Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-10
BOYS DIED IN SMOKE
Fatal Fire in New York Tene-
ment House.
SCORE OF FAMILIES FLEE
Two Little Fellows Lost in the Dark
Halls.
TWO COOL MEN SAVED MANY
Advertising Agency Also Burned
Out, With a Loss Of $4,000.
Caused by Bad Wires.
TWO COOL MEN SAVED MANY

NEW YORK, April 1O.-Two small boys
were killed and several other persons in
jured early today In fire which caused
loss of $4,000 to the five-story tene-
ment house at y Pitt street. The fire
drove twenty families from their homes
in the five-story building and emptied
tenements and lodging houses for a block.
The boys who perished were children of
Jacob Chesner, Willie, four years old. and
Solomon, aged three years. who lived on
the fifth floor. They lost themselves In
the smoke and perished, one on the stair
way and the other. under bed on the
top floor.
The father made an effort to regain
possession of them, but barrier OF
smoke streaked with flame here and
there like a blood-shOt eye intervened be-
tween him and them. He was finally
forced to beat retreat to the street,
hands and face burned, but clinging fast
to his eldest child In the street he en-
countered the mother who had saved the
youngest She Immediately became fran
tic on hearing that her two boys were
lost. Two or three of the f1remen re-
strained her, while others tried to force
their way to the third noor, which was
girdled by fire The first man to try
struggled up as far as that floor. and was
then obliged to return burned and knock
ed out by smoke. Other f1remen entered
the building on ladders and found the
bodies.
Firemen Work Hard.
The fire was discovered by a tenant on
the second floor. His cries aroused the
other occupants of the house, and soon
the fire escapes in rear and front were
filled with tenants and still others were
pressing forward in an effort to escape
from the smoke-filled house.
The firemen ran up ladders and soon
had the frightened people on the ground
The Chesners had tried to make their
way down the stairs when the fire es-
capes were found filled. and it was in the
halls that the two boys lost their loves
The fire was extinguished before it had
spread from the building In which II
started. but many surrounding structures
were seriously threatened for a time
julius Spainer. a fireman of duty at the
time. saved eight persons whom he
plucked from a clogged first balcony fire
escape and passed over a cornice to the
windows Of q Pitt street with the assis-
tance of Morris Lavey. a citizen. With
hands clasped and feet braced firmly. the
two men bridged the gap between the cor
nice and the fire escapes Of 25. passing
the eight between themselves and the
wall.
Dauchy & Co. Burned Out.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, April 1o.-A smolderins
fire in the Offices of the advertising agen-
cy of Dauchy & Co, on the sixth floor OF
the Franklin building at 8 to Is Murray
street, this morning, caused between $oV
600 and $4,000 damages. The blaze was
a difficult one to fight. as the dense
smoke drove the firemen back each time
thew entered the building. One fireman
was slightly injured.
The fire started from short circuit.
Lawrence Brockway. the janitor OF the
building, went into the private hallway
of Douchy & Co. at 5:45 O'Clock ano
turned on the electric switch. Across the
hallway two wires which became crossed,
began to sputter. Suddenly train OF
fire and sparks was following the course
of the wires into one of the offices.
The room was stocked with nles OF
newspapers and the sparks ignited these.
The firemen had to work in relays. as II
was impossible for the men to remain In
the room where the smoke was thickest
for any length Of time. The blaze had
begun to spread and the firemen set about
chopping partitions.
From the smoke the fire appeared to be
even more serious than it was. The re-
serves from the Church street police sta
tion were called out to keep Broadway
clear so that the cars might be able to
run.