Heat Wave Kills 500

According to the Bisbee Daily Review today, the heat wave that has gripped this country from the Great Plains to the East Coast has claimed the lives of at least 500 people, with at least 1,000 more hospitalized from heat-related symptoms.  The current wave began on July 1 and is only today expected to abate somewhat, with cooler temperatures definitely coming to the eastern seaboard tomorrow.  The torrid wave has led to numerous record high temperatures throughout the country, such as 108° F at street level in Chicago, 110° F in Lincoln, Neb., 113° F in Junction City, Kan., 95° F in Boston, 92° F in New York City, 108° F in Concordia, Kan, and 98° F in Washington, D.C.

At least 431 people have died from heat exhaustion so far in this heat wave, with another 80 drowning in their attempt to beat the heat.  The increased death rates in many cities have caused over-capacity at city morgues.  In Chicago, Express Trains are being used as makeshift morgues to process the heat wave victims.  This morning's New York Tribune reported that over 100 have died in that city from the heat wave so far with more expected today.

But all is not lost.  Heavy rains in the Great Plains and Midwest have brought some relief to those regions and those storms are slowly making their way east, hopefully clearing out the high-pressure system by the weekend.

Link: Three are dead; Heat Wave End to Come Friday [The Washington Herald]
Link: Fourth Day of Heat is Marked by 43 Deaths [The New York Tribune]
Link: 500 Killed by Heat; 1,000 Prostrated; Others Driven Insane in Many Cities [The Bisbee Daily Review]

Tremor Shakes San Francisco

In the biggest test to date of the rebuilding project in San Francisco, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake shook the city yesterday.  However, from all reports in the papers we watch, there doesn't appear to have been major damage or loss of life from the earth tremor.  There is some evidence for cracked and out of plumb walls, but nothing like the great calamity which struck the city five years ago.  The quake was felt as far away as Tucson, Arizona and Seattle, Washington.  In Carson City, Nevada, a hearing at the federal courthouse was adjourned outside after the lawyers had fled the building.

While nerves were certainly frazzled by the great shock of the earthquake and with the loss of telephone service, people began to gain some courage as the hours passed and it became clear that this would not be another 1906.

The mean time clock at observatory of the University of California was stopped by the quake for the first time since the great earthquake of 1906.

Link: Subdued Terror Grips Thousands in San Francisco [The Washington Times]
Link: Earthquake Again Jars San Francisco [The New York Tribune]
Link: Tremors Rock Pacific Coast [The Bisbee Daily Review]

Severe Earthquake Strikes Mexico City

Tragedy struck Mexico City yesterday morning as a major earthquake shoot the Mexican capital.  According to the article in today's Washington Herald, at least 166 people have been killed, many of them soldiers and women who were within a barracks that collapsed in the suburb of San Cosme.

The quake struck at 4:28am local time and aftershocks continued to be felt up to 6am, though more are expected throughout the day and into the night.  The initial jolt is reported to have only last a few seconds, shorter than the tremor that devastated San Francisco five years ago.  Thousands of people in the capital are reported to have fled, include many insurrectos who were in town to see the arrival of former rebel leader Francisco I. Madero.  In another suburb of the capital, Huipulco, a church collapsed killing five and injuring dozens more while parishioners were attending an early morning mass.  Despite the omen, many more thousands attended special masses yesterday evening, praying that God will forgive them for the recent internal disruptions in the country.  Many people in the country, particularly supporters of the recently deposed President, Porfirio Diaz, believe the earthquake was "divine retribution" for the rebellion.

It is the judgement of God for driving out Diaz.  Beware lest a greater visitation comes!  Beware!

The panic was made worse by the early hour of the quake.  Shortly after the first shock, thousands of people, still dressed for bed, filled into the streets, making it difficult to move around.  This lack of space to move about made the panic even worse and people began to fight and struggle with each other.  Witness reported the quake to have a undulating motion, not unlike being "on board a ship in a mighty ocean swell," according to the Washington Times.

