The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-23
FLED FROM FIRE OYER LADDER
WHOLE FAMILY SAVED BY NAN
THEY HAD BEFRTENDED.
His TwclVe-Foot Jump From Burning Build
ing 90 One I'm Rear Makes Their Escape
Possiblr-Fire in Pine street wrecks
Two Structures-LOss AboutSI5O, 900.

Louis Kastenbein, the janitor Of the seven
story Office building at 81 and 80 Pine street,
had an applicant for work last Friday,
He was a tail Hungarian, with black eyes,
black hair and rather handsome features
He said that his name was Richard Iangfeld,
and that he had just come from Hungary.
The man could speak but a few words
OF English and only little German.
Nevertheless he made Kastenben under
stand that no wanted work and was willing
to do anything kastenbein was in need
Of an assistant. however. and he told the
Hungarian he would give him trial The
new helper on Saturday started to wash
windows and do other odd jobs.
The Kastenbeins slept on the top floor
OF building in the rear which was con-
nected 5y bridges with the building on Pine
street. The Hungarian was TO share the
apartments with them. There are seven OF
the Kastenbeins-the janitor, his wife and
five children. :he eldest a boy Of II and
the youngest baby girl years old.
Mrs. Nastenbein, a motherly little Ger
man woman noticed that her husbands
new assistant seemed unused to janitor's
work and learned from him that he was
really n sculptor, that he had studied sculp-
ture in Pesth where his father was the di-
rector OF bank. and that because Of trouble
with his family he had come to this country.
he arrived here three weeks ago and gince
then. he said he had been making vain APP
peals to artists for assistance, living In the
meantime at the Lutheran Emigrnnt House
at IL State street.
The Kastenheins we're awakened about
? O'Clock yesterday morning by smoke
pouring into the apartments. II was COM
ing from the building on Pine street. Kas-
tenbein CROPPED his way downstairs and
found that the front OF the big building was
in flames
He gave a cry for help, and then. seeing
the progress the flames were making,
ran back to the rear building and up tho
smoke filed stairs 20 his family. The
flames followed him fast. When he goa up to
the top floor OF the rear building he topplod
over, overcome by the smoke.
By this time the front building was
furnace. Built fifty years ago, 1t burned
like matchwood. There was no escape by
the bridges and the building the Kastenbeins
were in was already afire below them.
Mrs. Kastenbein. with her children cling
ing to her. looked around for help. Her
eyes lighted on the big Hungarian, with
whom she was able to exchange hardly
n word. The Hungarian gave one look at
the stairs. up which the flames were COM
ing in great sheets. Then he grabbed two
Of the children, and pushing Mrs HASTEN
bein in front Of him made for the roof
He returned and assisted Kastenbein and
the other three children up. When he got
the family on the roof he looked around
The flames from the front building were
getting nearer and nearer and the building
below them was burning rapidly.
Facing on Wall street. directly south OF
the building they were on. was the Post h
Flagg building. II is seven stories high
and its roof was almost on a level with the
roof they were on, Between the two wac n
twelve foot space 1t seemed too much for
a man to jump, let alone children and
woman. The Hungarian looked across
and pointed at ladder just above long
enough to span the intervening space.
Can you do it2' she asked. The Hungar-
ian saw what was in the woman's thou ght.
He walked to the very edge OF the roof.
not saving a word He drew himself up
TO his full height--he is feet tall-and
stood for just a moment. Then he made n
mighty spring. landed on the edge Of the
roof and fell forward on his face. safe.
He was up again in a second and in an
other second he had tho ladder and was
pushing il across Itreached with about a
foot to spare on each end. The Hungarian
held his end Of the ladder and Kastenbein
held the other. First went the HASTEN
beln's twelve-year-old boy Clarence. He
scrambled across all right on his hands
and feet. The two little girls, Oracle and
Ethel hung back. No one could help them
over. Theladder wasn't big enough. The
father said they must go and finally they did
cross to the arms of the big Hungarian,
who reached out on the ladder as far as
he could and caught them. The eldest
son, Louis. took the baby. 1t left him only
one hand, but he made the trip in safety.
Mrs Kastenbein and Kastenbein followed,
and as they did 30 the flames roared up
through the building they hadleft and burst
out on the roof.
The Kastenbeins were taken in by gh-
boring janitors and made comfortable.
The big Hungarian, after watching the
fire tor Il While, went down 20 the house at
70 State street He had left there again
yesterday afternoon, and at the house they
know little about him.
Little but the walls OF both buildings
was lett. Three alarms we're turned in
and Chief Croker took personal charge.
Battalion Chief Ross and two companies.
those of Engines and 0, had n narrow es-
cape. They were on the third and fourth
floors when two water tanks, one weighing
twenty tons. fell from the roof to the base
ment Ross had just warned his men.
One tank went within two feet Of him,
and his men had almost as narrow an escape.
The fire drew a big crowd downtown,
despite the hour. st. Andrews Church in
Dunno street had just let out its oongrega-
ton Of night workers and most Of them
hurried downtown. Occurring only two
buildings away from the Sub-Treasury
and the Assay Office. It gave the police some
uneasiness. Capt. Farrell Of the Old Slip
station got the reserves OF four precincts
TO help him. and he placed line Of police
men around the Sub Treasury. reaching
from Nassau street around to the Gallatln
Bank building in Wall street. Not a man
was allowed through this line. The guard
was maintained until after o'clock.
II was an hour before the firemen had the
fire well under control. The building was