Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-03-18
NINETEEN DEAD IN
TENEMENT FIRE
Fire Escapes Piled Full of Rubbish
Prevented Escape of Many.
MANY DEEDS OF HEROISM

New York, March 15.-Nineteen per-
sons dead two score injured, some so
seriously that they may die, and nearly
200 persons temporarily homeless, is in
brief the story of New York's latest
fire horror. The victims of the disaster
were typical East Side people, the scene
a typical East Side tenement, and the
scenes attending it were in many ways
peculiar to that cosmopolitan quarter.
To apparently reckless displays Of he
roism shown by firemen, policemen and
volunteer rescuers alone is due the fact
that the list of the dead is not greater.
Two hundred persons herded in the
big five-story double-decker tenement
house were sleeping when flames from
an overturned or exploding kerosene
lamp in the basement spread through
the structure and wrapped the entire
building in flames almost before an
alarm had been sounded. The long
narrow fire escapes which ran down
the building on each of its exposed
sides had been made receptacles for
rubbish Of all descriptions and in many
cases they were rendered useless. It
was found also, that every fire escape
platform on the building had in it a
blind" or square piece of board which
fits into the opening through which
the ladder passes in the grated floor.
The result of these INSTRUCTED fire es-
capes was evident when it was found
that nearly all of the dead belonged on
the top floors Of the building and were
roasted before they were able to reach
the ground. Another case of negligence
which was responsible for the loss of
some lives was an immovable skylight
at the head of ladder leading to the
roof. Battened securely and partially
covered by ice, this skylight resisted
all efforts to force it, and pile Of the
bodies of the dead lay under 1t when
the horror was over.
Down the fire escapes flowed stream
Of humanity. On some of the escapes
the rubbish was so closely packed that
1t became impossible to pass certain
points, and men. women and children
stood literally roasting to death as the
flames roared through the windows.
1t was on the fame-swept fire es-
capes that the finest displays OF hero
AShA "SAO ShONh- pNSASS vi ulcu WOsu-
en- and children, driven from their
rooms by the flames which swept
through Railways and light shafts,
covered high in the air on the hot iron
ladders and platforms the flames
swirling around them as they waited
for help. Through the flames and
smoke, time after time. the firemen
rushed up to their assistance and every
trip meant life saved. From the fire
escape, too the men plunged in through
windows 0eiShirs SGroes to~co-e ec-tS
a moment later bringing an uncon-
scious form to some place OF saefty.
The fire started in the basement. oc-
cupied by Isaac Davis. his wife and
three children. Davis went into his
store on the same floor just in time To
see kerosene lamp in the rear ex-
plode. He awoke his wife, and both
tried to put out the flaming lamp, but
without success, and then gave all their
attention to getting their hildren out
OF the burning building a policeman
who heard the cries of alarm rushed "a
the scene, and every effort was made
to, arouse the sleeping persons In the
house.