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FACTORY IN FLAMES.

AN AMERIGAN FIRE TRAGEDY. MANY LIVES LOST. NEW YORK, November 30. Dreadful loss of life attended a firo on Saturday at a paper box factory in Newark, near New York. When the outbreak occurred 50 girls who were at work on the upper floor of the building found themselves in a terrible situation. Their escape by the stairs leading to the lower floors had been cut oif completely, and there they were, caught like rats in a trap. Many of the girls, almost beside themselves with frenzy, rushed to tho fourth floor windows, and without a thought of the distance they would have to jump took a desperate leap for their lives. Twelve of them fell, crashing to the pavement beloy, and were killed instantly, while eight other were so. shockingly injured that they died within a few minutes. Some of the girls were caught in the nets that were spread out for them, but many of them were overtaken by the flames, and perished in what was a veritable, furnace. Three priests, Fathers K~rnan, Brennan and Dillon, reached the I burning factory before the brigades j arrived, and aided in the rescue operations. ' Bather Kernan heroically- rushed into the building and saved three girls, his own clothing catching fire and burning him severely about the hands and head. By six o'clock in the evening there were twenty two bodies in the mor- [ gue, and the hospitals had thirty-five victims who had been burned or otherwise injured. There are still forty-two employees who have not been accounted for, and it is feared that tho bodies of many of those missing will be found among the ruins.' The fire was caused by the explosion of a gasolene lamp. LATER. T*.e loss of life by the fire in Newark is believed to have been much greater than at first reported. Until tho ruins have been thoroughexplored it will be impossible to say exactly how many perished in, the flames, but it is thought that the number will not fall far short of 50. The victims were mostly girls. The fh*e chief says that it will be two days before all the bodies are recovered. The lower floors of the building that was the scene of this awful disaster were occupied b ythe Newark Paper Box Co., the third storey by the Etna Electrical Supplies Co., and i the top storey by the manufacturers I of underclothing. Altogether there j were 225 'girls employed on the pre- j mises. Sadie Benson, one of the girls employed by the Etna Electrical Supplies Co., was cleaning some electrical fittings in a naphtha bath, when the spirit became ignited. The burning liquid streamed across ; the Jioor to a canful of tlie spirit, which took fire and exploded. The flames that immediately filled the room swept up the stairways with astonishing rapidity, thus cutting off practically the only means of egress open to those on the upper storeys. ,'i no building was provided with two fire escape ladders, but these were flimsy things, and terminated at a height of about ,25ft from, the ground. About ninety hysterical girls, however, fought to reach these ladders, ' down which they swarmed as fast o° they could. Other girls who saw tnat there was little or no chance of their escaping by that means jumped, some from the windows, others from the landings. One poor girl who made a leap for her life was impaled on a picket fence. The deputy fire chief was kiueJ by a falling wall. It was reported to-day that criminal proceedings were to be taken against the owners of the building.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WAG19101210.2.5

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10140, 10 December 1910, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
608

FACTORY IN FLAMES. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10140, 10 December 1910, Page 3

FACTORY IN FLAMES. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10140, 10 December 1910, Page 3

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