Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA (Lackawanna)
1908 - SCRANTON FACTORY FILLED WITH GIRLS A PREY TO FLAMES. FOUR KILLED AND MANY MEET SERIOUS HURTS

Several Of The Victims Leaped From The Windows.
FEARFUL JAM ON A FIRE ESCAPE.
The Flames Gutted the Interior of the Knitting Mill in Which the Girls Were at Work - Many Rescues By the Firemen.

By Associated Press.

Scranton, January 17 - Four girls were killed, ten seriously injured, and a score or more slightly hurt at a fire in the Imperial Knitting company's mill in Dix court, in the central part of the city this morning. Eighty-five girls were at work on the third floor when a fire broke out on the ground floor where some men were varnishing furniture in a warehouse. It quickly ascended the elevator shaft and drove the girls panic-stricken to the one window opening on the fire escape. The fire escape is one of those in which the last reach of stairs is held in a horizontal position by a wright and pully device. The girls first to reach this were afraid to descend it when they saw its far end moving downward. This caused a jam.

Many Jumped.
The girls on the upper part of the fire escape were crowding thos in front and all the time the flames and smoke were enveloping them. By the time the firemen arrived half of them had jumped, some of them from the third floor. Men from the neighborhood soon arrived and held the swinging portion of the fire escape so that its end remained stationary on the ground and the girls who had not jumped were being helped down when the firemen came and with their ladders rescued those who were jammed on the upper stretches of the fire escape.

Many girls were saved by being caught as they jumped. One colored man who caught a girl who jumped from the third floor was badly injured. He was helped away and his identity lost.

There was only one exit, a narrow hallway, besides the fire escape, and this hallway was cut off by fire and smoke.

The fact that many of the girls fainted and further impeded the narrow fire escape, added to the difficulty. Some of the injured girls deny that they jumped, stating that they were pushed over the railing by other girls who were crowded against them by others behind.

Building Eaten Out.
The whole interior of the building was eaten out by the flames, causing a loss of $75,000, most of which falls on the underwear company.

The dead are: MARIE BUCKLEY, aged 19, of 222 Railroad avenue, broke her neck by jumping out of third sotry window, died in O. S. JOHNSON'S garage in Lee court, shortly after being taken there.

CATHERINE GRIFFITHS, aged 20 years, of Ridge street, jumped from third story window and fractured skull.

JENNIE RATCHFORD, aged 22, both arms and legs broken and internal injuries, was pushed out of third story window, died at the Hahnemann hospital.

The List of Injured.

Seriously Injured:
KATHRYN MANOSKY, aged 18, jumped off fire escape from third floor, internal injuries, teeth knocked out, eyes and face discolored. Condition critical.
ANNA RYAN, aged 22, jumped from third story window, internal injuries. Condition serious.
FLORENCE WATRONS, aged, 19, jumped from fire escape from third story, internal injuries and compound fracture of both legs. Condition serious.
KATHRYN CLIFFORD, aged 19, burned about the face and arms and internally injured, jumped from fire escape. Condition serious.
ERNESTINE KOHN, aged 20, jumped from third story window, internally injured and badly burned about the face and arms.
MAY WHALEN, aged 20, fell off fire escape, badly shaken up and bruised about the body. Condition is favorable.
FLORENCE CUSIC, aged 19, internally injured from being knocked off the fire escape by a stream of water.

Daily Gazette and Bulletin
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
January 18, 1908

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