Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-07
WIRES In THE WAY.
Firemen Unable to Raise Their Lad
ders at the Dickson Disaster.
NO ESCAPES ON THE BUILDINGS,
Determining the Responsibility for Neglect
to Obey an order.
TESTIMONY TAKEN BY THE CORONER

son Building, Penn avenue, was COLL
menced by Coroner Mcdowell yesterday.
Three important points were brought out
by the testimony so far taken. First, that
the overhead electric light and telegraph
wires prevented the iremen from raising
their ladders in time to save the lives of Mr..
and Mrs. Irwin; second, that when the fire
started it cut off from the inmates the only
stairway in the building, there being no
fre-escapes, and third, that Mr.. John s.
Dickson, the reputed of the structure,
who was notified to erect fre-esCapes, was
not the actual owner of the building, the
title being vested in his wife and daughter.
Mr.. Dickson was the fist witness, and
said: "Mrs. Irwin was employed by my
wife as janitress of the building. She and
her husband occupied three rooms on the
fourth floor in the rear part of the building;
there were II rooms in No. Dol, not includ-
ing four bath and two storerooms; my wife
made out all leases. No. e01 belonged to
my wife and 903 is owned by my daughter.
PAID RENT TO HIS WIFE.
"Dr. Gentry and myself are only tenants;
we pay 81, 900 per year fer Office room. There
was ladder leading from the rooms occu-
pied by the Irwins to roof below; don't
know Of any regular form of fire escapes;
the building was heated by stoves and
CRATES; there has been no fire in the furnace
in the cellar for over two years"
Mrs. Sarah Dickson produced copies OF
leases held bv Joseph Kimmel and Miss
Annie Riley, Mrs. Burns and others. These
contracts were made between the parties
named, parties of the second part, and John
s. Dickson and wife, parties of the first
part.
Mrs. Dickson said: "There is back stair
wsy leading to an alley in the rear; don't
know of any fixtures, ropes or stairways
designated as fire escapes being attached to
the building. Mrs. Irwin received "a per
week and her rooms free of rent for acting
as janitress."
John Steele, Assistant Chief of the Fire
Department, detailed the manner in which
the fire was fought Chiet Evans, who was
injured in the fire on Liberty street, was un-
able to be present at the inquest.
WIRES CUT OFF ALL ESCAPE.
Assistant Chief Steele said he was on the
ground eight minutes after the alarm had
been received and found truck A there and
its ladders up on the Penn street side of the
building. He ran up the ladder as soon as
he could, and found Mrs. Irwin lying on
the fourth floor, covered with plaster. She
had been suffocated. She was dead, he
thought. when he first saw her. The fire
had originated in the lower part of the
building, and the flames and smoke COM
pletely cut off any way of escape to all per-
sons on the upper floors There seemed to
be only the one stairway for the people Of
both buildings.
Fire Marshal McFadden-Did you put up
an extension ladder into the building?
Assistant Chief Steele-No, but we had
another ladder up on Penn avenue at the
front Of the building that reached. We had
the truck from the Southside, but it was not
of much use. We tried to run it up on the
Ninth street side OF the building, but couid
not get it against the building for the tele-
graph wires.
Fire Marshal McFadden-Then you could
not rest it against the building?
Assistant Chief Steele-No; we rested it
against the wires and threw a stream of
water from the top OF it into the building.
AN OFFICIAL NOTICE SENT OUT.
Building Inspector Hoffman has been in
Office since July, 1889, but had never in :
spected the building. There was no fire.
escape on the building. Building Inspector
Browns testimony was similar.
Edward D'Lassus Secretary of the Board
of Fire Escapes producing the record of the
Office stated that a notice had been sent to
the owner or owners of the building in Oc-
tober, 1885, to erect a fire escape upon it.
He could not give the exact date in October.
He stated how the notices were sent out to
owners of buildings and how certificates
were issued. The majority of the notices
were sent ont by request of the building in
snector or assistants. After fire escape had
been erected it was examined, and if ap-
nroved a certificate was issued tn the owner
ot The buildino.
Miss Annie Riley. who lived on the Sec
ond fIoor of e03 Penn avenue. said the an
trance for eO3 was also the one used for the
bnilding 9O1.
M. Fl g. Campbell stated that there had
been an entrance to the Dickson building
from Ninth street. but that it had been
closed when the corner building and one
next it had been thrown into one, and when
a Store room was made ON Ninth street back
of the drng store.
Coroner McDovell-Do vou think all the
people in the Dickson building could have
oot ont had there been a fire escane2
Mr. CamnbeIl-T am satisfied of IL
-
COULD NOT GET A LADDER RAISED.
Mr.. Campbell then related his rescue of
Willie Irwin, and said: "Before 1 ran
across the street to my house with the boy, 1