Link: Earthquake Rocks Mexico City Hundreds Killed [The Washington Times]
Link: City of Mexico Severely Shaken by Earthquake [The Washington Herald]

Train Wreck in Nebraska Kills Twelve

A wreck along the Burlington railroad occurred early today, killing twelve and injuring many of the remaining passengers. Considering the state of some of those injured, it is likely that the death toll will rise. Among the victims include members of the Omaha and Denver minor league baseball teams, though none were killed. The wreck also caused the steam pipes in several cars to burst, badly scalding many passengers.

The wreck occurred two miles west of Indianola, Nebraska. Passenger train #12, eastbound, was supposed to stop at Redwood to take on some siding, but it kept traveling east. It collided into the westbound #9 train, which was traveling at fifty miles per hour. The engine crews of both trains were killed instantly.

The Burlington company, from their corporate offices in Lincoln, Nebraska, released the eight of the names of the dead yesterday:

A.A. Hissabeck, Holdrege, Neb.; Robert Shepherd, traveling salesman, Holdrege, Neb.; Engineer John H. Hyder, of No. 12 and his fireman, W. J. Dameron, both of Lincoln; Engineer W. T. Lahey and his fireman, A. J. Olsen, both of Lincoln; Express Messenger Fraser, and Express Messenger Friar.

Link: Twelve Killed in Burlington Wreck, and Many Injured [The Washington Times]

French War Minister Killed in Airplane Accident

An airplane race from Paris to Madrid got off to a tragic start as one of the monoplane of one of the racers, Traine, killed the French War Minister, Henri Maurice Berteaux, and seriously injured the French Premier, Antoine Ernest Monis.

The day started well enough with 50,000 Frenchmen enjoying a holiday morning at the drill grounds of the Issy les Moulineaux. Naval lieutenant Andre Beaumont took off first in his Bleriot aeroplane followed by Roland Garros and Gilbert in a similar machines. Next up was the new aviator, Traine with his passenger Bonnier, who began by circling his machine around to test the motor. However, the crush of the spectators was too great for the cavalrymen there to control the crowds and the VIP section was pushed into the path of Traine's plane. The VIPs apparently had a poor view from the stand of honor and moved closer to the starting line, at which point the rest of the crowd followed. Traine tried to hop his plane over the horsemen before continuing his takeoff, but he failed to see the crowd on the other side of the cavalrymen. It was at this point that the War Minister's arm was caught in the plane's propeller and he was further maimed by it. He was dead almost instantly.

The prime minister was crushed underneath the plane with both bones in his right leg and all the bones in his nose broken. He also suffered a number of abdominal and head injuries. He is not expected to survive his injuries, but he was able to sign several urgent state papers from his home where he is recuperating. Neither Train nor his passenger were injured in the accident. Afterward, Train told the Washington Herald correspondent:

Seeing the soldiers, I made an effort to turn to the right. The motor was too weak, and I therefore raised the aeroplane in an effort to land beyond the cuirassiers. At the same moment a group of ministers and officials that had been hidden from me by the cavalry seemed to scatter in all directions. I risked my own and my passenger's life in an attempt to prolong the flight over the crowd, and was just about to succeed in clearing them when the machine fell heavily. I jumped out and only then discovered the terrible catastrophe.

The race was initially called off after the accident but Premier Monis has ordered that it continue. The Aero Club of France which is sponsoring the race along with Petit Parisien is now expected to go with the cabinet and Monis' decision to continue the race with the other participants starting out today.  These include Werman, Nieuporr, and Jules Vedrines.  Of the racers who did get off the ground yesterday, Garros traveled 250 miles to reach Angouleme, Beaumont's plane was damaged after landing near Loches to get directions, and Gilbert reached Pont Levoy and is hoping to continue today.  Deranzay reach Sancorre.

This is not the first Paris-Madrid Race to be marred by tragedy. An auto race in 1909 resulted in so many deaths before the racers reached Bordeaux that the race was called off.

Aviation experts in France now argue that this accident provides proof that the monoplane has seen its best days. One of these experts, Laffrete, believes that the biplane offers more stability and better control than the monoplane in the crash.

