New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-20
THE TENEMENT FIRE.

The tenement fire in Seventh-ave offers
remarkable instance of the vigilance and en-
ergy of the city's skilled forces of protectors
and at the same time of unavaihng efforts
10 prevent loss of life The flames were first
seen by two policemen short distance up the
street. They acted with prOmptnesS and self
possession. Breaking open the door OF the
burning tenement they ascertained instantly
that the inmates could not escape by the hall
WAYS and staircases, where the flames were al
ready mounting to the roof. They battered
down the door of the adjoining house, burst
into the rooms in front and in rear, and climb
ing out on the fire escapes smashed the win
dows of the burning building and warned the
inmates to escape by the ladders. As they
passed rapidly from floor to floor the alarm was
given with the least possible delay. A cook
from the basement had preceded them by
mounting the stairs and knocking at the doors.
At the same time engines arrived few min
utes after the first signal, and at the end OF
quarter of an hour streams were directed upon
the roof Of the tenement from every house IN
the block, and ambulanceS were on the ground
from the hospitals. The firemen worked so
theoretically that the flames were confined 10
the halls, and very little damage was done to
the rooms opening into them. There was good
management and firemen and police were
handled with dexteity and promptness. No
mistakes we're made and not a moment was
lost yet nine persons were smothered TO death
by the smoke and flames in spite OF the warn
ings Of the police and the rapid and success
ful work of the firemen in eXtingushlng tAe
fire.
The tenement-house moreover, was net ono
of the mmShackle frame structures tenanted
by the poorest of the poor and narrowly escap-
inc condemnation by the Bureau of Build
ings. 1t was one Of well-built block of
brownstone front houses, five stories in height,
in thorough repair and amply provided with
Gre-escapeS and appliances for saving life.
The StaircaScs were not OF hiepro0f material,
and as the house was not built under the new
Tenement House law this was not a require
ment but in every other respect the building
was in admirable condition, the horoscopes
in particular being attached in rear as well az
in front and of a substantial character There
was no reason for condemnng any house in
the block as unsafe On the contrary, all were
tenements of the better class, against which
no complaint could be lodged under existing
laws This renders it all the more remarkable
that so many lives should have been lost with
an alarm quickly sounded and the flames
brought under control with 50 little delay.
The suddenneSS with which the fire broke
out and mounted to the roof the flames light
ing up every hall-wndow almost instantane-
ouSly, naturally created a suspicion Of arson,
and two arrests have been made by the police.
The theory is that the fire was Hndled arti-
ficially in a decentralization and fed with
either fat or kerosene. The circumstances GER
tanly require thorough Investigation, for if
the fire had been of an ordinary nature, Smoul-
derng in fue or rubbish heap, there would
have been ample time for every one in the
house to escape by the stairways. The occur
renee of so fatal fire at 5 o'clock in the morn
ing in so good a tenement-houSe, when timely
warning was given to the inmates of their
danger, seems almost inexplcable on any other
theory than incendiarism.