Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-26
13 ITALIANS
PERISH IN A
TENEMENT
WOMEN TRY IN VAIN TO SAVE
CHILDREN
MOTHERS DIE ATTEMPTING TO
PROTECT BABES
Biaze in Bia Retail District In Cincin-
natl Causes Panic-Property
Loss VIII Be
Heavy
by Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Nov. 25.-Thirteen persons
lost their lives and several others were
injured early today in tenement mouse
fire at One Hundred and Eighth street
and Second avenue. All the dead were
Italians Seven of the thirteen were
children.
The bodies were found huddled together
in rooms on the top floor of the four
story building where the terror-stricken
people had been driven by the names
which rushed up from the lower floors.
They died before they could reach win
dows which led to fire escapes. Some
had been enveloped in the flames and
burned alive. Others, overcome by the
smoke were spared the agonies of death
by the flames.
That the fatal fire was the work OF
incendiaries who sought revenge is the
opinion of the police and fremen VINO
made the first haSty examination. Three
weeks ago three Italians were caught
in the act of irving to rob safe in the
saloon of Giuseppe Cudano on the ground
floor. The safe contained over $1,000 which
the saloon keepers friends had with
drawn from banks during the money
panic.
The would-be robbers were arrested
and are now awaiting trial. The fire Oh
today started in Cudano's saloon and the
police DelltNS IL may lleiNO pSSii eiiS "OAtA
of the friends of the prisoners, who took
this means of squaring the account with
the saloon keeper.
Discovers Fire
Cudano discovered the fire when he
went down to open his place of business
early this morning. AS he opened the
door he was met by rush of tames.
He dashed up the stairs to the tenants
above, crying out for the occupants OIL
the building to run for their nves.
When he reached the rooms occupied
by his own family he burst in the door
and seizing his young son Domino III
his arms told Mrs. Cudano and other
members of the family to follow Cuoano
and the boy managed to hnd tnelr way
downstairs to the street, but before the
women could get through the names hau
cut off the exit by that avenue. II 70
sunnosed that Mrs. Cudano ana the
othar children sought safety in the rooms
above. ,,;,,,
Inst what happened in the burning
building before the fire was dlscoveTeo
never will be known. So quickly oiu .,ie
DANES spread that almost peIore llie llie
frenen arrived the whole bulldns was
a furnace and it was Impossible for any
one to enter ,;aad ,uoroen
ond children were drowned by the roar
81 crack of the flames The Missing
Il
anqines and the frantic, babbling croWu 'l
nressed as closely as possible TO tne lre
lines. ,
Not a single person was seen TO appear
a. ,nv of the windows with the eXcep-
lion Of the second floor, from which sew,
erai. nersons reached the fire escape ana
,,ere rescued. The reason for this was
svnlained when after the flames mad peen
,artially controlled firemen fought tnelr
pav through the smoke to the upper
floor. ,,s of dead
,,,here they had fallen victims TO tne
rush of flames and smoke even pelore
thev had a chance to attempt to save
themselves In one of the heaps tns
1remen found woman who had mace
one last despairing effort to save the
life of her baby, even when she knew
+ho+ she herself was doomed to nor
rihIe death. She had folded her arms
tiehtly around the little one ana tnen
bTddIed down close to the floor, her own
hodv protecting that of the child. me
rnotber's body was badly burned, tnat
Of the child bore scarcely a mark put
II was dead of suffocation,