The accident has put a damper on plans for the upcoming state visit by King Peter of Servia, who is expected to arrive today. Decorations at the War Ministry, where the King will be staying, have been removed as Berteaux lies in state. Paris is the only European capital to offer the King royal honors thanks to his participation in the French Foreign Legion during the Franco-Prussian War. Festivities in honor of his arrival have been called off.  However, King Peter is likely to delay his French visit and has already offered his condolences to French President Fallieres.

Link: Aeroplane Kills Minister of War, Injures Others [The Washington Herald]

Bangor, Maine Destroyed by Fire

A great travesty struck Bangor, Maine yesterday as a fast-moving fire swept through the Business district and last night swept through a residential district on the town's north side. At least three people have been killed according to this evening's edition of the Washington Times and scores injured by the intense flames that were kicked up by high winds in the region. This morning's Washington Herald counts the dead at two. This latest fiery tragedy comes on the heels of a number of deadly conflagrations experienced this year, including Triangle Waistshirt Factory fire that killed nearly 150, a fire that destroyed the New York State Capitol, and another that destroyed Nationals Park where the Washington Nationals play baseball.

The fire started at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon in a hay shed at the corner of Broad and Union Streets, near the junction of the Panobscot River and Kenduskeag Creek, and was pushed into the rest of the business district, containing a number of government buildings, by high winds. The fire spread north flamed by a southerly breeze, and destroyed a number of prominent buildings, including the Morse-Oliver building where firefighter John Wiltshire was struck by a falling wall. While he recovered and was seen at a third-story window, the floor collapsed. The two identified dead, according to the Washington Times were George Abbott of Brewer, Maine, who was killed by a falling chimney, and firefighter John Scribner who was killed in the Morse-Oliver Building, The public library, several buildings of Bangor High School, the Post Office, the depot of the Maine Central, the Bangor News building, Norumbega Hall, the Fairbanks & Co. plant, and the Windsor Hotel were all destroyed by the fire.

Washington newspapers today estimate the cost of the damages from the fire to be around $10,000,000 and more than 3,000 people are homeless today as a result. A great number of firefighters and state militia were called in overnight to aid the overstretched city services in order to combat the fire and potential looting.

Firefighters attempted to control the blaze by dynamiting a block near Hammond and Central Streets but this failed to contain the fire as the fire also spread more to the south, pushed by winds of its own creation.

The Washington Herald reported that a light rain began to fall overnight, and that helped to contain the fire early this morning, according to the Washington Times.

Link: Three Dead and Millions Lost in Bangor Fire [The Washington Times]
Link: Bangor is Swept by Fire causing $6,000,000 Loss [The Washington Herald]

Yet Another Textile Factory Fire

In Baltimore today, there was yet another fire at a textile factory. Surprise, surprise, the primary employees at the Hopkins Tailoring Company and the surrounding business were women. While the 25 women in the building that was set ablaze did manage to escape without serious harm, several were forced to crawl along a ledge to safety. Unfortunately, the 200-plus women from the surrounding business panicked and fled into the street, where they greatly impeded the work of the firefighters with their sheer numbers. Coming just days after the deadly blaze in New York, this rash of textile fires is greatly imperiling working class women.

Even more disturbing is the public response, however. The article reporting this in the Washington Times seemed much more concerned that the chief of the Fire Department has to go home ill than that 25 women's lives were put in jeopardy. As if the lives of 25 women are completely unimportant when compared to the exertion of a statist dog. This cannot stand! We as a society are responsible for the lives of our workers, be they men or women, and must work to protect them. We must demand serious action be taken, to stop these sorts of accidents and prevent any more lives from being threatened. We must act to remind the Capitalists we are people too and that we won't lay down our lives for their profit.

A failure to respond to this developing string of conflagrations of women's workplaces will just serve to embolden the Capitalists already exploiting these women. They will attempt to get by with the minimum safety features necessary, as money spent on safety doesn't go into their pocket books. Thus, a decisive response is necessary to remind Management they need us, and if we aren't happy, nothing will be made. To that end we must speak out, and organize committees to inform our individual employers of our demands for safer working environments. If we don't, I fear this will just keep on happening, possibly with dire consequences. To that end, talk with your coworkers, comrades, decide what needs done and do it as a cohesive unit. Together we have the power and can prevent this type of tragedy. Together we can build a better tomorrow. Together we can be truly free. No Gods, No Masters!

