The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-03
Cut Off From Escape by Burn.
ing Stairway.
Night Time Blaze DESTROYS a New
York Tenement.
1T HELD 30 FAMILIES
Babies Thrown From Windows
Caught by Firemen.
Most of the Occupants We're
Asleep When 1t Started.

New York, March 3.-Cut off from
escape by a burning stairway, ten
persons perished early today in a five
story tenement house at 372-4 Seventh
avenue. The victims who were all
Italians, with the exception of an un-
identified Frenchman, ranged in age
from 80 years to an infant girl of four
months. Five persons, including a
policeman who was cut by flying glass
and male child about year old
were injured and taken to hospitals.
1t is believed that the blaze was in
cendiary following a "Black Hand"
blackmailing notice, which an occu-
pant of the building received several
months ago.
The only member of the Travisano
family who survived the fire was Min
ME, aged Is, who left home last night
to visit friends.
There were about thirty families,
mostly Italians, in the tenement house
and policemen and f1remen rescued
many of them by ladders and by
swinging them across from windows
to neighboring buildings. Several ba-
bies were thrown from the windows
and caught by f1remen who were
standing on the extension ladders
The street floor of the building was
occupied by the undertaking rooms of
Patrick Mcdonald and the Lincoln
restaurant, while Antonio Urso, a bar
ber occupied the basement. The fire
started in the bottom of an air shaft
and was discovered by Patrick Monks,
a watchman in the undertaking rooms:
Monks ran upstairs and awakened
the Mcdonald family and Mr.. and Mrs.
Mcdonald and their four children
were passed across a narrow alleyway
to the windows of an adjoining build
ing, whence they escaped. Monks
then returned to the burning build
ing, awakened the occupants and
turned in fire alarm.
People Were Asleep.
Most of the occupants were asleep
when the fire began and many of
them were overcome before awaken
ing Policemen O'Riley and GaIlager
jumped across to the first floor of the
building by climbing to an adjoining
structure and notified the occupants.
Two other children were found un-
conscious on the floor but were res
cued by f1remen Evelyn Pasifo, aged
years, attempted to run down stairs
and later her charred body was found
on the stairway.
A fireman found Mrs. Muana Aranot
Unconscious in her rooms on the fourth
floor and attempted to carry her down a
ladder to window but was overcome
Other firemen saved both.
Three babies were taken from the
rooms on the fourth floor by thrilling
work of two fremen. Standing on an
extension ladder outside the windows
Robert Nelson, one of the f1remen,
thrown to him by another fireman from
the window. AS Nelson started down
the ladder the man again appeared at
the window and called out: Il have got
another baby here; catch it,
Before Nelson could reply the man
threw the child out of the window and
Nelson with two babies already in his
arms, managed to catch the third and
carried them all down the ladder to the
street.
Scaling Ladders Slipped.
All but two of those who perished in
the fire were occupants of the upper
floor. The work of rescue was delayed
by the falling of three firemen from the
second and third floors when their seal
ing ladders slipped off the window sills.
The firemen were not injured.
F'iremen say that the fire escape was
clogged with refuse which had to be
cleared off before the fremen could
mount.
The Travisano family evident were
trapped in their rooms. The body of
the father was found lying on a couch
while the son and daughter were kneel-
ing on the floor with their faces in their
mothers lap and seemed to have been
suffocated while praying.
The members of the F'iliberti, Gruppi
beds on the fifth floor where they had
been overcome by smoke while asleep.
The belief that the fire was the work of
blackmailers arose from the statement
of Antonio Urso, the barber who said
he had received a blackhand letter two
months ago demanding 5000. Urso said
he paid no attention to the letter.
The fire marShalS and police after
investigation reported that the fire was