened the stop cock and valve
connected Herewith and finding that no water
came FORTH called upon one of the men to go down
and tell the engineer to start the donkey
engine BY this time the fire was
IN terrible state, creating fearful
uproar and by its violence raising the bands
usually attached to the mules. Finding matters
in such y critical condition called upon man
named Penderpost, handed him the hose and hur.
ried to my alley and opened the valve there, watt
Ing for water to arrive, but none came. Finding
that no water came grasped the hose again. sent
the man to order on the water and maintained my
position until the hose took fire and drove me
away. / nastened TO the door, but before
reached 1t l was compelled to drop on my hands
and knees and crawl through the smoke that was
now in great volumes pouring out Of the door.
being the last man to leave the room, which was
at this time, from the tower door to the north END,
enveoped in flames. There was


NO WATER IN THE ROOM,


neither in the pipes nor in pails-which latter is
usually the case-to which cause l ascrbe to a
great extent the sad disaster. 1t is usual in the
mills In this city to keep two pals, each filed with
water at every pair OF mules, but In this mill II
! was not the case. Had the donkey engine forced
water through the pipes In the first instance the
disaster might have been averted with no loss Of
life and but little property. The water
and pals were located in the tower, and
but fifteen pals OF the former were
thrown upon the fire. There were sixteen
splnners in the room and they all hurried away
on the first alarm except seven. who manfully
fought the flames. moment after the fire
started the help in the fifth story became alarmed
and FASTENED down to the next nat to watch the
progress OF the flames. but their numbers over
! crowded the entry, and as soon as 1t became evi-
/ dent that matters had assumed q dangerous phase
! they all rushed down stairs, accompanied by the
| spinners AS the spooling room was on the sixth
I story think that although the bosses may have
been aware OF the dre the help knew nothing
aooutit


of the overseers being to keep all such excitement
from them, as in cases OF no consequence 1t may
| interfere with their work, they were not notl-
fed until the danger was past all remedy, and
| their Arst informant was mass OF smoke and
| fame, darting up the stairs and into their room,
cutting of all hope OF escape by the staircase.
When l reached the bottom Of the stairs the fire
was dropping down from the fifth story, and then
remarked that If any one remained in the attic
they were lost.


Mr.. Dillon stated tnat 1t is o common thing fol-





custom to keep pals OF water convenient for any
emergency, which was not done in the present in
| stance.


STATEMENT OF THOMAS WALKER


Thomas Walker, who resides on Covell street
! and who is employed in the flasher room, states
tnat the first ntimation OF fire he received was
loud cry and, looking around, he saw the
children followed by their boss
rushing to the door. Following them he
was driven back by the smoke and flames that
poured into the room as soon as the doors were
opened. 1t was an impossibility-in fact, certain
death-for any one then to descend the staircase
In second the room was filed with smoke, and
the women and children forced to the south end
OF the mill, while he, with companion, were sep
arated from them by wall of fire and smoke
He then grasped a coil OF rope, secured step-lad
der, by which he gained the scuttle, and thence