Girls In Factory Creep On Ledges To Escape Flames [The Washington Times]

Fire Devastates New York State Capitol

In what is becoming a rather sad trend here, it is time to cover yet another devastating fire.  This time, a massive fire occurred yesterday morning at the New York State Capitol in Albany.  The cost of the damages in the fire is thought to exceed $5,000,000.  In comparison, the whole building has a relative cost of $27,000,000.  This does not include the immeasurable cost of the loss of important records, papers, and books consumed by the fire.

The fire began shortly after 2 a.m. yesterday morning on the northwest side of the building in the Assembly library and quickly spread across the capitol's west side, devastating the State Library.  The New York Tribune stated that more than 600,000 volumes were archived in the library that occupied the heavily hit third and fourth floors.  The assembly chamber itself was only lightly affected by flames but smoke and water damage was high.  A large brass and crystal chandelier in the Assembly chamber was destroyed when it crashed to the floor, demolishing many Assemblymen's desks as a result.  The Senate chamber suffered light smoke and water damage.

The state legislature will be meeting in the Albany city hall until the capitol can be repaired to the point that it can be reoccupied.

The fire and water, in addition to damaging a number of offices of New York state officials (like the lieutenant Governor, the State Lunacy Commission, and the State Treasurer), caused significant structural damage.  In particular, the large tower on the building's heavily damaged southwest corner caved in.

Governor John Dix released a statement yesterday on the disaster:

It is an appalling disaster.  I consider the destruction of the state library a national loss.  Fortunately the copies of Abraham Lincoln's emancipation proclamation and General Washington's farewell address were removed not long ago from the library to the safe in Commissioner Draper's office.

Repair work is expected to begin as soon as the Legislature approves making plans and contracts, according to the State Architect Franklin Ware.  Work began on the construction of the capitol in 1867 but the legislature didn't use the building until 1879.  Ultimately, the building cost two and half times the Capitol building in Washington.

The only known victim of the fire is night watchman Samuel Abbott, a Civil War veteran, who is still missing.

Early speculation as to the cause of the fire is centered around "defective insulation of an electric light wire near a book case in the Assembly library", according to Dwight Goewey, a 17 year old proofreader who discovered the fire.

Link: Capitol at Albany Swept By Flames [The New York Tribune]
Link: $5,000,000 Fire Damages New York Capitol [The Bisbee Daily Review]

Murder in New York

Today the District Atorney Whitman firmly assigned blame for the death of 143 women on the State Labor Superintendent John Williams. This comes just months after a lackey for Mr. Williams office okayed the layout of the factory as safe and legal, despite all the obvious dangers that lead to this tragedy.

While Mr. Whitman is on the right track he has not as of yet made the final connection. Yes, Mr Williams is responsible for these deaths. But so are the capitalists for building the factory, so are the statists who allowed such a nation to exist that would let this happen, and so are we all for not opposing the capitalists before now. We are all responsible, some more than others that is true, but nonetheless we all have blood on our hands and we all have the moral duty to help prevent such a tragedy from happening again!

The conditions on the inside were obviously dangerous. Any fool could see that, so why did Mr Williams office approve this building? More than likely a few backs were scratched, a few palms greased, and business as usual took place in New York City. This is capitalism, pure and simple. For a price the rules put in place to keep the workers quiet are circumvented. For a price the capitalists are allowed to do as they will. For a price 143 women are allowed to die. This is capitalism. Take a good long look, comrades. You talk of your freedoms, you talk of your rights. But when push comes to shove they don't mean a thing, because for a few dollars worth of hush money capitalist pigs can murder 143 women.

These women made the ultimate sacrifice for the capitalist pigs. They shouldn't have had to, but they did. So how do we prevent this from happening again? We can change the building regulations, or the labor laws, or even remove the industry entirely, but it will still happen. It will still happen because this is how capitalism works. Anything can be done for the right price, even ignoring the rules. If we truly wish to prevent another tragedy of this magnitude, we must attack the root of the problem. We must attack the capitalists. Only by removing the capitalists who exploit these workers and the statists that allowed them to do so can we make these women's deaths have a meaning. Only by removing capitalism and statism can we prevent the exploitative circumstances from cropping back up. Only by having an anarchist system free of capitalism can we all be free. That is what we must do. Only through this course are we able to assuage our fears about this type of tragedy. Only via this course can we truly be free. Anarchy and Equality, comrades.

