New-York tribune., 1908-08-10
FOUR PERISH IN FIRE
SEVER4L HURT JUMPING.
Flames Ssceep Tenement House IN
iSicilian Quarter.

In a fire that swept the four STORY brick tene-
ment house at No 332 East 18TH street. in the
heart of the Sicilian colony, early this morning.
four children lost their lives and score or more
persons were injured. In less than five min
utes from the time the fire was discovered the
whole building was in blaze and those living
on the upper floors had little chance to escape.
The injured were hurt by jumping from win
dows.
DEAD
FOUSTO. Antonio, nine years
FoUsTo Rosie.
FOJ-STO Joseph. six
FOUSTO Angeline sixteen months
INJURED.
BITEIIA. Carmello. burns about face and
CURTINE Michael. Engine So; burns about face and
FoUSTo James ;hirtyseven years father of dead chill
dren; burns about face and hands.
Children: sf9 sitl burns about face hands
FoUsTo. Frank. nineteen years; burps about face and
LUGHFoNA savarto. twenty-eght years; internal in
PADGLLo Ferdinand twenty-five years; burns on face
sAsso Franz twelve years: internal injuries ,uoo.,u
tyentythTee burns and fracture
of both legs
Hundreds of policemen from all of the East
Side precincts who were soon on the scene had
their hands full controlling the excited Italians,
who ran screaming through the neighborhood,
and large bodies of them made determined ef-
forts TO break through the police lines and res
cue their dear who were in the building.
The fire was first discovered by City Marshal
Henry Lazarus who informed Patrolman
Ahearn, of the East 104th street station. who
sent in an alarm. Both Immediately ran TO the
house but in the short time the flames had
forced their way from the basement, where the
fire is supposed to have started up through the
roof and Lazarus and Ahearn could do little to
help those imprisoned in the building. Few OF
the excitabIe Italians thought of the fire escapes,
and in second the doors became )amrneo,
Women with children in their arms were forced
backward by the stronger men, and their cries
as they fought to reach safety were heartrend-
ing.
Ahearn and Lazarus fought as best they could
TO keen the doors Open but their efforts were of
little avail To make matters worse, hundreds
of neighbors crowded around the burning build
ing. rendering the work Of the fremen and the
police difficult.
By the time the fremen arrived the flames
had done their work Men from hook ana
ladder company in East Hath street were the
first to arrive, and they saved many from injury
and perhaps death by taking frantic occupants
of the house off the fire escapes on their ladders
According to the fire authorities searching
Investigation will be made as to the of
the fire and as to the fact that the house was
provided with only one fire escape. According
to- Chief Hayes there was only one fire escape
on the house, and in order to get at this 1t was
necessary to break down door. According
to a neighbor two men were seen running
from the house shortly before the fire was
discovered and the police Investigating the
rumor that the building was set on fire one
man, whose name is unknown, made his es-
cape in a daring manner by climbing down the
front of the building on the shutters for the
windows Hundreds watched him he did
the human fly act expecting each moment
+o see him lose his balance. but he landed
safely and disappeared in the crowd.