The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-01
MANY LIVES
IM|PERIII.
BY FLAMES
Six-stOry Tenement House
Fire Supposed to Be
InceDdiary's Work.
A WILD PANIC ENSUES
More Than a Hundred Persons
Fight to Get Down an Escape.
Kerosene Probably Sprinkled
On Stairs and HalIs-.Up-
per Floors Wrecked.

NEW YORK. Oct. 1.--Fire supposed
to be of incendiary origin trapped more
than one hundred persons in the big
six-story tenement house. IS East
Third street, today, every one of whom
had 10 be lifted to the street down the
fire ladders by firemen and police.
That the fire was started by thieves
bent on robbing the homes of some
of the twenty-four families in the
house is the accepted theory Of the
police, but there is a suspicion 1t was
the work of members of the Black
Hand. seeking revenge on one Of sew
eral Italian families in the upper
floors.
Late last night Mrs. Sarah Schnei-|
der, who lives on the third floor of the
tenement at II, saw a man on the roof
of the house across the street. The
man moved about mystcriously and
Mrs. Schneider ran over to George
Bierach. who lives at "A and who Is
the agent for 76, !
"There is a man on the roof of yopJI
house." she said. Tie is a thief or q
firehug. You better hurry up there
Bieraoh ran to the roof. but the man
had disappeared. Again an hour later
Mrs. Schneider crossed the street and
called to Bierach;
THAT man is again on your roof. :
have just seen him"
Again Blerach investigated, this tir2z
with policqpaR~4fst ffps man -
On the aEird floor Of 76 liv
TiT1q O-Ne with her four daIg6t tors
Elizabeth. rNneteen; Helen. seventeenfs
LILLIAN, fourteen, and Florence twelve.
The elder daughter was awakened at
two o'clock Gais morning by the crack
ling of fiamea and smell of smoke. She
opened the dior leading into the hail.
to discover tlie stairway and hall
ablaze from cellar to roof. The girl had
hardly time TO close the door and save
herself from being burned
Frank Russo, who lives with his wife
and five children across the hall, was
awakened at the same time. He, too,
opened the door. and a tongue Of flame
shot in at him. burning him badly
about the face and hands
Instantly fire cry sounded through
the house. Escape by the stairway was
impossible. SO fiercely were the fiames
burning The twenty families took
to the front and rear fire escapes.
Those on the lowest escapes discov-
cred they could not get to the street
except by a jump of more thar. twenty
feet Not only were the lqwer ladders
ST Htk fast, but beneath Them was
well leading into the hadement. The
escapes were soon janlmed with
screaming women and children Some
Of the men on the lower escapes leaped
to the ground without injury but
those on the upper escapes could not
get past the jam of frightened tenants.
On the third story escape in front
was Miss Rebecca Stein. She was sud-
denly crowded from the ladder by the
pressure from above her and fell to the
pavement, fracturing her skull.
Samuel Rice. who was on the ladder
with Miss Stein, tried to reach her as
she fell and he toppled off, injuring
himself badly. Miss Stein was taken
to the hospital
When the firemen arrived ladders
were raised and the firemen houssss
down more than 100 persons
Lieutenant Volk, of Engine 20, WIN
Firemen Boltz, Blush. MoGfath ana
O'Iara made their way TO he thlra
floor when they were knocked down py
back draught. The five would nave
perished had not Lieutenant Hughess
of Engine 33 and his men gone to their
rescue.
After the fire was out the ponce anu
firemen began to question the tenants.
1t was then discovered that kerosenss
oil had been sprinkled throgglrEiie hst ~
way. and one of the firomen came ur4ou
can that had contained oil.