The sun., 1900-03-13
MANYWERE BURNED lODEAIH
Panic Stricken Italians Caught
in a Death Trap in City
of Newark.
ALLEGED FIREBUG SEIZED
Doomed Building Was a Frame Ten
ement, and Flames Quickly Cut
Off the Escape of the Fright
eued Tenants---Children
Were Victims.

Newark, N. j., March 12.-At least 16
persons, a majority of whom were emil
dren, were burned to death in tenement
house at Morris and Fourteenth avenues.
The building was three story frame
structure formerly used as church, but
transformed into a tenement house with
small rooms, scarcely 8 by III feet III d.
mensions, opening into narrow halfway
on both the second and third floors, form
ing veritable fire trap.
! This was right in the heart of the ltal-
ian district, and the greatest excitement |
prevailed. This feeling was greatly in |
tensiied when it first became known |
that the fire was of incendiary origin, |
and within 15 minutes of the time when
this report was first circulated men ana
women, well nigh crazed by grief, ran
tearing around the streets looking Tor the
man who was responsible for the fright
full tragedy and threatening all sorts OF
dire vengeance.
Smoke was seen pouring out of one Of
the second story front rooms. Some one
on the streets saw this evidence of ilre
and hurried to an alarm box.
But long before the fire apparatus
reached the scene the interior OF the
burning tenement was peopled with wild
Italians, running hither and thither, un-
A able to find means of escape.
Every room emptied its occupants into
] those narrow little halls, and there was
b no escape for the frightened tenants be-
+ cause of the jam, and they could not get
1 out. -,
There were at least ~ families in the
place, 60 persons in all, of whom perhaps
! 10 were children, unable to care for
~ themselves, especially in time of such
~ great excitement.
a -Four men ran to frGnt WINDOW.
!, There they jumped to the street. Several
4 were hurt, and, after crawling to places
II of temporary safety, they waited patient
4 ly until help came and then were sent to
N the hospitals.
The flames spread from room to room
and from floor to floor with frightfu
:. rapidity and the keen March wind blow'
OF ing sent the sparks to the southeast ano
10 threatened all the frame tenements IL
y that direction.
y, The place was like a roaring caldror
IN when the firemen reached it. Th'
te ladders were quickly put in position ant
s' then began the work of rescue.
re- The Work of Rescue.
- One after another thr women and thel
VII the men were taken down, while othe
- :; trern IN devoted thcir attention to drown
.,esi ing ont the tlameS This they succeede
"a, in doing in less than an hour, but durin
s that hour frigitful sacrifice had bee
offered
Nearly every room in the house COZ
taincd its victim. Few were really burr
ia, ed TO death. Most of them We're smotl
IN cred to death. The bodies were carrie
~ out by the iircmcn.
me Eugene Castillo, husband of one Of Il
VII dead women, jumped from third stol
eet window and was seriously injured. II
ne was taken to the city hospital. An III
Dhe known man who jumped out of fonri
ley story window died in the city hospita
lna Saldaturi Baldi, husband of one OF 4
nee dead women. managed to escape with {;
on infant in his arms. lie lost track Of j
IL wife in the smoke and flames and sta
OF gercd down thc stairs with the child
his arms, and. on reaching the groui
floor, fell nearly sun'ocatcd. The chi
was entirely oscrcone by the smoke.
Vito Crclavo is locked up in a poll
station on suspicion Of having Set fire
,,, the building He was arrested ON
statement m;Flc by Virginia hi Pluru.
is said that hi Pura had been heard
remark that if reward WAS offered
could tell who set fire to the buildil
oi This caused him to be taken into custn
ien- as a witness. He then was closely qut
PiN toned and made the statement VIM
was directs strong suspicion on Crcdavo.
was pL,,, ,,l,o Ln,ri,d ,vi+b Crodovo 9.
M. that when he was awakened by I
q 10 smoke he found Credavo and his fam
al fully dressed and ready to leave the bul
ing building.
ap- AS far as the police have been able
learn, the fire broke out in the upper y;
h' of the house, in the apartments occupi
by Credayo When Credavo was tax
ohu, to the Fourth precinct station house,
MEL became excited. Through an interpre
, he denied that he had set fire to
. ~ y building or had any knowledge as to
I. .. origin of the fire. The tenement was
old structure, and the police say th
map once the flames got under way,
building burned like a tinder box, q
'mas those who lost their lives We're caui
-, like rats in trap. They were first SUI
-Eu Gated and then overtaken by the flames
and -