The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1900-03-15
4 SAD HOLOCAUST
Fifteen Persons, Many of Whom
Were Children, Burned to
Death in a Tenement.
THIRTEEN BODIES TAKEN FROM RUNS
Fire is Relieved TO Have Been Of In
ccndiGry organ, and an Ar
rest Was Made.

rest Was Made.
Jumping From Upper story Win
dOws-BOdies Pinned Down by
Heavy TiInbers.
Newark, N.J., March 13.-Fifteen PER
sons, majority OF whom were emil
dren, were burned TO death at a ten
ement house at Morris and Four
teenth avenues about o'clock Mon,
day morning. Thirteen bodies have
been recovered from. the ruins within
three hours after the flames had been
eXtinguished. The building was a
thrce-Story frame structure. former
ly used as a church. Tut transformed
into a tenement house with small
rooms, scarcely eight by ten feet in
dimensions, opening into narrow
hallway on both the second and third
floors, making veritabc fire trap.
This is right in the heart Of the
Italian district and the greatest ex-
citement prevailed.
This feeling las been greatly in
( tcnsificd since I o'clock. when il first
became known that the fire was Of
incendiary origin. and within IS III n
uteS' time when This report was f st
circulated, in,r and women. well nah
cralcd by grief, ran tearing around
the streets, looking for the man who
was responsible for the frightful
tragedy and threatening all sorts of
dire vengeance.
Three or four minutes after
O'Clock Monday morning the fire was
discovered, but long before the fire
apparatus reached the scene the in
terror of the burning tenement was
peopled with wild Italians, running
Liiher and thithcr. unable to find
means of escape.
Every room cmpticd its occupants
INTO 90. -n narrow little halls. and
here v- 30 escape Tor the frighten-
ed tenants because Of the jam, and
icy couia not get cut, Tbere were
at least II families in the place. co
scrsons in all. OF whom perhaps 50
oie children. unable to care for
themselves.
Four men jumped from front
window. Several were hurt.
The flames spread with frightful
rapidity, and the wind sent the sparks
threatening all the frame
tcnements in that direction. The
place WAS like a roaring caldron
when the iiremen reached the place.
The ladders were quickly put in po-
,tion and then began the work of
rescue.
One after another the women and
then the men were taken down. while
other firemen devoted their attcn-
ion to drowning out the flames. This
hey succeeded in doing in less than
IN hour, but during that hour
rightful sacrifice had been offered
Nearly every room in the house con-
aimed its victim. Few were really
burned to death. Most Of them were
mothered. The bodies were carried
'ut by the firemen.
I'm different places in the ruins, hui
nan bodies may be seen pinned down
" heavy timbers. The rescuers are
Tearing away the debris in the hope
hat some may yet he rescued alive,
ut there is little chance of any one
ow in the ruins being alive. Two
ictims have been taken to the hos
ital. One of them is severely burn
d. The other was injured by jump
~ from the second story of the
urned tenement.
Vito Credavo is locked up on sus-
icion of having set fire to the build ,
ig. Credavo, with his wife and two s
occupied the rear portion '
f one of the upper stories. He was '
rreSted on statement made by [
irginia Di Prula, who was boarder q
the house. Di Prula told Capt. Ed j
ards that when he was awakened by I
ne smoke he found Credavo and his
lmily fully dressed and ready to il
ave the burning building. When :
redavo was taken TO the station (
ouse he became much excited, but f
snied that. he had set fire to the
aiding or had any knowledge as to
he origin of the fire.