DISASTROUS FIRES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15824, 24 July 1913, Page 7

DISASTROUS FIRES

75 LIVES LOST. CONVICT NEGROES PERISH. PraM Association—By Telogriph—Copyright. NEW YORK, July 22.' Trapped in a second floor antiquated convict cage at Jackson (Mississippi) 35 convict negroes perished in a fire on the Oakley convict farm. The men worked on the cotton plantations during the day, and wero penned in cages at night. The origin of the fire is unknown. OVERALL FACTORY DESTROYED. 40 GIRLS BURNED TO DEATH. NEW YORK, July 22. Forty working girls perished in a fire which destroyed the overall factory at Binghamtown. One hundred and twenty girls dashed panic-stricken from the building, which was enveloped in flames in a few minutes. The majority escaped with the firemen's help. The others, who clung to the fire escapes, were caught by the flames, and fell to the pavements. Two bodies cut in two were found in, the street after the fire was extinguished. The whole building was in ashes in 20 minutes. FATAL DELAY. DEPLORABLE SCENES. NEW YORK, July 23. (Received July 23, at 10.55 p.m.) The latest estimates regarding the fire at Binghamtown place the death roll at SO. After nightfall searchlights were utilised in the search for the bodies, tlie majority of which were recovered. The tragedy occurred with terrific swiftness. The whole building was a mass of flames in a few minutes. Twenty women heeded the alarm and escaped easily, but. the others dallied, thinking that the alairm was. merely for the purposes of fire drill. The girls stood six deep around the windows screaming in agony as the smoke and flames readied them. Many of them descended the fire escapes only to fall into the flames, which were bursting out at the sides of the building. The escapes were apparently inadequate, and when the girls crowded on to them many fell off. Others throw themselves out from the .lower windows, and more than a dozen escaped with broken limbs.