New-York tribune., 1909-11-09
NINE DIE In FIRE
CAUGHT BIZ BARRED
FACTORE UINDOUS.
CelIuloid Works m Brooklyu.
Conducted IN Old Tenement.
Hhhouf Fire Escapes.

Seven Itsllsns pinned ~ flames against
fhe hsrre6 windows cf cellulcid factory
az Sos $50 sno l52 Columbia street Brook
l,-n. p-ers slowly burned 20 death yesterday
morning they fought desperately, 20 &c.
through - an adjacent roof They turreS
aVsv a. the firm steel bars with bleeding
hands until the FIRE closed about rhsno
They died, some shrieking curses and 9th
ers. IN kneslns posture crying out the
rrsvers for the dying ~ he Roman Cath
olic ritual
IV-o others we're burnss - death one of
rfem the son % the proprietor ~ ,he fac
rory. m which Robert Morrison q Sons
Manufactured ''ihroidr combs one Of the
female operatives. Mamie Koppel Who
jumped from the TOP story ~ rhe structure.
~ill Gle from her burns. She is in the Long
Island College Eospitsl
The deed arc
s-enUs ans s2s street, sisnfsttsn
'Af,NlNE tl.' Mieh.l. nf'esn wears oid. - isl
TT RARpo, Tounn4eso. tfirfy-four Years o'd.
Thine avenue ana iath sfreet. Rroosl,n-
SAPoAlA lS,.S. Trsnk fort}-nins sears old. No. 7ss
NAeoNia. doI7ulsso. fourteen years old. son of
Brookl,n
nIIAzzo. po7'irico. tusn,,-three years old.
MlLAzZo. Pasqusle. nineteen .esrs cid. 30. 10
Inien street HrcaAlyn
MORRISON. William. tweni,.-four Years old. son
of proprietor. No % strong Place Brooki,n
sIEGENIHALER. Trcd fhir1,-hve ,esrs old
si.yh avenue and 18th STREET. college Point.
The irjured arr:
- u. DssraW s,rce, Broosyn. ief, knee
COTE. Pssgus,e. ,vertv Years Old. No. 30
eess 'osth street Manhattan: Potts fracture
81 left leg snd burns
CTNGU UENoME. Fieuo. thirty wears old. address
unknown burns.
kOFPEL Mamie, fifteen scars old. Nc. l04
Warren street fatal blTns
pristor No 20 strong place. 6arned O;,i on BODY
aud arms and seriously hunt
All OF the injured are in the Long Island
'onege Hospital. where i was said last
night that only the KOppel girl is I'm dan
Ecr.
The building had no fire escapes Coroner
Brewer, OF Brooklyn. will ask the coroner's
jlry al the inquest Friday night 10 decide
whether or not they viii leave 10 the
grand jury the question Of responsibility.
The heads OF the Buildings Department the
Tenement House Department and the Bu-
resu CT Combnstlbles viii be subpGnaed.
They will be asked why the building was
allowed 30 he utilized as a factory while
fn that condition. The pla1e lo06ed a.
dangerous as gUnpoWder factory" said
the Coroner
Tie territory is one OF sQualid tenement
houses. and the factory used TO be- one of
them. Cenulod from which the combs
were manufactured was scattered over the
trree floors. and when one OF the forty en-
Iloycs osrelessly dropped match in a
packed box standing on the elevator the
flames went through al three floors with
incredible swiftness.
Tho first floor was used as 4 storage place
Tor the finished product and the few men
"r.ployed there got 10 the street without
difhoultv. The boxes OF combs were quick
D. consumed and the flames burst Up the
elevator shaft 10 the roof. las suddenly as
the explosion OF hashlight powder" as
one % the survivors expressed Il.
Tho blaze was not louc in sweeping
through both floors. and there Was a rush
"a get out. The operatives on the top floor
IAN through the fame and smoke in a
blind search for the windows. Without ct
tempting tC get 90 the windows on the
second noor from two Of which the bars
lad been removed they lespec headlong
10 the roof % single story extension in
sc rear. About twenty men reached safe
ty IN tins manner. Mamie koppel was
smong those 20 take the leap.
Nobody on the top floor attempted 20 got
out Of ths front windows for those were
hriuC rapidly destroyed. The rush 20 es-
crpc ou Tho TOP hoor was done without the
sid - III tiTenaen. for none II th. mem
R'ers Of the department arrived Tor hfteon
minutes after the fire started
Robert Morrison. jr.. the manager Of the
facioTy, was ono Of those Who escaped by
r second floor window. Ho managed TO e.
fsct TIE escape also OF his aged father.
no said last night that tho horror % those
few moments would he impressed on his
hrain forever
-Four alarms were sent an and smbu-
lsnccs csme from the Brooklyn. Seney and
onS Island college hospitals. and tho re-
serves from ,he Amity street police station.
TIE property JOSS viii not oNcoed SO aao.
Wlsh tic us. ~ = dozen streams ana the
high pressure water tower the fire Nss "a
fnEuished within half an hour after the
arrival ~ tho dcps rtmcut.