The Savannah morning news., 1904-09-05
FOURTEEN DIE IN
A new YORK FIRE
NEARLY A SCORE INJURED
FIRE WAS IN AN EAST SIDE TENE-
MENT BUILDING,

Twelve Families Occupied the
HOuse-Ihe Loss of Life Would
Not Have Been So Great Had Re-
pairs Not Been In PrOEress-Es-
Effected by the Firemen, Several
of Whom Were Injured.
New York, Sept. fourteen persons
were killed and nearly a score injured
in fire in a five-story double tene-
ment in Attorney street at an early
hour this morning.
1t was one of the worst fires in the
loss of human lives that has occurred
on the East Side in several years, al
though the properly loss was slight
The dead include four women, one man
and nine children. ranging in age from
months to II years.
Many Of the injured were taken to
hospitals, and it rs thought that several
will die. Among the injured were Ave
firemen, who were on a fourth floor
balcony when it fell with them.
The small number of men among the
killed and injured was due to the fact
that most of the men who lived in
the building, following the Attorney
street custom in hot weather, were
asleep on the roof. while few women
and children were there. Those on the
roof were unable to escape by descend
ing through the burning building. but
made their way to safety over neigh
hOriraey
of their families who had remained In
their rooms found escape @cut off and
panic relgned throughout the struc-
ture.
Were Jumping when Firemen Ar
rived.
The fire started about 3 o'clock in
the morning, and there was considera-
BILE delay in sending in an alarm. al
though the district is one of the most
thickly populated in the crowded East
Side of New York. When the firemen
reached the scene some of the tenants
were jumping from the windows and
from the ends of fire escapes that
reached only to the second floor. 9th
ers were crushing in the smaller rooms
and narrow halls. Several ambuIances
were called and the surgeons were
kept busy caring for the injured.
number of daring rescues were
made by firemen and police and the
conditions under which they worked
were unusual and difficult. The loss
of life was due chiefly to the fact that
alterations were being made in the
tenement building. The basement and
the first floor, the latter about six feet
above the sidewalk level, had both been
cut through, the front and rear walls
having been removed, and the upper
floors being supported by steel beams.
The exit from the upper floors was by
way of small step ladder.
Twelve families lived In the house
and ii is said that the tearing awav Of
the lower part was done so quickly that
certain of the tenants who wished To
move from the building were unable
to get their furniture out and were
thus compelled to remain.
The work of alteration has necessi-
tated the partial removal Of the fire
escapes, and when the fire began the
panic stricken tenants found fire es-
capes that led to the second floor and
no further.
Rescues by Firemen.
The work of the firemen was greatly
hindered, but over twenty persons
We're rescued by them from the fourth
and fifth floors. Many persons re-
ceived injuries by jumping to the side
walk and to the stone-paved court
from the ends of the cutoff fire es-
caoes.
The fire is supposed to have been
caused by the explosion OF a lamp
that had been left to light the hall
on the second floor, and the sleeping
tenants were not aroused until the
hallway was ablaze and escape
through the building cut off.
The fire was soon put out and the
search for the dead began. Police re-
serves had been called out and with
difficulty kept back the crowd that
had gathered from the densely popu-
lated neighborhood while the bodies
were being brought down to the
street
Most Of the dead were found on the
two upper floors.
While the search of the building was
going on four firemen were at work
on a fourth floor balcony when A
gave way. Another on the balcony OF
the floor below was carried down and
was probably fatally injured. The
four others were badly hurt, but will
recover. Two of them fell upon a pile
Of bedding in the court yard and their
injuries were caused chiefly by the
iron work of the balcony falling upon
them.
Leon Sober. owner of the building:
Norris Levine, the agent, and Henry
Breitman, the superintendent, were ar
rested Tonight and charged with GRIM
inal negligence.