Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-12-06

to the stairway and found the door
locked. ! rang the bell n pounded
on the door, but could get no answer.
All this time | could hear the flames
roaring in our factory and smok was
pouring out of the doorway.
Just at this time Captain Darcie
Van valkenburg, of Engine Company
No. 4. Joined me, and we both kicked
and banged on the door. Just as we
were trying to force it open Miss Haag,
the forelady. came down and opened
it. With her were a number OF girls.
who rushed by us for the stairway.
Miss Haag let so of the door and it
slammed shut in our faces.
Trapped in Factory.
Captain Van yalkenburg and my
self were almost ~suffocated by this
time and the captain said: We will
nave 10 get out of this, We started
to so downstairs. but just then the
flames swept out of the doorway of our
factory and we were trapped. Cap
tain Van Nalkenburg broke open a
window with an umbrella | had been
using to pound on the locked stairway
door and we both partly fell out of the
window. Then q ladder was raised
and / had just strength enough to fall
out on it head-irst. I do not remena-
her reaching the ground l was so near
suffocated."
How soon were you at the fire after
it started?" asked Mr.. Mott,
On Scene quickly.
within ten seconds" was the reply.
did you hear anything about a or
ossed wire? asked Mott. Il
Nothing" said Mcouat. Il don't
believe there was one
"How about one of your girls getting
her hands burned by a crossed wire
was Motifs next query.
Il don't believe she did" was the
answer.
We'll, l have information that she
did, said Mott, but we will pass that
over for the time being" Il
Asked by Juror Roll If in his opinion
all of the girls on the top floor could
have escaped if the Dor had not
been locked, Mr.. McOuat stated en-
phaticaliy that he did.
Questioned by Prosecutor Mott as to
what was to prevent them from open
ing the doorway from the inside, the
lock being on the outside, McOuat re-
piled:
They had no RICH to open that door.
That could only be opened by Miss
Haag. She had those girls under per-
feet discipline and they obeyed her i'm
plicitly."
In reply to further questions, Mr.. Nc
Ouat said he did not believe it was two
minutes from the time the fire started
until the girls began to jump, although
he testified that he had no idea just
how long a time 1t was.
Jobp ~ Rlavnav a aps1fapfIriu
machinist on the first floor of the build
ing, said that the first he knew of the
Are was when he noticed the girls
coming down the fire-escape in front
of his Office window. He testified that
fully sixty or sevnty girls were helped
down the front fire-escape by the fire.
men.
did you see anything that would
lead you to thing, as has been init
mated, that the firemen did not do
their full duty?' asked Foreman He'll
man.
Indeed. ra" was the quick response.
''On the other hand, l think the fire.
men deserve a great deal of credit.
They did everything possible"
las soon as l reached the street"
said Mr.. Blevney, Il saw a woman, |
believe ii was the forelady, Miss Haag,
all ahlaze, leap from the fourth floor
window. The sight sickened me, and
as / knew / could do no good entered
my office and ordered my employees
out of the building.
Zone think / want to say is this:
When the fremen got the aerial ladder
up and started to work on the fire they
found they hod 40 water, and 1t was
not until the water tower arrived that
any water was poured in on the top
floor
County Physician William Fl. NC
Kenzie was the first witness called.
Ee told of seeing the body of Miss
Robrecht first in High street, later in
Engine House No. 4, directly across the
street from the burned building, and
also at Mullins morgue where it was
identified.
What were the injuries to Miss Ro-
brecht?" asked Prosecutor Mott.
she had a fractured skull, the en-
tire top OF her head being crushed in;
her left leg was fractured and she was
bruised all over. She had evidently
died instantly.
was the body burned?" asked Fore
man Heilman, of the jury.
mot in the least" replied DR.. Nc
Kenzie. She sustained her death by
jumping from the fourth floor OF a
burning building"
That completed DR.. McKenzie's ex-
animation, and Edwin G.. Kemp, a
mechanical engineer and surveyor,
identified IA map Of the burned
building. showing the first floor plan
and also elevations showing the front
and rear walls.
Examination Is Technical.
Mr.. Kernp's examination was largely
technical, being devoted TO measure
ments of the fre-escape and the one
stairway inside the building.
According to Mr.. Kemp's figures the
ti~re-escapes complied with the building
laws, with the exception of the railing, ,
which was two feet eight inches, in
stead of three feet, as required by law.
Asked by Mr.. Mott to describe the in
side stairway, Mr.. Kemp said 1t was of
wooden construction and was boarded
on either side by two-inch boards laid
side by side.
Would that make it fire-proof?"
asked Foreman Heilman.
"Oh. Lord, mol" Vas Mr.. Kemp's
quick answer. 'arhe stair casing was
burnt through in several places"
Mr. Kemp was then. quizzed by a
number of the jurymen. He vas asked