Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-01
FIRE SCARES TENANTS
Wild Scramble From Rocker
les in New York.
PAPER WAREHOUSE BURNS
Loss 100000, But Panic-Stricken
People Unhurt.
DEATH IN EXPLODING LAMP
Young Girl Springs From a Window
and Is Fatally Hurt.
Others Injured.
DEATH IN EXPLODING LAMP

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, April Lover 100 families
were driven out of tenements to the
street early this morning by fire which
destroyed the five-story rag and paper
warehouse at 81 and 30 Metropolitan ave-
nue., Williamsburg.
The warehouse in the rear is surrounded
by three and four-story tenements thick
ly populated. The firemen were too busy
trying to keep the fire from spreading to
warn the tenants Of these houses and po-
licemen were sent through the block to
awaken them and get them to the street.
Several policemen went through each ten
ement rapping on the doors with their
night sticks and breaking windows. The
excited tenants promptly descended to the
fire escapes and many jumped from the
windows.
Handicapped Firemen.
Despite the hard work Of the firemen,
the flames quickly spread to all the floors
of the warehouse, and soon the entire
building was in flames. The high wind
drove sparks and smoke over the adjoin-
Ing tenements and for time it looked as
if the entire block would go.
The burning paper sent out such a
fierce heat that the firemen had to work
in short relays. For long time they
could not get near the burning building,
SO they confined their efforts to keeping
the flames from spreading. Just at day
light the roof of the building fell in and
| the f1remen gave it up as a bad job.
| The entire building was burned. with a
| loss of 100000.
Despite the excitement and the num-
| Der Of tenants who jumped from win
dows, not a single person was hurt.
Fatal Lamp Explosion.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, April 1.-When a lamp
around which her father and sister and
uncle were sitting exploded and set fire
to her dress early this morning Lena 1sa-
BELLA eighteen years old. jumped from the
fifth story Of the house at 345 East 18th
street to the sidewalk. She was probably
fatally injured and was taken to the
Flower Hospital. Her uncle. Frank Isa-
bella, was also burned and he ran through
the streets with his clothing af1re until
he fell unconscious. He, too, was taken
to the hospital.
Frank Isabella. his brother Vincent and
his two daughters, Lena eighteen. and
Ethel. seventeen. gathered about a small
students lamp which was on a table in
the parlor of their apartments on the
fifth floor of the house. All were reading
papers. The two young women were
dressed in thin dresses and the two men
wore smoking jackets.
Fell Five Stories.
AS they were about to get up the lamp
exploded and the burning oil spattered
about on the table. Before Lena and
Frank Isabella could get up the oil fell
on their clothing. The father and other
daughter managed to jump up in safety
and ran to corner of the room. Without
waiting to see what damage was done
Lena, with her flimsy dress ablaze, ran
to window and, opening it. jumped out
into the street. She landed on the side
walk near the door,. and her dress burned
out.
DR.. Hastings. from Flower Hospital
found that the girls skull was broken
and she had internal injuries and severe
burns about the body.