The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-03-15
CA /. 6 /. 4 IN TRAP
Nineteen Perish.
Continued from First Page)!

ttfEfy4aT lIOl1
startling rapidly and the occupants OF
f the upper floors awoke to find them
selves confronted by n wall OF flames on
nearly every side. Panic stricken people
rushed to the fire escapes only to find
them Uttered with rubbish. On some Of
the escapes the rubbish was so closely
packed that It became impossible to pass.
certain points and men, women and chill
5dren stood literally roasting to death as
the flames roared through WINDOWS
around them. One OF the escapes was
manned by Policeman John J.s5 Dwan,S
who had run a plank across to the win
dow OF an adjoining building He res
cued nearly a dozen persons but finally
fell into the paved yard and shattered
his shoulder. Dozens Of people were
upper windows BY this time the build
ing was a furnace and the rescues We're
effected in many cases only through he
roic efforts Of the firemen. 81
Thrilling Rescues.
Lieutenant Bonner, son Of the former
chief. ascend led he new right fire escape
five times. Four times he brought down,
a woman or O child In his arms. The
NTH time he was descending 18th an
unconscious woman. but staggered and
was barely saved from death. Once Bon
ner rescued aIlittle girl from a window
where she stood surrounded by flames
Z She plea ed with him to leave her on
the escape and go in after her little.
brother, who she said had fallen un-i
conscious. Bonner jumped into what
loked like furnace, found the boy and
saved him. Foreman Hannigan repeated
Bonner's feat on the third floor
A woman with her night clothes blaz-
ing was crawling down the escape and
fireman had almost reached her when
n belch OF flame cnveloped her. She,
fell back and died in sight OF the crowd
Death reapcd a harvest QUICKLY on
the fire escapes In the rear two men
and two women were descending, tho
men helping the women to remove heavy
obstacles from the escapes. Suddenly
flames darted from the third floor win
dows and he quartette fell and roasted
to death. Another person with clothes
aflre was following but likewise sank
in the flames.
Il, Caught in Trap.
On the top OF the fire escape at the
other side OF the house lay three bodies,
Mrs Solomon and her two sons Isaac
the flames. Two others were seen to
look from the windows and then fall
back In the burning building. t
The elder Solomon. the husband and
ia Their, was rescued. AS the rescued
recognized tho charred bodies Of their
loved ones they wcpt and cried agoniz-
ingly. The streets were filled with half
dressed, weeping searching people lmplor-
Ing the rescue OF those within the burn
Ing structure. When the tenants dashed
for the roof they found the door, which
should have swung easily open, fasten-
ed down. Unable to burst lt open and
wedged In by the surglng mass below,
numbers were burned to death. Il
Another case Of negligence which was
responsible for the loss of some lives
was an lnlmovable skylight 1T tho head
of ladder leading to the roof. Bolted
securely md partially covered by Ice. this
skylight resisted all efforts to force 1t
and pile of the bodies Of the dead lay
under 1t when the horror was over.
Chief Blames Police,
Fire Chief Edward r. Croker said the
loss OF life was mainly due to delay in
giving the alarm. Eight minutes he said,
clasped after the fire started before the
alarm WAS sounded lie added that the
fire escapes were shamefulS closed and
| that 1t was the duty OF the tenement
house commission and the police depart
| ment 10 see that the law against fire es-
cape obstruction was enforced, In reply
| Police Commissioner McAdoo said to-
| night N.
THE fire was discovered by the police
as speedily as IT. could be under any
possible circumstances 1t@was well
| handled and the police are In no wise
responsible for Its occurrence or the loss
OF life which resulted. "
!