The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-04-01


Maria Bruno. IS years old.
Salie Bruno, years old
Johanna Bruno, l6 months old.
Lena Calabria, Is months old.
Nicholas Tralia, 80 years old.
Lena Tra.ia "a years old.
Dominick Tralia, years old.
Tralia, infant, eight days old.
Marietta Carrefo, 20 years old.
The building was a four-story brick at
No. Sc Union street At present the
police have reached no definite conclu-
sion as to the cause and origin of the
fire.
The fire was discovered by a passer-by
in the, street shortly after four O'Clock
this morning. At that time it was burn
ing brightly in the hallway on the ground
floor.
The stairway for the three upper floors
came down into this hallway, and there
was little, if any chance Of escape for
those above.
Joseph Esponto. grocer and dealer in
floor He and his family managed to
escape.
BY the time the fire department appar-
atus arrived the building was fairly in
flames. Some of the persons asleep
above managed to escape by means of
the windows and fire escapes. but the
firemen could do nothing for those who
had not been aroused before, the sitting
smoke overcome them.
The fire was checked finally after it
had about burned out the building. The
loss will not be more than $1,000.
The flames had been raging an hour
before the firemen could enter the build
ing. They then made search for the
bodies which they knew were There.
Calabria had escaped to the street, and
Buone's family.
j He walked about tearing hts hair and
begging them to save his wife Lena.
When the firemen got in the building
they found the Traglias dead, some or
the floor and some in the bed. Buone
and his family were found dead huddled
together at the window, where Calabria
had left them. The bodies were left
there until nine O'Clock this morning,
when they, with the Fraglias were car
ried down to Esposito's apartments, and
there laid upon the hoor Of one Of the
rooms. Soon after that the bodies were
placed in coffins. and carried to near
by undertaking establishment.
Calabria was about the scene of the
fire today He told a thrilling story of
his escape. He slept in the front room.
His pareDts-in-law and their children
slept in the rear. Calabria was awaken
ed at about $50 o'clock by the odor of
smoke. He sprang out of bed, and just
at that moment the room began to fill
with smokes Without waiting to arouse
his wife, he lifted her in his arms and
NsFirer Buone and his wife carried their
children to the rear room. There they
started to climb down by the fire.
= escape, but their hands were so badly
FL .r.1 80 r.fT1
through the window. Calabria was hold
ing his wife in his arms.
She gasped once or twice and then died.
Calabria then saw that the other mem
bers Of the family were dead on the
floor. He dropped his wife's body ana
standing upon the, window sill tried tc
catch hold of the edge of the roof. He
had to jump upward to reach the cornice
His grip was very slight and Tor fye
minutes, he says, he hung by one finger
four stories in the air. and was then
hauled up by fireman.
The fire was discovered in the hallway
Aby John Hoist, a driver who was across
the street in baTnyard.
The fire started just back of this door
at the foot of the stairway The stairs,
very old and of wood, burned like paper.
The flames shot instantly up to the
roof. 1T made very hot fire and rem
dered escape impossible.
There was only an excuse for fire
escape in the house. That consisted of
an iron ladder in the rear. 1t extended
Just alongside the rear windows of the
hall The flames that reached out of
these windows heated 1t red hot before
the tenants knew they were in danger
ne m works r sSs for erocerv @ ar Arm His lis at at.
4enItion was first sttraeted bv Espisisfo
,;,, =, 1,s :;
ms hahus ana cryNng L.e nse: H9isa ran
over TO lne mouse ana lrleo 70 get up
stairs. he Ionnd lne uoor leaoing INTO
the hall locked. He broke it in but
could go no further than the entrance.
The hall was already a furnace.
Esposito says that before he was
awakened bv the heat and smoke his
doors were Already afire and nes rlv- ready
IN fan from .fl7eir HINGES The tenants
IN tha third f,oo, vars iilrauyiso "
enad I bv ni the hea4 If the fsamas IN 5na #
sa5 ,;rd s,a Sl,ss s'' &, tt,a d,s.s enas
tiat led ioto 4f,e Ss1f and uara 1osa 49,,
then reaching q for their beds. The ten
Callavua families, found themselves in
even worse predicamenf when they
were ere asraas awane1eo 1eot .,ot ~ root 49,
driven directly into their Apartments. They
were in veritabls furnace; The tenants
on tne iltter two uools, nnu3ls gu nope OF