New-York tribune., 1907-11-26
FIRE CLAIMS 13 DEAD.
ONLY II SLIGHT BLAZE.
Tenement D7oelIers Cut off Whde
Praying for Help.

eraCkIS revolver
four story tenement house at No. 2121 Second
avenue early yesterday morning brought the po-
lice and iremen 10 a small blaze. which caused
the death of thirteen persons ny flames and smoke
before the fire was put out. Seven of these were
small children The bodies were found huddled
in two small rooms on the top floor, where the
victims had gathered to pray when smoke and
flames cut off their escape. All met their death,
police and coroner believe in the revenge taken
by the friends of two prisoners caught fort
night ago robblng a saloon.
Another theory is that the fire and another
across the avenue at No. PIP were set in cold
blood that the gang which infests that neigh
horlood might loot the tenements. One whole
family wiped out by the incendiaries and
the father of the other driven temporarily in
sane.
The dead. all italians, are:
FAFA RAFAG !s Gaen' o5T Ttsrs o years old
BARAGCA. Jennie seven years old
CARpTNALE Donate. sixty years old unee of Pasquse
CARDINALE Gingita, old, daughter of Pas
cARbGNAlE Giovanni twenty-five old. brother of
cAR6iSALE Gulette hfty-hve years old. wife of Do
CARDiNAGE ciiuette, eleven yearr old. daughter Of
CARpTNAI.F- Luigi four months old Of Pasquale
CARDINALB Nicoiina, twenty-eigh: years od' wife Of
CAR6iSAIF; razquale thirty-tvo yesrs old. ,
cARDINA Ale Fosins eighteen months old daughter nj
Pasqua!e
Eight families lived in the house. while the
ground floor was occupied by Giuseppe Cudemo
whose wife, three children and mother-in-law
lived on the second floor Three weeks ago
C,udenno drew all his money from the bank and
put II in the saloon safe. That night Patrol
man Meehan. of the East 10th street station,
found two men haA forced their way into the
basement and were boring holes through the
saloon foor He arrested John Quinn and Ed
ward Johnson who were held for trial Cudemo
had to appear yesterday in General Sessions
against the men. The police believe that friends
of the prisoner may have set the fire 10 frlghten
Cudemo into not testifying
About o'clock Cudemo and his brother Luigi
heard revolver shots. not unusual fire alarm in
the Italian quarter Going into the hall he
saw the flames running up the stairway. Then
he got his family out on to the fire escapes to
safety Patrolman Duggan sent in an alarm,
and then nearly burned his coat off getting out
some of the tenants. The flames spread so rap
idlv that he was unable 10 make second trip Of
rescue
Rocco Baracca lived on the third floor I'm
able 10 reach the fire escapes through the
sitting smoke he got his whole family up TO
the fourth floor thinking TO reach an easy ave
nue. of escape over the roofs. He could not
force the scuttle. he went back and. picking
up his eldest son. Dominic. a cripple, he carried
him I'm his arms to the fire escape. He lifted the
boy until he could grasp the edge Of the roof,
and then the boy pulled himself up and escaped
the roofs.
He then tried to get back TO the Cardnale
fiat where his own family and they were hud-
died together. one of the terrified group had
opened the door to the hail. and that cost them
all their lives The flames. roaring up airshaft
again the Italian fought part way in, 10 be
driven back. on the edge of the furnace the
fremen found him and carried him. struggling.
to the street.
It did not take the iremen long TO conquer the
blaze