The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-15
10 DEAD IN TENEMENT FIRE.
TARDY ALARM, SCUTTLE LOCKED,
FIRE ESCAPES CLOGGED,

OF those human hives Of the East Side az
iO5 Allen street were awakened by a FIRE
at $50 yesterday morning. Nineteen lost
their lives in tho frantic fight for life that
followed, thirteen OF the dead being chill
dren. About twenty persons were injured
70 r Of whom may die
II was at least twelve minutes after the
fire started before an alarm was turned In
by a policeman. The fremen, from Chief
Croker down said that had the alarm been
turned in sooner undoubtedly more lives
could have been saved. over in that dis
trict there have been less policemen watch
ing the tenements at night since the three
platoon system went into effect and some
were away on strike duty. How many
policemen were on duty in the Eldridge
street precinct In the early morning tour
when the fire started Commissioner McAdoo
refused to say yesterday. There was one
report that only eight men were turned
out at midnight, but It could not be veri-
fed. One sergeant said he thought there
were a few more, but not many.
"The people who lost their lives were
dead before a gong sounded in an engine
house, said Battalion Chief Lucas, the hrst
fireman TO reach the fire.
just how long the building burned before
the alarm Is uncertain. Henry Biber, who
has a store at l42 Eldridge street, directly
in the rear, was aw akened by the glare OF
the flames. They we're coming out Of the
windows OF the first floor then. Biber
thought that the proper thing to do was
TO call up Fire Headquarters on his tele-
phone. He says that he as just twelve
minutes getting Central 10 give him the
call His number IA 1887 Il Orchard.
When he left his telephone the flames
were pouring out Of all the windows In the
rear and the fire escapes were crowded with
people fighting for their lives, some Of them
with their night clothing afire.
Isaac Davis, who lives in a store In the
basement and sells grape juice, had dis
covered the fire before Biber, but he gave
no alarm. Davis, returning from work,
found lot of stun ablaze in the sink in the
hall. II was in a large funnel. He threw
his overcoat over the sink, but the overcoat
caught fire. Then he picked up the blazing
funnel and started for the yard. His
hands we're burned and he dropped it near
tho door, Just where the draught could
catch the fame and send 1t up the fimsy
stairway. His wife made one last desperate
effort even then TO avert the cata strophe
by throwing a blanket over II. That only
helped tho flames, Davis got his family
out then and spent the rest Of the time in
screaming.
Up the stairways and the two narrow
sirshafts rushed the flames and out Of their
little rooms tumbled the people. Many
made for the fire escapes on the front and
rear. On them were household belongings
in violation OF the law. When escape was
cut of by the stairs many rushed UP 70 the
scuttle, only to find 1t hasped and bolted.
What they did then could only be guessed
at. Underneath that scuttle we're found
ten bodies, most OF them children.
Two policemen finally saw the fire and
turned In alarms at the same time from
different corners. According to the fire.
men, when they started out from their
engine houses on these alarms the fire
had such o Roadway then that the sky
was red. John j. Dwan one Of the police
men, got to the building before the fire.
men and worked hard saving men, women
and children. until he finally tumbled on
the third floor fire escape to the ground,
broke his collaTbone and was carried away
unconscious.
The firemeu pulled people of the fro
escapes, many Of them with their clothing
afire. High up on the fifth floor, where
the flames mushrOomed out, IL was i'm
possible to save sume, and three members
Of the Solomon family, a mother and her
two sons, were burned before the fire.
mems eyes. The firemcn arrived too
late to get inside the building at all.
Chief CTOVkCr said:
sThe fire escapes were filed with house.
hold effects, which Is against the law, The
police and the Tenement House Depart
msnt have had them cleared again and
again, but the very next day the people
flied them up. The only way 10 stop it
is TO bring the landlords TO court
Tenement House Commissioner Grain said
that a violation had been placed on the
building in December because one fire
escape was found TO have an aperture Of
IL inches where the law requires p. An
inspector was sent afterward TO 500 il
this had been changed, His report couldn't
be found yesterday. Mr. Grain said he
would investigate.
There are IS, 90 tenements In New York
and there are 100 inspectors. You can
Judge what can be DONE he said
Coroner GoldenhTanz said that the fire
was apparently caused by some one leaving
a lighted match, candle OF lamp in the sink,
which was filled with grease from a restau-
rant. lie said he had failed to find any
criminal negligence.
The burned tenement was leased by
Mrs. Celia Lerner Of III Forsyth street
from Morris Neinstein Of IS Nassau street,
who owns IL. There were twenty-five
families as tenants. Mrs. Lerner said
that she had made IL her business 70 see
that the fire escapes were clear and had
ordered things removed many times.
The only recent complaint from the
gard 10 WITHDRAWING the airshaft.
my orders TO the janitor,' said Mrs.
Lerner, were 20 see that the scutls was
unlocked before he went to bed. i can
not understand how II came 10 be fastened
unless some sign painters who we're there
yesterday fastened II to keep their paints
from being stolen
The list Of dead followsi
IDENTIFIED.
Fuchs, Gershon. 80 yeAu old
Kaufman, Harry, 30 years OLD
Klein, Ms. Sarah, 90 ye4rs olC.
kohn. Jessie. 10 years old.
Miller, Norris, yearS old.
Miller. Rosie, yeaS old.
MuskOwltI, Ida, 10 years old,
solomon, Jacob. 10 ycau old.
Solomon, Isaac, ~ years old
Solomon, Rachel B., tb years old.
Wiener, Sander, 4 years old,
Zeidcr Harms 40 years old.
ZeideT Ms. Bella, 80 years old
Zeidcf Harry, n years old,
Zelder Rachel, rs yeAu old.
UNIDENTIFIED.
Two girls, thought to be clara and Elsie GinsberG.
aged NJ and IS.
Unknown boy.
MAYOR DEMANDS A REPORT.
Has Been Looking over Fast side Himself
-Rumors THAT Grain May Go.
When Mayor Mcclellan heard yesterday
OF the statements made by Chief Croker