Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-06
FATAL BLAZE IN NEW YORK
Iron Ladders Freighted With People
Heated Red.Hot.
GIRL JUMPED FOUR STORIES
Man Bravely Tried to Break Her
Fall, but Misjudged the Distance.
Firemen's Hard Fight.
Special Dispatch to The Star.


NEW YORK, April 6.--Just as firemen
were raising Il ladder on which to take
her down. Miss Julia Isola. twenty-five
years. old leaped into the street from the
top floor of a burning four-story tenement
at 40 Pearl street this morning and sus
tanned injuries from which she died on
her way to the hospital. In that same fire
a number OF persons jumped from fire es-
capes which were like gridirons in the
heat. Two families on the top floor just
escaped burning to death, the flames
swirlng in at the transom when the fire
men took them down. Two men hung sus-
pended from a window sill, holding their
places with the grip of their fingers, and
fireman rescued his own family. The
injured list ontans the names of eighteen
persons. An entire company of firemen
fell before the fumes of gas in the Gel
lar willie endeavoring to turn off the flow
SO that there might be no danger of an
explosion and the horses in the cellar
might be saved Twelve of the horses
were saved, despite the gas and the four
feet of water in which they stood
Was Driven Crazy.
The fire started in the cellar and seized
upon the stairway leading up through the
building as the readiest fuel. Exits were
cut off for the six families above, except
by the fire escapes in front and rear.
These became so many grills before long,
and the barefoOted tenants suffered ter
ribly. Some jumped rather than have
their feet crippled. Others were driven
from the rear of the house to the front
rooms. while the fire followed. caught up
with them, and shiverfng the glass in the
transoms, burst i'm at their backs to drive
them out of the windows. Julia Isola was
driven temporarily insane by the proXim-
ity of the flames.
Frank Fargo and James Donovan were
on their way past the building at 2:15
clock this morning when smoke rolled
up in their faces from between the bars
of the sidewalk grating In front. They
opened the hall door and were surprised
to find the stairs already red. 1t was
impossible to get to the upper floors
Donovan threw bricks at the windows OF
the second floor to awaken the sleepers,
while Fargo went to Park Row and Bax
ter streets to sound an alarm
Donovan Did His Best.
The Isolas. large family. lived on the
top floor. They were awakened by the
noise of escaping tenants below them,
and Rudolph Isoa, who ventured into the
hall to see if escape to the roof was yet
possible. ran back with his hair ablaze.
His father threw Il coat over him and
saved him from serious injury. Ida and
Lizzie Isola made their way to the rear
fire escape, but the fire swiried all around
the iron rungs beneath them and leaped
from windows. Their feet began to burn
and they scrambled back. In terror
the family huddled at the front windows
for air. grasping the shutters for support.
In order that all might have room at the
windows. Antoni Isola, who weighs 200
pounds. with his son Rudolph. crawled
out on the window sills and hung by their
fingers until the fremen took them down.
1t was great strain on both of them, and
particularly so on .Anton on account of
his weight.
When Julia Isola jumped James Dono-
van attempted to stop her fall by getting
under her. but he made miscalculation,
and she struck clear of him altogether
Brought Out the Boy.
On the floor beneath the top lived
Joseph Morgan. a printer; his wife Mary
and five children. The Morgans were
more or less overcome by the smoke, but
they We're taken down by firemen.
Charles. five years old. was missed in the
excitement When the rest of the family
were safe in the street his aunt Theresa
suddenly burst out crying. and Fireman
Woods learned from her that the boy was
still in the house. A thirty-five-fo foot lad
der was raised and he went nimbly up it.
He searched through several rooms where
the atmosphere was sitting before he
touched bed in which he felt and found
Charles. who was unconscious. The boy
had Jumped into the bed to get away
from the fire. but he was very badly
burned about the head and hands. Woods
ran a santlet of fire with the boy, and it
seemed an age-long struggle to the Win
dow When he finally reached the street
he collapsed.
Nearly all the tenants who were injured
were burned by standing on the fire es-
canes which in some instances became
red hot Several unable to endure the
pain Jumped to the ground and suffered
broken bones. The damage to the building
is estimated at $1,000.