New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-11
A HUNDRED LIVES IN PERIL
FrENDlSH ATTEMPT TO BLOW UP A HOUSE.
FIVE POUNDS OF POWDER UNDER TWENTY
SLEEPING FAMILIES - THE FIRE DIscov.

FIVE POUNDS OF POWDER UNDER TWENTY
SLEEPING FAMILIES = THE FIRE DIsCoV.
Erred JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME.
dastardly attempt was made between 2 and
o'clock yesterday morning to blow up and destroy
the hve-story tenement house No. Hester-st
IL was discovered Just in time and many lives
were undoubtedly saved. In the building at the
tme were twenty families of Polish Hebrews, rep
resenting about one hundred persons all soundly
sleeping The first floor of the tenement is divid-
ed into stores, kept by Rosenblatt & Ftamer,
dry-goods and Jacob Leichtmann. restaurant
The stcrekee pers' families lived in the rear Of the
shops. Framer spent Saturday evening away from
home with several friends. and it was about B
a. m. yesterday when he opened the door Of his
store. The place was filed with pungent smoke,
which he thought came from a stove. but while he
was cropping his way toward the stove he saw
bright fame through crack in the door. which
indicated that the fire was in the cellar.
He rushed to the street. crying fire" This
aroused policeman. who ran to an engine-house
In East Broadway, and returned in few moments
with several iremen carrying extinguishers The
firemen broke into the cellar and put the FIRE
out. The smoke had gone through the house and
aroused the tenants They were greatly excited,
and many Of them rushed into the street carrying
children and property. They were soon ouieted by
the police and returned to their rooms without
knowing the danger they had escaped.
The fire had started on the top Of a row Of
woodsheds in the cellar. near the front wall. and
the firemen found lot of thick paper and rags
that had been saturated with kerosene there.
The rags had been partly consumed only and the
kerosene could be plainly detected. In prodding
between the beams, one Of the fremen came across
paper package that had been tightly wedged in
position Under the door OF the dry-goods store 1t
was dislOdged with difficulty. and some of the ma
terial from the package, which escaped, lit up the
cellar with fash when it came in contact with
spark on the woodShed. The hrenen handled
the bundle cautiously and took 1t into the yard
20 examine IT,
In the dim hight from lantern half-burned
fuse was discovered attached 10 the paper bag, and
within the bag was from four 70 i've pounds Of
powder The fuse was q slow one, and IL would
have taken about ten minutes 10 reach the powder,
but II the fire had not been discovered on the top
Of the sheds. IL would haze been exploded before
the fuse had burned out II the powder had been
touched on, there being no windows or open door
IN the cellar, Framers store would certainly have
been wrecked and the fire would have spread so
quickly through the building from the impetus
given by the explosion that comparatively few Of
tho tenants could have got out The powder was
sent 20 Fire Headquarters, and Fire Marshal
Mitchell and Captain Webb. Of the Delancy-st
station, began an investigation at once.
The only clew TO the hends who set fire TO the
building was obtained from Mrs. Harris, the
janitress, and her daughter Yetta, who saw two
men IN the, yard; near the cellar-door, about II
and Mrs Harris heard one OF them say, This is
the place. Mrs Harris asked one Of them what
they were doing, and one O, them said that they
wanted 20 sleep In the hall
10 Is supposed that they set FIRE 70 the place
The police have good description OF them. What
could have lel any one TO destroy the building
cannot be imagined. None Of the tenants arc
insured the insurance companies refusing TO take
risks upon property in this neighborhood