Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1909-03-03
BLACK
HAND
HORROR

vi biOhbh iihiboi 10 NhN tobNob VIII S@N |
acted by tne black hand" which
is charged with firing Seventh ave-
nue. tenement house early today.
AS the flames were driven back by
horde of firemen the full atrocity
Of the crime was revealed. Charred
corpses lay on the blackened remains
of stair landings, three bodies, burn
ed unrecogniZable, were found locked
in death embrace in a window
opening on an airshaft. Many were
found kneeling as though in prayer.
Everywhere was the indication that
the five-story tenement, crowded with
sleeping Italians, had been flooded
with oil from basement to roof and
fired.
Despite the handicap OF oil soaked
floors and of blazing pools of oil In
two airshafts which, acting as flues,
spread the flames to all floors, fire
men and police fearlessly entered the
building and prevented the death list !
from reaching fifty.
In the performance of their duty |
six policemen and ten firemen were
badly burned. Several firemen es-
capped death by jumping into the life
nets spread by their comrades in the
| street below.
on the ground floor of the build
ing was an undertaking shop and
overhead were housed thirty families,
whose members were sleeping when
the fire fiends started the blaze. Pat
rick Monks, employed by the under
taker, gave the alarm and attempted
to arouse the sleeping Italions, but
was driven from the building by fire
and smoke When the fire apparatus
arrived excited and frightened men,
women and children were fighting for
freedom in the smoke-filled, dark and
narrow halls.
While the firemen were working at
the front OF the building the police
attacked the rear. Here It was dis
covered that the fire escapes were
useless because of piles of rubbish
and household goods which had been
allowed, contrary to law, to occupy
. the iron balconies,
= Policemen Riley, Gallagher and
: Gentry made their way 20 the third
floor of an adjoining house, where
Gallagher, supported by his compan-
ions, swung himself to a window
ledge OF the burning building by
u means of shutters, There he passed
y out a man and two children, all OF
whom were unconscious.
While an extension ladder was be-
u ing placed opposite window on the
fifth floor, Firemen Clark and Me
Carthy ran up the swaying ladder
- Jumped for the window ledge and dis
= appeared into the room from which
- smoke and flames were spouting
Hardly had the ladder been steadiec
against the window ledge when the!
N appeared carrying two unconscious
women, who were passed to the
| street. Mccarthy re-entered the room
and rescued two small children. Al
he was descending the ladder, MAJ
appeared at a second story window
holding a child. Here, take him!
the man cried, and tossed the littl
hi one to Mccarthy, who caught the 0aD'
in mld-air and brought il safely t.
u the ground. The next instant tn
man in the window jumped. He wa
badly injured by the fall and was tax
en- to a hospital. The work of tn
firemen and police was marvelou
and a number of similar rescue
= equally as sensational were made.
III Seven persons on the fourth anC
fifth floors saved themselves D!
jumping into life nets held by fire
IN men. The spectacular and dramatic
CT features of the fire drew grea
D. crowds of people despite the earl!
hour and the cold. These We're most
ne Iy excitable Italians and the police
OF had great difficulty in heeping then
ey from rushing frantically into th'
le flames to rescue a relative or friend
o. The fire was brought under contro
ts after the flames had licked up the In
terror of the building. Because o.
I'D the cheap construction of the build
IL ing a loss only of $4,000 was sus
tanned.
The police started an investigation
and il was predicted that arrests
" would follow.
Lovers
w. of good health should prevent sick