New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-30
MANY LIVES IN PERIL.
ATTEMPT TO BURN A TENEMENT-HOUSE
RAGS SOAKED IN OIL BOILING FAT, CANS OF
KEROSENE. BLADDERs FILLED WITH BEN:
ZINE AND FUSES UsED-A LUCKY
PREMATURE EXPLOSION.

'@D~~~%''
A dabolical attempt was made yesterday after.
noon to destroy the ive-stOry tenement-house No.
ia Willett-st. by fire. The fire was fortunately
discovered before il had made much headway, OF
it is certain that there would have been loss OK
life The tenement is divided ny partitions into
apartments of different sizes. and some families
live in one and others in three rooms lhir'y
families live there and these make total of l 30
men, women and children chiefly Polish Hebrews
Solomon Warschauer several months ago moved
into the tenement and took three rooms in the
rear of the second floor His family consists OF
his wife and five children Three of the children
work in a cloak factory and the other two stay at
home with their mother. Warschauer is pedler,
and he left home early yesterday morning with his
pack on his back Mrs. Warschauer remained
secluded after her husband left and none of the
neighbors saw her until O'Clock. Then she left
the house with her two children. She carefully
locked the door of her rooms and went away in
hurry.
A short time after this Minnie Bernstein,
young girl who lives the fourth floor, was
passing through the hall to go to the street and
she smoke coming through the cracks around
Warschauers door She knocked al the door and
tried to open it. While she was doing this there
was a loud explosion in the room. Miss Bern
stein was frightened ana Sne ran through oho
house screaming Fire" TIE inmates of the
tenement-house saw the smoke coming through
the building and they ran wildly to the street
crying and screaming They were all panic
stricken and many of the women rushed out with
out their children. They were afraid to 20 back
10 their rooms and their pleadings for help added
TO the excitement
August Springer, who was in the neiqhborhood,
beard the cries of the women and he rushed int
the building. The smoke was pouring from War.
schaucr's rooms and nearly stided him. lie finally
reached tie door and kicked it open. This let
the smoke out that lie could enter. The
kitchen floor was burning in two places on op"
posite sides of the room, and there was also fre
in the two other rooms. Several men came To
Springers assistance and they put ont the fire
before the arrival Of the engines. Evidences OF
arson were visible everywhere, and carefully
laid plan 10 burn the building was frustrated.
The kitchen floor was covered with pieces Of papcr
which had been saturated with kerosene. On
chair in one corner Of the room was half-gallon
can of kerosene. A small hole had been punched
IN the bottom Of the can and the fluid was running
on the floor. On tie stove, which was red-hots
a pot of boiling fat. some Of which
had flowed over on the stove and was dripping
on the floor.
The explosion which had been plainly heard
in the neighborhood. had occurred in the kitchen.
\ bladder Of bcnLine had leen placed near the
ire II, one corner Of the room, and when the
heat reached ii the fluid was scattered every
where part of the bladder was found with
a string attached 70 it. In the adjoining room,
which had been used for sleeping PURPOSES, was
a iurGe bladder "enSine. SUSPENDED rom -
bracket II hung few inches above a tanle
which was covered with paper. saturated WIN
kerosene In the front room there was another
large bag of benzne, in which there was PIN
hole and the iniammable fluid was dropping
! npon Pile of paper on the hoor. Long sulps
! Of fine netting had been twisted together. ana
these had been soaked in kerosene and placed Oh
the floor so as 70 act rs fuse ana spread the
fire from one place 70 another. Several strlps
ran TO the bladders of kerosene.
The explosion of the benzine IN thc
kitchen was evidently premature. as the
arrangement Of the fuse and benzne indicated
that il was expected that they would all 20 or
about the same time.
The case was reported 10 the Union Market
Station and Detective Mccormack was sent to
investigate it, While he was in the room sur:
rounded by all the evidences Of incendlarlsm MIS-!
Warschauer came in with her two children She
pretended to he greatly surprised at finding that
a fire had occurred during her absence and
said that she did not know anything
about il She was locked mp at the Union Market
Station. Her husband had not appeared at his
home at late hour last evening.