WORKGIRLS BURNED TO DEATHS

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 267, 4 August 1908, Page 8

WORKGIRLS BURNED TO DEATHS

CELLULOID FACTORY' FIRE. 1 Seventeen. persons, •, mostly. ' : youhg , workgirls, wore -burned to death-at''Vienna on fire Avhich'dccur'rtd.at'Seiler's celluloid factory. The 'cause.-of -.'the .fire is believed to' be - the'spontaneous explosion of an accumulation of . celluloid , dust in . the container; ofthe , exhauster .which.' sucks, the dust, from _ the various rooms, through, a sys--1.'.0!. 0 ! pip® B ;into; a: cellar'r. '.'lmmediately aftor the. dull sound, of'the; explosion': was heard',tho whole factory^,was ablaze, and the .frantic cries-' of - fifty; employees: could be.,heard.as the fire spurted'iupjthrough the pipes .of; the exhauster into-, the workrooms, the. windows' of which in - somq -instances' Weije burst in; by a sheet : of -scorching flame shooting, from .the cellar, into.•;thecoiirt:ofthe .. . • ■ j . Terrible scenes were' witnessed,' some, of the jumping from the .windows in tho. endeavour, to escape death by- fire;' ; Those who were fortunate. enough to gain immediately ;the only exit alone escaped .without injury, as. the. .arrangement of the factory made it a-'verit'able death trap. The firemen fought the -flames- stubbornly, and many of them were burned, but. the. fierceness of the'heat.prevented- them from-reach-ing-the upper story till tho flames had been quonchcd. Here, a sad-sight-was- presented ten' girls, ; their features unrecognisable,:: being found lying- dead -close to the door." Tile factory had been condemned by the-, municipal 'authorities,' but this had been .'reversed on ,an appeal .to the-Government depart-! mfent. ' Owing to the number of • firesat I celluloid' manufactories in recent years, new Government, regulation's have . been : drawn up, but they are riot yet in force.. Dr. vonßicnorth, the Minister, of tho Interior, and' tho Speaker of the Austrian Reich sratli, both watched the work' of the firo brigade, and studied the, causes of .the catastrophe on the. spot, despite a torrential thunderstorm which raged-at- the time.