The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-22
THE DISASTER In PATERSON
Sixteen Bodies Already Recovered
From the Ruins.

Nine Victims Taken to the Hospitals
An Official Investigation of the
Fire and Explosion to Ee Made.
Unidentified Human Head Found.
PATTERSON. June 22-As a result Of
yesterdays explosion and fire in the store
of \. NJ Rittenberg. $50 Main Street, six
teen persons are known to have been kill
ed Nine are in the hospitals. suffering
from injuries. Six more bodies were Ia
ken out of the ruins today Following is
the list Of the known dead:
Charles A Williams, painter, aged 20
years.
Sarah L Williams, wife of Charles, aged
65 years
Harold Rittenberg, aged II months.
Annie Rittenberg, aged years
Mrs Lucinda Adamson, aged 81 years
Mrs. Isaiah B. Bamber, aged % years.
Mrs. Patrick Burns, aged Is years
Clarence Burns, aged months.
William Elsesser, aged months
Annie Lannigan, aged is years
:
Mrs. Andrew Elvin, aged IS years.
Joseph EIvin, aged weeks.
Mrs. Simon, mother of Mrs. Rittenberg,
aged 20 years.
/. schulman, of New York. aged 70
years
The following injured persons have been
removed to the hospitals:
Edward Jessup, leg broken and burned
about the body.
Mrs. Edward Jessup. burned On arms,
hands, and face.
Edward sIingIand, fireman, confusion Of
back
Isaiah B. Bamber, scalp and face
wounds.
John Arfus. scalp and face wounds
George soder, leg broken and body
bruised.
Nicholas Hnlman, bruised about the
body
Rose Conway, confusion of the body.
John Phalon, scalp and face wounds
Great crowds continue to flock about the
ruins Of the burning building- and the
dead taken out were in every case roasted
2
wagons were kept On the run all night,
and the city street department, unGer
the glare OF four big electric lights, kept
hard at work while heartbroken mem
hers Of the families whose fathers or
mothers were in the ruins kept close to
the men until their lost ones were found
Mrs. Isaiah Bamber was found with her
three-weeks' old baby clasped in her
arms. \ few minutes after the fire and
explosion she was seen standing by the
front window over the store. School boys
had climbed upon the iron rails Of the
awning and shouted for her 70 come out
on the sill over the burning store Had
she done so. she could have been saved
with the others but at that time her
hair was in a blaze, and she seemed 70
be distracted, and, instead Of taking the
advice of the boys. went back into the
flames, and was not seen alive again.
In the case OF EIr- and Mrs Jessup,
who are in the hospital and viii recover
there never was more genuine instance Of
heroism on the part OF the husband. lie
and his wife We're saved by jumping from
a third-story window into q fire net.
When they appeared at their window. the
flames were bursting from behind them
and the woman was almost a mass Of
fire, her hair burning Ike torch Her
husband pulled her close to his side, eS-
tinguished the flames in her h&ir and
while the flesh was sizzling On his right
arm that held on TO the window, ne drop
ped his wife IN the net with his left hand.
In falling. Mrs Jessup struck an ron
awning rail which bent with her weight
and then, when the husband jumped, ne
struck his wife on the shoulder. dislocat-
ing il Mr. Jessup's leg was broken Both
will recover
The force Of the explosion was SO great
that the three-story building was com
pIeteIy wrecked The front wall was
blown clear across the street. The noise
Of the explosion could be heard all over
the city and persons in adjacent houses
were thrown down by the shock. Win
dows in houses Il block away were blown
in There were two explosions, the heav-
lest one first. Immediately fire started in
three parts Of the wreck at once.
The bodies taken out this morning were
those Of Mrs Ferterman, Annie Lanni-
gan, Mrs. Andrew EIvin ana her baby
jose sh, l. SchUIman, and Mrs Simon.
Or. Mcbride, the county physician, said
this morning that the explosion would be
investigated and ne had ordered an IN
quest, but as yet no date had been set
Nearly all Of the undertakers in the city
were out today, arranging TO bury
the dead. As the bodies are so terribly
burned it has been deemed wise TO get
them under ground as quickly as possible
a human head picked up in the ruins last
night has not yet been identified All
the morning great crowds stood about the
morgue looking after the dead.
The bodies Of Mrs Simon and Schul-
man were found at u:45. a quantity Of
dynamite torpedoes were found in the Gel
lar Of the wrecked store.
GENERAL BUTTERFIELD Ill.