Probe of Factory Fire Horror Begun Along Every Line  [The Washington Times]

Terror and Heroism as 142 die in NYC Factory Fire

Horror struck New York City just before closing time yesterday as a fire broke out on the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the Asch Building, home to the Triangle Waist Company.  According to one of its owners, Max Blanck, in a statement to the press this morning, 750 people were employed by the company, two-thirds of them women between the ages of eighteen and thirty.  Of those, 142 were confirmed dead by Coroner Weston at the Charities Department dock on East 26th Street.  Of the 100 or so bodies that had arrived at the morgue by 10pm, 33 remain unidentified.  The Triangle Waist Company produced shirtwaists, a popular type of buttoned down, women's blouse.

The horrific tragedy, the worst fire disaster since the Slocum steamboat burned on the east river on June 15, 1904, began at 4:40pm yesterday afternoon as the factory began to file past the cashiers to pick up their pay.  The fire broke out on the eighth floor of the building and, thanks to the many flammable materials in the factory, quickly spread to the ninth and tenth floors.  Due to a horrible oversight and potentially gross negligence, only one fire escape to an interior courtyard was available to those in the factory and that was made less than adequate by poor design and the fact that the windows to the fire escape were barred.  Many of the workers, most of them Jewish or Italian immigrants, escaped via two elevators.

However, these escapes provided too little relief to the raging inferno that ingulfed the factory.  Many victims died clawing their way to these meager escapes and at least 50 resorted to another means of relief, the windows facing Washington Place.  At least one woman, Bertha Weintrup, survived the fall from a 10th floor window, however the rest were not so lucky.  On-lookers in Washington Place were gripped by the horror of watching woman after woman, many with clothes ripped off during the mad scramble to escape the flames, some even on fire, fall to their deaths.  In one case, a woman who escaped via the elevators was struck and killed by a falling body as she left the burning building.  Some women who tried to flee the flames via the windows managed to climb out on to a ledge at the base of the windows, but ultimately lost their grip or were accidentally pushed by the throng on panic-stricken women behind them.

The lone fire escape in the interior of the building was not much comfort.  Due to poor design, the escapes stairs ended at the buildings second floor.  Worse still was the fact that every window facing the fire escape from the eighth floor down as closed.  The mass of men and women who tried to use the escape forced many to either leap of 25 feet from the base of the escape or use a series of wires at the second floor level to crawl over to one of the open windows to safety.  Unfortunately, only six or seven of the 50 or so people who tried this method of the escape succeeded.  Many fell to the courtyard below where some either drowned in the six feet of water that quick filled the airshaft or impaled themselves on metal spikes that topped a concrete dividing wall.  The crush of humanity on the fire escape forced many to make life or death decision before it could be properly thought out.

Amidst the tragedy and horror of the fire, heroes did rise up.  A group of law students in an adjacent building managed to carry ladders up the School of Law and Commerce of the New York University in Washington Square.  They, along with firemen, used the ladders to bridge the gap between the two buildings, allowing at least 50 women to escape the flames.  Many others lost their lives as well as the crush of people trying to save themselves knocked them off the ladder, landing in the flooded courtyard below.  The effort had to be suspended after flames reached the university building.  More ladders were found in the building and these allowed women on the roof of the Asch Building to be rescued.  In another case of heroism, a man only identified as Gregory took control of an elevator abandoned on the ground floor by its operator and made at least ten trips to the tenth floor, carry 30 women on each trip.  Gregory slipped back into the crowd surrounding the building before he could be interviewed by the press. In another case, a patrolman managed to catch a small boy who had lept from an eighth floor window.

