New-York tribune., 1907-11-04
DESTITUTE FROM FIRE
PrOUisiOn That Is Made for the Poor
Who Are Burned Out"

To be burned OUT is a pretty had exner,snce
even for the well-to-do. For the poor who live
from hand TO mouth. it is a tragedv How do the
poor meet such tragedies, which in a great citv
like New YORK are happening more or less ali
the une! tlre IN tenement. Families left
homeless" is not uncommon caption in the
newspapers What do the families do that night?
fires come oftenest at night. What do they do
next day! How do they start life afresh, every
thing being wiped out?
Fires are less frequent than they used to be in
New YORK, said one Of the downtown East Side
district agents of the United Hebrew Charities TO
Tribune reporter. 1.-THE CITY is so much better
protected now But oh, yes. families get burned
out. How do they manage? Well the poor are
very good TO one another you know They will
always help one another in crisis Then the So
Cieties aid If we hear of a fire we ALWAYS go
to see what is needed and do what we can. l re-
member 4 fire in Clinton street last February In
which hve families lost everything. 1t in the
middle OF the night, and of course they all had
children. A doctor who lived near by had q house
there and took them all in. He gave UP his own
bed 10 them took his blankets and made hunks
for them on the floor; and got hot coffee
and rolls for them ard a gas stove to heat the
rooms. When 1 came down to the office in the
morning was told OF the fire and went around
there. found little children absolutely nude;
girls wrapped up in their fathers coats: young
with old skirts on thern-somethnp anv-
thing TO cover their bodies. They were all. it
happened. self-supporting families. but they had
lost everything they had in the world.
I telephoned to the main office. at Second ave
nue. ana Hst street Bundles of clothing were in
stanty sent down, and DR.. Frankel gave me
authority also 10 buy what was needed Nv night
We had them clothed. Then we had to look for
rooms for them. One or two families had their
things insured so they could bIIv their own new
furniture. For those who had insurance we
bought furniture-only the necessary things of
course bed, chairs, q table. bedding and
dishes. We paid their rent and carried them along
until they got going again"
Are the societies equal to these calls? Wouldn't
it be well If there were a special society or fund
70 help burned out families?'
That Clinton street fire quite a strain on
our society. And the Allen street fire of several
years ago great strain. We spent hundreds
dollars hat n
But don't think fund for that purpose would
be a good thing. There are too many people ready
20 depend on others. If they knew there was some
one waiting to buy furniture for them il theirs
was burned they might-well / don't say 1t would
encourage them 10 set fire TO things but it would
make them more dependent; and what we want to
DO is 10 encourage self-reliance-have them do for
themselves when they possibly can
At the offices of the Association for Improving
the Condition Of the Poor they have records which
show what quick relief can be given in cases of
devastation by fire. One IS of a family burned out
last January; man and wife and five children, the
Oldest seven years old and the youngest babe OF
five months.
They got out alive" said a worker at the asso-
citation. but saved nothing but the nightclothes
they were in. They went to their clergyman who
gave them shelter. nearby Settlement house
helped little We notified, and sent food
and clothing that day. Then we found rooms and
bought furnture-beds, q table, the necessary
thtngs-and two days after the fire they
tied again. The got his work back-he was
piano poiisher-and they got on very well. We
visited them for two three months make sure
that they had an they needed.
Here is the record Of another family also with
five little children They lost everything they had
in fire last New Years night. The man had
work-was a street cleaner. A relative took them
in that night. The next day food and
clothing and paid months rent for rooms.
They had a bit of money saved with which they
bought some furniture; friend of theirs con-
tributed a sofa, another some chairs, and they
got TO housekeeping again.
We don't have large fires in New York-the fire.
men seem able to keep them from getting large.
The societies have trouble in helping all the
burned out families that need help. Sometimes pri-
vate individuals give aid. 1 remember some time
ago a box factory was burned, and there was an
explosion and some people were injured and some
lost everything they had when the fire spread to
adjoining tenements; but Miss Gould that
sion sent money and the societies didn't have do
anything.
at is certainly rather dreadful to lose everything
one has by fire. Not very long ago woman
here ask for help, two three little children
with her. The husband had stayed with a negh-
Dor because he had absolutely nothing in which he
could appear the street. The neighbor had lent
the and her babies few rags of clothing.
Everything they had burned. 1t pitlful
enough. And, you know, no matter how poor they
are, there always some little keepsaes lost that
can never be replaced"
It is curious. but some of the crowded districts
covered by charitable societies, and where fires
certainly occur, help has seldom been asked that
score. THE poor help one another when such
calaHnities come" said worker. Another as
serted that the poor insure their belongings
days. '"They always insured their lives and
strained every nerve to provide Tor burial" she
said Now they perceive the Importance of in
surfing against fire" But other social workers held
that few Of the very poor insure against fire.
ven If they did they would be apt to lose the in
surance," said one, for they move often, and
if they neglected to notify the company Of their
moving. very likely in their ignorance they
would, there would be no insurance paid"
Not long ago a woman came in great distress TO
the United Hebrew Charities Her few sticks Of
furniture had been destroyed by fire. She had an
insurance oh, yes; but first one insurance ad-
suster had come to her and told her he would ar
range everything and made her sign something;
and then another appeared and said he was
the adjuster; and now both demanded money, afd
what should she do? The society Strengthened
everything out, and the woman went away happy,
calling down many blessings in Yiddish upon the
heads OF the officers.