Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-03-14

SeSeEdI Ntre SO Dduly uuIC IlaI lAAcy may die, and forty others received slighter hurts, in d fire that practically destroyed a five-story tenement house in Allen street early to-day. The fire had gained great headway before it became known to most of the tenants and many of them were cut off before they could make an attempt to save themselves. Thrilling rescues and daring leaps for life marked the fire. Scores were carried from the blazing building Firemen climbed the walls on their sealing ladders, braved the flames and reached the imperilled ten ants. Of the badly injured several may die, as they are in terrible con- dition from burns. Of the bodies thus far recovered only the following have been identi- fed: Rachel Solomon. 45 years old. Jacob Solomon, 19. Abraham Solomon, 20.
 Crowded fire escapes i'll the rear of the tenement house were largely re- sponsible for so many deaths and in- juries among its population, which ap- preached POO souls.
 The scenes about the building after the fire was over and when the search for the dead was begun were heart rending. Nothing so pitiful of such proportions has been seen in New York city since the Slocum disaster when thousand persons. nearly all of them women and children, lost their lives.
 The fire started in the basement, oc- cupied by Isaac Davis, his wife and three children. Davis had been out last night and returning to his home early this morning, went into his store on the same floor just in time to see kerosene lamp in the rear explode. He awoke his wife and both tried to put out the flaming lamp. but without success, and then gave all their atten- tiOn to getting their children out of the burning building. A young man pass ing the house at the time saw the flames and gave the alarm. A police man who heard the cry rushed to the scene and every effort was made 10 rouse the sleeping persons in the house.
 In the meantime the flames had spread with startling rapid ity and when the persons who had been asleep on the upper floors awoke they found themselves confronted by q wall of flames on near ly every side. Scenes of the widest description followed when the panic striken scores fighting for their lives rushed to the fire escapes only to find them filtered with rubbish of all de- scriptions and almost impossible. Down through this cluttered narrow passageway flowed stream of hu- r,if nn nf hn rubbish was so closely packed that it became impossible to pass certain points and men, women and children stood literally roasting to death as the flames rOared through windows. around them. One of the escapes. which end cd near the roof of q shed about twenty feet above the ground, had been man. ned by John J. Dwan, a policeman, who had run q plank across to the window of an adjoining building. Nearly dozen persons had been car ried across this narrow bridge by the policeman when the flames began to sweep around the lower end of the fire escape Rushing into the fire the policeman seized little child and started on the last return trip across to the place of safety. He had made only half the distance when the plank. burned more than half through. broke where it rested on the fire escape and the rescuer and rescued fell to the stone paved yard twenty feet below. The man struck fairly on his back and one of his shoulders was shattered by the force of the fall. The child was uninjured.
 In the meantime the firemen had run up ladders at other points around the building and dozens of people were being taken from the crowded fire escapes and upper windows. By this time the building was a furnace and the rescues were effected in many cases only after the greatest show of bravery on the part of the firemen.
 Heroes developed at this time. Lieutenant Bonner. son of the old fire chief. ascended the now red hot fire escapes five times. Four times he came down with q woman or child in his arms. The fifth time he was making for the street with an uncon- scious woman when his strength gave way. He staggered and would have fallen to death had not a comrade come to his assistance. As Bonner reached a fourth story window on one of his ascents and dragged little girl from a window where she stood surrounded by flames she pleaded with him to leave her on the escape and go in af- ter her little brother. whom she had carried to the window when she rush. ell from her bed. He had fallen un- conscious and was roasting she said.
 Bonner jumped through the window and it seemed to those below as if he was going into a furnace. He found the little boy just inside the window and carried him out Bonner was only little singed in making this rescue.
 Fireman Hannigan repeated Bon ner-s feat. on the third floor. resucihs Miss Fannie Ginsberg in q similar way after she had fallen back into a flame filed room unconscious.
 X woman. her night dress blazing. was seen to crawl out of window sni start down the escape from the ion floor. She made her way cautiously down the escape. removing cans and boxes and throwing them fo the street when they blocked her way.
 The hot iron escapes blistered her feet and burned deep into her flesh but she continued on The scaling lad derS run up close to the escape and a fireman had almost reached her. when . bpSch of flame covered her like a wave and bore her down. She fell
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