Year: 1874




startled with cry Of fire and the escape OF smoke
from the fourth story. In this, next to tho upper
| floor, which was the mule warp spinning depart
ment, there were nearly 100 girls at work under
male overseer. On the upper nOOr the hfth,
about thirty girls we're employed spoong and
warping cotton. These were the youngest or the
operatives. With the alarm the flames seemed to
leap up to this attic, coming from the windows
below, and, to the terror Of ALL up the great
tower in the centre Of the building In which
were all the stairs communicating with
each story. The fire caught as stated,
in the mule spinning room, IL the northwest end
OF the mill, and, 1t is stated, from friction in
mule head at once igniting the oil waste about it,
and spreading by means Of oil on the floor and
about each piece OF machinery directly and with
great quickness, toward the centre tower, she
only source of escape for those in the fourth and
Nth stories, besides the four fire escapes, two on
the sides OF each gable end. AS 1t rushed over
the flooring 1t instantly found sustenance in the
woodwork, and once getting into the tower, ran
up to apd through the single entrance to the fifth
story then springlng to the roof timbers and all.
ing the two great rooms (45Oxe0 feet) with dense
black smoke and fame. While the names were
making such terrible neadway, the operatives be-
came fairly wild.


SAVING THE GIRLS


The Overseers at glance saw that there was no
way possible to check the rre, and gave their sole
attention to those they had at work. They called
to them to save themselves, ana pointed out ways
OF escape. These were principally nre ladders for
the tmid creatures dared not run the fire gaunt-
let OF the tower. The overseer Of the spooling
room, who himself remained till he was nearly SUI
focated in the smoke, states that the scene in his
room, and 1t must have been worse In that next
below stairs, cannot be depicted. Children ran
about without any knowledge Of what they
were doing, crying and begging piteously
J to be saved, yet wrenching themselves away
when taken lorcibly and carried to the
| tower, while yet there was some chance, or to
the iron ladders to the two scuttle windows OF the
south end, which opened upon the root balcony at
the head Of the Twelfth street fire ladders. 1t was
impossible to get great majority to take even this
| method in order to save their lves. Some wanted
| clothing and some this that thing, they knew
| not what. AS the fire frightened them away from
their deiberation at the foot OF the roof ladders
| they rushed to the windows at the south gable
END, but they were nearly sixty feet rom the
ground ana dared not Jump down. Cotton ropes
were put out for them to slide down by and some
took this means, but in the effort several met with
| death or injury, for no sooner would rope be
| lowered before there was rush for 1t from the
story below Too many would take hold of the
rope which would part, and all cinging to it
would come down in a bunch. While such scenes
were being enacted here similar ones were going
| on in


| THE MULE SPINNING ROOM.


! The names had ascended with the qulckness OF
thought the entrance Of the tower on the fourth
| floor. thereby cutting or this means of escape:
! but the operatives had the fire ladders OF the
! south gable directly before them, and were
urged by the overseers and citizens below to take
| them. Some did, but others, as II they were mad,
rushed upon the balcony and dropped or threw
| themselves from the guards, hardly looking at
the iron ladders. There was ample time for every
! one to have been saved had the right course been
pursued, and 1t not for want Of direction that
| the girls lost their lives The superintendent, as
soon as the alarm was given rushed to the upper
story, and, with the 0verseers, did all that was
! possible to save life, and when the means pro.
vihed for escape In the construction Of the mill
| were rendered unavailable by the heat, flames
| and smoke, the people on1the ground procured
| beds and mattresses for the poor unfortunates
| to Jump upon, and many did throw them
selves from the windows, in almost every
case to receive fatal or terrible INJURIES for the
| distance was nearly fifty feet The greatest con-
sternation was felt by the people on the streets,
who had assembled in immense numbers, and
their cries and acts did not help greatly to com.
pose the mill hands, but the disciplined fremen
and policemen, as soon as they arrived in suffi-
cient numbers, worked with will and to advan.
| uage. The fremen in every way worked to stop
the spread OF the fire. and especially to keep 1t out
OF the south end, whittier the operatives had fed.
Ladders as long as they had at command were
used in this and In the efforts to the girls.
Some very brave acts were performed, and it is
said that several iremen-the number is given as
tour-gave their lives in this humane endeavor.


BRAVE ACT


was that OF the superintendent and other officers
| of the corporation who went to the upper stories
and by word and example told the people how to
| save themselves but braver one s related OF q
fireman. who was lowered from the roof by brother
nremen into the building, and remained 80 long
trying to drive the last forth that he had to
be let 60 BY those who had hold Of his rope. They
had held his line as long they could stay and,
nearly suff0cated, were driven down. His only
way 10 escape was by window at the gaoie end,
but he doubtless had worked long IN the thick
smoke for others he could not aid himself


Morgues and hospitals were speedily impro vised; !;
the Mission chapel near by taken for one of the
latter, and as fast as one could be picked from
under the windows OF the MILL stretchers were
ready to carry her to either the chapel or the Gen.
trail station At this latter place


TWENTY-FIVE BODIES


were cold in DEATH and other unfortunates had
been taken to other stations or to their homes.
In o number Of instances the bodies were not
recognized partly from the fact that they were 80
disfgured. begrimed and dirt covereI J., and espe-
ciaiy from the fact that their friends or relatives
were looking elsewhere. In the Mission chapel
were those whose sufrerings were intense. The
Injuries were various, but OF course largely to the
i limbs OF the individuals Every doctor In the
city was summoned at the earliest moment and
all exhibited the greatest solcitude for the suffer-
ers. Some remained at the church, others accom-
panied the ambuances to this or that place. whle
others worked without cessation as she chapel
so much Of suffering has not previously been
known in these parts, and every one Is moved to
do all that lies In his power.


THE KILLED AND WOUNDED ESTIMATED.


1t Is not too high TO place the number Killed at
forty ana the injured at twice that number.