Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-12
Tenement at Newark, N. j., Burns
With Frightful Results.
Was THE WORK OF AN lNCEEDIhRT
The Most of Those Who Perished
Were Children.
SCENES WITNESSED

NEWARK. N. J., March 12-Flfteen per-
sons. majority Of whom were Children,
were burned to death at a tenement house
at Morris and 14th avenues about : o'clock
this morning. Thirteen bodies were recov-
cred from the ruins within three hours after
the flames had been extinguished. Tbs frs
was of incendiary origin.
Partial list OF the dead:
Antonio Parnicino.
Bastiano, his wife
Giuseppe Parnicino, seven years old
Nuzetto Parnicino one year.
Occana Casino.
Angelo Casino, his Wife
Tony Casino, son of above, nine years
Bevinte Casino, four years.
Frank Casino, two and one-half years.
Carrine Casino. daughter, one year old
Mrs. Guetano Palimona.
Giuseppe Barto.
Mrs. Munziato Barto, his wife.
Thersa Barto, daughter, seven years.
Alleged Incendiary Arrested.
Vito Credavo is locked up on suspicion Of
having set fire to the building Credavo;
with his wife and two children occupied
the rear portion of one of the upper stories.
He was arrested on a statement made by
Virginia Di Prula, who was a boarder in
Iie house. III fFula TOLD captain Edwards
llat When he was awakened by the smoke
he found Credavo and his family fully
dressed and ready to leave the burning
building.
When Credavo was taken to the station
mouse he became much excited and when
ne was asked questions he pretended that
he could not speak English. Through am
Interpreter he denied that he had set fire TO
the building or had any knowledge as To the
origin of the fire.
building Formerly a Church
The building was thrce-story fran,a
structure, formerly used as a church hat
transformed into a tenement house with
small rooms. scarcely eight by ten feet in
dimensions, opening into a narrow hallway
Oh both the second and third floors. forming
a veritable fire trap. 1t is right in the
heart of the Italian district
The greatest excitement has prevailed
since O'Clock, when It first became known
mat the fire was of incendiary origin
Within fifteen minutes of the time when This
report was first circulated men and women.
well-righ crazed by grief ran tearing
around the streets looking for the man who
and threatening all sorts of dire vengeance
The fire was discovered about = O'Clock
thls morning. Smoke was seen pouring ONT
OF one OF the second story front rooms
Some one on the streets saw this evidence
OF fire and hurried to an alarm box R,,t
long before the fire apparatus reached tho
scene the interior of the burning tenemen,
was peopied with wild Italians, running
hither and thither, unable to find means
of escape.
damned I'm the HaIIvnys
Every room em3tied its occupants into
those narrow little halls, and there WAS ma
escape for the frightened tenants because
of the jam and they could not get out.
There were at least twelve families in ,ba
place, sixty persons In all, of whom Der-
hdps fifty Were children, unable To care
Tor themselves. especially in time of such
great excitement.
Four men ran to a front window ,T,bera
they jumped to the street. Several were
hurt. and after crawling to places of lem
porary safety, they waited patiently until
pitals. ~ -
The flames spread from room to room and
from floor to floor with frightfal ranidItI
~ ana the Keen March wind blowing sent the
sparks to the southeast and Threatened an
the frame tenements in that direction The
place was like a roaring caldron when The,
hremen reached the building. The ladders
were quickly put in position and then he
gan the work of rescue
one after another the women and then
the men We're taken down, while other fire
men devoted their attention to drowning
OUT the flames This they succeeded in do .
ing in less than an hour, but during that
hour frightful sacrifice had been offered 9
Nearly every room in the house contained
death. Most of them were smothered to
death. The bodies were carried out by the
tiremen.
Pinned Down in the Rufns
In different places in the ruins human
bodies may be seen pinned down by heavy
timbers. The rescuers are clearing away
the debris in the hope that some may vet
be rescued alive, but there is little chance
of any one now in the ruins being alive
Two victims have been taken to the hos
pital. One of them is severely burned The
other was injured by jumping from the sec
ond story of the burned tenement.
Eugene Castillo, husband of one of the
dead women, jumped from third-story
window. and was seriously injured
An unknown man who jumped out Of an
upper story window died in hospital Sal
vatori Baldi. husband of one of the dead
women, managed to escape with a child in
his arms He lost trace of his wife i'm the
smoke and flame and staggered down the
stairs with the child in his arms. and on
reaching the ground floor fell nearly suf-
focate The child was nearly overcome
by the smoke
NEW Work. GIG EDS STnrxE