Evening journal., 1904-09-05

Five Story Structure Crowded With
Tenants Proves a Death Trap-Men
Act Like Brutes-Three Arrests Made
In Effort to Place Guilt.
New York, Sept 5.-Penned in
burning tenement with every avenue
of escape cut off by the flames or use
less at best, fourteen persons were
killed and twenty Injured in a fire
which wrecked the FIVE story double
tenement 164 Attorney street. In less
than half an hour from the time the
blaze was discovered it was extln-
guished, but the interval was so
crowded with exciting incidents that
even the firemen could not give a CO.
herent account of what happened.
From the moment the alarm was
given men. women and children, realiz-
ing they were caught in a death trap,
struggled frantically to escape Exit
by way of the stairs had been cut off
by the flames. Those who tried to
save themselves by way of the roof
found the barred scuttle locked and
were roasted by the flames which
played around it; those who tried to
reach the street by way OF the fire es-
capes found no ladders from the sec
ond floor in front and from the third
floor in the rear Of the house.
The only thing left TO do was to
jump, and many did so and were
saved. Most OF those who remained
crowded on the fire escapes were res
cued by the fremen after they had
been scorched by the flames. All those
who could not reach the windows. were
burned to death.
Loaded Fire Escape Falls.
In the midst Of the excitement fire
escape on the fifth floor OF the build
ing, crowded with tenants and FIRE
men, gave way and fell with its hu
man load to the rear yard. Luckily
most of those who fell landed on O
pile of bedding and escaped severe in
jury. The rest were piled beneath q
mass of iron wreckage and were taken
to the hospital suffering from broker
bones and internal injuries.
One OF the worst features Of the fire
was the cowardice Of the men. II
their haste to save themselves they
deserted wives and children. tramplinl
them underfoot wherever they retard
ed the way. Others fought the effort,
Of the firemen TO rescue the womer
and children first and had to be sub
dued by force.
Several Of them had to be beateI
! into insensibility on the fire escapes
before the firemen could proceed witt
their work of rescue. AS one of tn
fremen was carrying a young gir
down the ladder a man whom he ha,
refused to take first kicked him in tn
face, almost causing him to lose hi
hold. The brutal cowardice of thes
men is apparent in the list of dead
which bears only the names of womei
and children.
! House a Death Trap.
There were FIVE floors TO the build
ing, and twelve families lived there
yet the ladders of the fire escape
reached no nearer to the ground thai
| tue luliu noDI III lue front ana III
second in the rear, and as the flame
consumed the only stairway, a ricket,
structure at best, in a few minutes
those in the upper part Of the hous
were powerless 10 save themselves
Even the trapdoor in the roof wa
locked and could not be opened
Changes were being made in tn
lower part Of the place. and the entir
first floor had been torn out Th
J front steps were gone, and entrance L
the building was only by means of
couple of slanting planks reaching
from the sidewalk to the open interio
and thence to the wooden stairway
Access TO the floors above was haz
ardous at any time.
Responsibility for the disaster is We
to be placed, although three men hav
already been arrested on charges o
criminal negligence.