The sun., 1900-10-18
EIGHT DIED IN EAST SIDE FIRE
Trapped in a House which Burned like q Pile
of Fireworks.

Eight persons were burned 10 death W hen tho
riCkety three-story and attic frame house at as
Hester street bla2ed up like piece Of fireworks
OF 1870 o'clock Yesterday morning. One more.
an old woman named Dora Sopcr who peddes
candles in the ncghborhood, IS still missing.
Two more women, Mary Martin and Mary
Murphy, are I'm the hospital. burned about the
body as they escaped Gown rear stairway.
The flames enveloped the building with such
fearful rapidity that one woman was caught
by them and burned to death as she hung help
less over the iron rung of tho fire escape ladder.
She was Mrs. IIorowicz, who boarded
with the Fass family almost wiped
OUT on the third floor. She got out on TO
the iron fire escape at the front Of the house.
but this so-callcd fire escape stopped at the
second story and had no ladder 10 be let down
n, the law requires. While Mrs Horowicz
was climbing slowly and painfully down,
great wave OF flame swlrled up about her and
she sank helpless between the rungs OF the
ladder Hanging there, 50 surrounded by
! flame that the ilremen could not get anywhere
near her, she was crcmated before their eyes.
How the others died no one knows. II was
| fully half an hour after the firemen arrived
before they could enter the building, and by
that time the bodies Of those who had slept
| there and who could not get out were Charred
and the fire trap Itself was merely blackened
The ground floor Of the building was divided
| into four rooms of which three were used as
| Shops In the fourth room, which was in the
| rear lived Iipman Godstein and his wife Rocky
| They escaped The second floor was divided
| hy longitudinal partition into two apartments.
| inhabited 10y nine persous-AleC GTecnherg. a
| Cohher his wife and five children: the JanitOr
| Nathan Gat2 and young Eirl These escaped
| too Above, on the third floor, lived tho Fass
! family, father. mother. mothcr-in-aw, the
| hoar,!or Mrs Horowicl and four children
Only Tho rtthor and one child four-year-old Pau
| linz. whom ho throw dpHn 10 4 policeman.
| escaped Fa-- himself Jumped he three stories
| and landed uuhurt. In the attic lived photog-
| rapher and hi~ -on, both ot whom were burned
| 10 drGth. the two women who escaped badly
| scorchCd and Cuban CicHrinaker named
| Frank Claus and his vile. The latter escaped
| unhUrt.
| Thcr" is n strong susriciOn that the fire wns
! due 10 n ~ iuCrndiqry. \ man who was early at
! tho house says hc noticed a strong odor II
icros"Ic. Mr.. Gree D"rg. who was first
- awake and dl cover the IRE. saw what look ed
| TO bs a Pile Of burning strn In the hallway.
| II was close To Jaui;Or tItZs door. Then
| came the scramble for life. in which hGn %
| tho tenants were cnvelored nv the flames before
| they could reach an exit. The dead arc Mrs
sarah Fdss Samuel Fass, ~ years old Lena
| Fass. years old Morris tass. years old.
Mrs. Rosa Iewi- mother Of Mrs. FRss, Mrs
| Horowicz, boarder with the Fass family. Mende
| Straus. photographer Samuel Straus. his
| son, % wears old.
The owner of the building was =. G. Acker-
man OF 37l West Eighty-second street.