Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 89, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 July 1898 — ESCAPE WAS CUT OFF [ARTICLE]

ESCAPE WAS CUT OFF

Over ioo Men Imprisoned in a Burning Factory in Racine. MAKE DESPERATE LEAPS FOR LIFE. Three of the Employe* of the Company Are Killed-Many Other* Injured—Stairway Clogged with Bicycle* Cut* Off Escape. Racine, Wis„ July 14.—Fire late Wednesday afternoon completely destroyed the large three-story structure' of the Racine Malleable and Wrought liron company, resulting in a pecuniary loss of SIOO,OOO, together with three lives and serious injury to a score or more of others. The dead are as follows: The Victim*. John Keefe, Gus Kennetzki and an unidentified body, supposed to be Adelbert Hollister. The injured are: James Dunlavey, both legs broken; Chris Poulson, dangerously hurt internally; George Case, cut and bruised in head, injuries thought to be fatal; Fred Potts, arm broken in three places; John Swigert, hurt Internally; John McNab, badly hurt; John Galldene, hurt in head; Chris Bolton, back broken; John James, both legs broken; George White, injured Internally; Albert Miller, leg broken. Many others who were injured were taken to their homes and their names are not obtainable. Workmen Imprisoned. The fire started in the varnish-room and so little was thought of the blaze at first that the men in the room did not give the alarm, thinking they could put it out without the assistance of the firs department. All of a sudden the flames leaped out into the main shop and in a second the flames enveloped the whole building in which were imprisoned 100 men. 1 Those on the ground floor had no trouble in escaping and most of the men on the second floor got out without receiving any injury. The workmen on the third floor were practically caught in a trap. So sudden did the flames reach them that several were blinded or suffocated by the smoke before help could reach them. Though the fire company was but a block away, the building w’as a mass of flames before the department arrived. Many of the workmen appeared in windows crying for help while others jumped to the street below, receiving fatal or serious injuries. The firemen could do nothing except to prevent the spreading of the flames to other buildings. There was an insurance of $56,000 on the building. Two hundred men will be thrown out of work. The plant will be rebuilt. Clogged the Stairway. When the rush to escape came everybody made for one stairway, which was nearest the elevator. Men and boys on the upper floors grabbed their bicycles and tried to get down the stairway. In the confusion the wheels soon clogged the stairs, and all means of egress except by the windows was cut off for those unfortunates who were left on the upper floors. Men, finding the stairways blocked, or being unable to reach them, began to appear at the windows crying piteously for help. The flames were so hot and vicious that few had the nerve to venture near the building. Then commenced the leap for life. Jumped from the Window*. John Keefe was the first man to jump from the third story window and he was so badly hurt that he died in ten minutes. Gustav Knofski, a hunchback, was the next to leap. He landed on his head and his neck was broken. James Dunlavy, a boy 15 years old, had both legs broken by' jumping from the second story' window. Chris Poulson jumped from the second story and had one leg broken and sustained internal injuries. George Case plunged headlong from a second story window, struck among telephone wires and fell to the walk badly hurt. Albert Miller leaped and the crowd tried to catch him but his leg was broken. John Carlin, an old man, was droppea from the second story by younger men and he escaped unhurt. A dozen men and boys were sent flying through space on every side of the building. Some lay still after they struck and were picked up and carried off by friends and others jumped up apparently unhurt. Fep Back Into the Flame*. Two men were seen to drop back into the flajpes from the windows when they had hoped to be rescued. The utmost confusion prevailed and it may not be known for hours the exact number of victims. Men who wereslightly hurt went to their homes, not reporting their escape. A strenuous effoit has been made to locate all the employes and at present eight are missing. Pathetic scenes were witnessed about the burning building. Most of the men reside w ithin a few blocks of the factory and wives, mothers and other relatives soon appeared and moaned j piteously as the helpless men appeared at the windows. ’