Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-29
FOURTEEN DIE
IN CRASH Of
BUILDING
WRECKS NEW
YORK TENEMENT HOUSE
Bodies Of Victims Buried in.
Vast Pile of Glowing Ashes,
Impossible to Ascertain the
Number of Dead.
IBy Morning Journal Special Leased wireI

LBy Morning Journal Special leased Wirel
New York, July 2S.-An explosion
accompanied by fire shattered an East
side tenement late tonight, and with
the crumhling walls at least fourteen
persons went down to, death. while
twice as many were probably fatally
injured Fourteen bodies have been
recovered from the ruins.
The wrecked building was at Pa
Christie street, where a siX-story tene-
ment rose over the grocery basement.
An explosion, yet unaccounted for,
tore out the front of the building,
and the fire that followed caught the
dwenty families, numbering 100 per-
sons, while most of them were sound
asleep Not until the ashes have
cooled will 1t be possible 10 recover
the bodies Of the dead.
OF the injured many jumped from
the windows, others We're caught by
falling timbers many half suffocated
by smoke were dragged from the hall
ways. while others received wounds
during the panic and fight among
each other for an exit.
The tenement was occupied chiefly
by Italians. A passerby was attracted
by the explosion. which apparently
occurred in the basement.
Wild Panic Follows Explosion.
As he turned toward the building
the whole front. with its flimsy fire
escapes, fell into the street, and from
the saggng floors a score of half
awakened persons dropped into the
street. Many of these We're badly
hurt, but they proved to be the more
fortunate of the tenants, for in an
other moment the building was wrap
ped in flames and the cries of per-
sons burning to death rent the air.
In the wild panic that followed
many received mortal injuries The
police and firemen who early reached
the scene. attempted to take the ten
ants from the side and rear windows,
but the few who were free to act did
not wait for assistance, but jumped
into the streets Several who sought
escape by a rear stairway through the
fire to other escapes. but more fell
overcome In the Railways, to be drag
ged out insensble.
Victims Women and Children.
or the dead and dying a large part
are women and children. In the
scramble for an exit and safety, the
stronger In most cases survived.
The fire, however, was not without
its acts of heroism.
Heroic Work of Fireman.
When fire patrol No. arrived upon
the scene. Captain Albert Johnson saw
| how he could save some In a sixth
story window there were hanging a
group of persons. among whom were
| e.. . l,ntt
was the window on the sixth floor OF
the tenement adjoining
| Accompanied by Detective Conncrs,
| Johnson ran to the top floor There
was a small ledge just below the win
| dow. and on this the captain took his
stand with Connors behind him. hold
ing him. Reaching as far as he could,
Johnson could just touch the hands
of Tomas Gainzeno. who with his
three children and his wife, had fled
to the window. The man was the
first saved The others followed In
| rapid succession.
After the family had been saved,
| the window was cleared for the APP
proach OF Tereza Coma and her baby.
| who were also pulled across the gulf.
BY this time the entire neighbor-
| hood was lurid glare from the mass
of fire which, sweeping up stairs, had
reached and burst through the roof.
The roar of the flames was deafenlng
and the seorching heat drove the
workers away from the building after
only a few seconds of blistering work
From the streets around the build
ing there came a continual chorus of
| groans and screams from those who.
| having hpen caught when the blaze
started. had been able to escape with
their lives only. Mothers called to
children. and little babies ran to and
fro under the feet of the big fire
horses. The flames We're not con-
troled until the building was prac-
tlcally I'm ashes when the search for
the dead began.
Fourteen bodies. most of them
burned beyond recognition. were re-
covered.
1