New-York tribune., 1902-02-10
GIRLS DIEM SMOKE TRAP
HEROIC EFFORTS TO .SA We
TWO CHILDREN FAIL,
POLICE SAY THAT FIREMEN DID NOT
MAKE AN EFFORT TO SAVE THE
LITTLE ONES WITH LADDERS

40 little daughters OF Dr. Robert Berlinger
died from suffocation yesterday morning be-
cause of a fire on the top floor OF the doctor S
home No. 131 East Seventy -fourth-st Heroic
efforts on the part of the children's parents.
their nurse. policeman and other persons. TO
save the children resulted in failure Policemen
and others make grave charges against the fire
men II is said that had ladders been raised in
the street and the little ones been taken from
windows no lives would have been lost The
property loss from the fire amounted to only
$500
Or Beringer lives in a three story brownstone
,ous His family consisted Of his wife. a young
son and three daughters, Hattie. eleven years
cId. Elsie six, and Jennie. eight It was Jennie
and Elsie 1ho were suffocated. The three little
girls slept in bedroom on the top floor facing
,he street Next TO their room was a storeroom
and adjoining that a playroom. Because the
children had been good their nurse Johanna
Tjpprnan agreed TO carry their breakfast TO
their room While DR.. and Mrs. Bernger were
st breakfast Miss Lippman placed the chill
dren's meal on tray and started upstairs She
met the butler, Herman Koehler rushing down
stairs
7 smell smoke on the top floor he shouted.
And think it is coming from the storeroom."
Miss Iippman dropped the tray with a scream
and dashed upstairs. shouting The childrent'
She met Hattie the eldest girl running down.
By the time Miss Lippman had reached the top
floor fame and smoke were pouring from the
storeroom in such volume that she could not
get 10 the cbil5ren-s room. She tried. but was so
burned on the face and hands that she faltered
and turned back. DR.. and Mrs. Berlinger then
appeared on the top landing and made desperate
but futile attempts to reach their children.
In the mean time Koehler had found Police
aSloe he
house after rapping the sidewalk with his
stick for assistance. Young entered the house
with Sigmund Levy. who lives opposite the Ber-
fingers at No 12S. When they reached the top
floor it was an mpossblity to reach the two
children. Policeman Maher sent in alarm.
He declares that he timed the arrival OF the fire
companies and that they were FIVE minutes in
getting to the fire. The police ard Sigmund
Levy say that no effort was made by the fire
men to rescue the children. but that they de-
voted themselves to the flames. The blaze was
confined TO the store room. When the children's
room was entered they were found dead on the
Aoor They were near the door and had ap-
parently tried TO escape.
Hattie said that as soon she saw the smoke
and fame burst from the store room she seized
her little sisters ~ their hands and tried to
drsg them toward the stairs. They broke away
from her twice and then she ran for help.
Captain Frank Hennessey. Of Engine Com
pany No. A. which the first company TO
reach DR.. Berlingers house, said that his en-
sine made good time the fire. getting there
about a minute and hall after the alarm was
sounded He added:
When we entered the house were told that
there were two children on the top Moor: Ihs fre
ras beIching from the where the fire started.
With no ladder. did the only thing possible
5rsg line OF hose upstairs and fight the hre In
minutes had II reduced. ana we were able
get TO the room where the young ones were
Before that. access was cut of absolutely. When
did get them they were dead. think some
tine must have elapsed between the time the hre
was discovered and the time the alarm was sent In
Then. instead Of going the box at Lexington
ave md third-st TO send the alarm, who
ever did II went TO Park-ave and Seventy-fifth-st
Hook and Ladder Company No. IS arrived a
couple OF minutes after We did. Then We had the
1Inde control