The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-09-06
IN A DEATH TRAP.
Fourteen New Workers Lost
Their Lives.
TENEMENT WAS BURNED.
Four Women, One Man and
Nine Children Perished.
TWENTY PEOPLE INJURED.
Among Those Injured Were Five Fire.
men Who Were on a Fourth Floor
Balcony When u Fell with Them
Into the Street.


Balcony When II Fell with Them
Into the Street.
New York, Sept. 5.-Fourteen per-
sons were killed and nearly a score in
jured in a fire in a five-story double
tenement at an early hour Sunday
morning. II was one OF the worst fires
in the loss of human lives that has
occurred on the East Side in several
years. although the property loss was
slight
The dead include four women, one
man and nine children, ranging in age
from 3 months to IL years.
Many of the injured were taken to
hospitals and II is thought that sew
eral Of these will die. Among the in
jured were five firemen who were on
fourth floor balcony when 1t 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 on
the roof. while but few of the women
and children were there. Those on
the roof were unable to escape by de-
scending through the burning build
ing and made their way to safety over
neighboring roofs. Meanwhile the
members of their families who had
remained in their rooms found escape
cut of and panic reigned throughout
the structure.
The fire started about 3 o'clock in
the morning and there was consider
able delay in sending in an alarm, al
though the district is one of the most
thickly populated In the crowded East
Side.
When the firemen reached the
scene some of the tenants were jump.
ing from the windows and from the
ends of the fire escapes that reached
only to the second floor; others were
crouching in the smoke in the small
rooms and narrow halls. Several am
balances were called and the surgeons
were kept busy caring for the injured.
A 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 escape on the up
per floors was by way of a small step
ladder.
Twelve families lived In the house
| and 1t is said that the tearing away OF
the lower floor was done so quickly
that some of the tenants who wished
to move from the building were un-
able to get their furniture out and
thus were compelled to remain.
The work of alteration had neces.
STATED the partial removal of the fire
escapes that led to the second floor
and no further.
The work of the fremen was great.
ly hindered. but over 20 persons were
rescued by them from the fourth and
| fifth floors. Many persons received
injuries by jumping to the sidewalk
| and to the stone-p paved court from the
ends of the cutoff fire escapes.
The fire is supposed to have beer
caused by the explosion of lamp thai
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 on.
Most OF the dead were found on the
two upper floors. While the search oi
l the building was going on four fire
| men were at work on a fourth -fiool
balcony. when II gave way. Another
fireman on the balcony below wa:
also carried down and was probably
| fatally injured. The other four were
badly hurt, but will recover. Two o
them fell upon a pile of bedding in tbs
| court yard and their injuries were
caused chiefly by the ironwork of tbs
balcony falling upon them.