Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-07
POLICE HELP THE FlREMEN
Many Rescues Made Under Most
Dangerous Conditions.
ATTRIBUTED TO INCENDIARY
Pequot House at New London Burn
ed-New Orleans Firemen Leave
Fire Too Early.


lost and eleven persons were seriously
injured this morning. when fire, which
the police have little doubt was of in
cendiary origin. flashed through the five
story tenement at 1O1 Orchard street. A
woman. who is among the dead. detected
the odor of kerosene in the hall before
the fire broke out and refused to go to
bed. A fire. believed to have been in
cendiary, in the same building last Sat
urday morning was nipped just in time
to prevent a disaster such as occurred
today.
On that occasion Pineus BerkowitZ.
tenant, was awakened by the smoke and
discovered fire in the hallway of the first
floor behind the stairs. He thought he
saw the remnants of burned paper there.
and Battalion Chief Terpony was sure he
smelled kerosene. The eighteen families
in the place escaped then over fire es
capes and roofs. the herOism of f1remen
and police. working togethe", preventing
loss of life.
Caught on Fire Escapes.
The same tenants were caught on the
rear fire escapes this morning. with flames
sweeping over them and shooting up from
below And the same f1remen and police,
working together went up on those fire
escapes to take the people down when it
seemed that nobody could live there. The
reScuers suffered with the rescued. PO-
licemen were burned or fell from ladders,
but other policemen were ready to step
into their places. At no fire that any one
could remember have greater examples
of GOODNESS. daring and self-sacrifce been
recorded than those that were seen this
morning. 1t was due to this that the
loss Of life was comparatively small. con-
sidering that nearly a hundred tenants
were caught unawares.
One woman. rescued by policeman.
threw her arms around him, as he sat
battered and bruised In the Eldridge
osniEable beneath It's coating Of cinders,
and kissed him in sight of ALL Her hus-
band cheered her.
The Dead.
The dead are: Hattie Kopelman, aged
two years and six months; Mrs. Eva
Berg, fifty-three years old, grandmother
Of Hattie Kopelman; Samuel Sachs; an
unidentified man burned beyond recogni-
tion.
Three of those who perished met their
death on the top floor. Battalion Chief
Calvin was on his way up the stairs from
the third to the fourth floor, after the fire.
when the Dody Of the unidentified man
toppled down on him, knocking him of
incidental to the fire had not been able
to do.
The child fell from its mothers arms on
the rear fire escape, tumbled through the
we'll made for the iron ladder and was
wedged fast in the iron grating protecting
the areaway. Policeman Murphy pulled
out the little girl, minus leg, with the
fire darting forth at him from below,
while the firemen played a stream on him
to keep him from burning to death. The
same service was performed for a COM
pany Of firemen who stood on the hot fire
escapes.
Joseph Marcus, a banker, owns the tene-
ment. The ground floor is divided into
stores. Over the awning of one of them
many persons tobogganed from the fire
escapes in front to the street. helped by
the police. 1t was slide that meant
safety.
from the spot where three years ago. at
Allen and Delaney streets twenty-one
persons were caught under a locked scut-
tie and roasted to death.
Paquot House Burned.
NEW LONDON. Conn.,, May THE
famous Pequot House. which crowned
the headland at the western entrance to
New London harbor, was burned early
today, and the fire lasted for, several
hours. threatening the entire Pequot set
tlement of cottages and many summer
homes on Pequot avenue.
Two Of the Pequot cottages were de-
stroyed. and one other, belonging to Mrs.
Andrews of New York, was wrecked. A
strong easterly gale was blowing at the
time of the fire, which swept the flames
across the lawns to the adjoining build
ings. fourteen of which were at one time
or another on fire, but which were saved
by the city fire department.
The Pequot House was an old structure
but Its slightly location, commanding. as
II did from the verandas. a view of the
entire lower harbor. made 1t valuable. 1t
was for many years one or the most
notable summer resorts in New England.
The hotel was Of ample proportions, built
on old-fashioned plans. with broad We
randas and reception rooms. The building
was three stories in height. The prop
erty is owned by an association. of which
Senator Frank b. ,Brandegee In the presi-
dent. The hotel would have been III
readiness for its first guests In about a
fortnight The loss is about S25 600