While victims continue to be identified in the East 26th Street morgue, authorities are promising a thorough investigation both into the cause of the fire and into why so many people died in the fire or trying to escape it.  While the former has not be speculated on, both Fire Chief Croker and borough president George McAneny stated that the lack of proper fire escapes and sprinkler systems contributed to the massive loss of life.   Coroner Holtzhauser told the New York Tribune:

I am going to find out who is responsible for this carnage and put the blame where it belongs.  It is awful to think that these poor girls went to work this morning, being carried up the elevators, only to finish their work by being taken from the building dead and mutilated.

Borough President McAneny stated that he would look into whether any complaints had been made about inadequate fire escapes for the building.  "If this structure where a fireproof loft building, as I have been told, fire escapes were not compulsory.  If, however, it was a factory building, then to comply with the law there should have been fire escapes."  Fire Chief Croker was more adamant about fire safety violations inside the building:

This calamity is just what I have been predicting.  There were no outside fire escapes on this building.  I have been advocating and agitating that fire escapes be put on building just such as this.  This large loss of life is due to this neglect.

The building did have one other means of escape, a stairwell in back of the building.  Chief Croker stated that the door to the stairway was closed.  A pile of bodies six feet high was found on the other side.  He believes that if this stairwell had been used by those trying escape the fire, the death toll would not have been nearly as high.

The owners of the company that was destroyed by the fire, the Triangle Waist Co.'s Max Blanck and Issac Harris in a statement issued to the press this morning, stated that they were still missing several relatives due to the fire, like Blanck's brother-in-law Jacob Bernstein and cousin William Selzer and Harris's niece Esther.

Veronica Stirnitzke should provide an opinion piece on the fire tomorrow.

Link: More than 140 Die as Flames Sweep Through Three Stories of Factory Building in Washington Place [The New York Tribune]
Link: Thousands Fight to Claim Fire Victims [The Washington Times]
Link: 150 Perish in Most Sickening Holocaust [The Bisbee Daily Review]
Link: 142 Die when Shirtwaist Factory Burns [The Washington Herald]

National Park, Home of Baseball's Washington Nationals, Destroyed in Fire

The home of the American League's Washington Nationals, National Park, was destroyed in a fire yesterday morning.  The fire started at 11:30 am local, reducing the grand stands and other associated building to debris and ashes and spreading to a nearby lumber yard owned by the Eisinger Bros. company.  The fire comes just three weeks before the Nationals are expected to start their season at home against the Boston Red Sox.  The cost of the damage to the two properties is estimated at $25,000.

A few hours after the disaster, Thomas Noyes, the president of the Washington Nationals, announced that a new, steel structures would be constructed as soon as possible to replace the destroyed, wooden bleachers.  "Without a moment's delay, we formulated a course of action," Noyes told the Washington Herald.  "Speed was imperative, for, with a game for April 12 [opening day against Boston], and with Washington fandom depending upon us, we realized that not a moment was to be lost."

The team has hired a crew to begin work this morning to clear out the debris left by the fire.  A group of structural steel engineers from the Osborn Steel Company of Cleveland, Ohio will begin working on plans today for building new, steel grandstands and bleachers.  Actual construction work should begin within two weeks.  By opening day on April 12, it is hoped that the construction will be far enough along that temporary seats can be put in place to allow spectators to see their Washington Nationals take on the Red Sox.  American League president Ban Johnson is expected in Washington tomorrow to discuss the team's plans to quickly replace the damaged stadium.  When completed, the new stadium should be able to seat 15,000 spectators, twice the capacity of the old, wooden stadium.

While construction is underway, the Nationals, after returning from training camp in Atlanta, will likely play their exhibition games at either Union League Park, Fifteenth and H Streets northeast, or on the White Lot.  Nationals Manager Jimmy McAleer told reporters at Nationals training camp in Atlanta that he would be opposed to playing at Union League Park if the new National Park is not ready by opening day.  Instead, he would support changing the team's home games in April to road games, start the season at Boston.  He then suggested starting home games in June.  We will certainly have to see if the new stadium can be constructed in time.

Link: Steel Stands to be Erected at Ball Park [The Washington Herald]
Link: Grandstands and Bleachers Go in Mysterious Fire at Ball Grounds [The Washington Times]
Link: Big Fire at Baseball Park is Talk of Nationals' Training Camp [The Washington Herald]