The evening world., 1910-12-08
Acting Chief TeStifies He Or.
dered Fire Nets After Cap
tain Was Saved.
4TH FLOOR TOO HOT"
Lieutenant SWearS No Fireman
Climbed Ladder TO Victims
of Newark Horror.

special from = star ConesuaDdent
NEWARK, Dec. Sat the continue
ton to-day of the Coroner's inquest into
the Wolf Company factory fire OF sstur-
day before last. that resulted in the
death of twenty-five girls. acting Battal-
bon Chief Schweikerdt testified that while
the girls were being burned to death or
losing their lives by jumping. the nremen
were busy rescuing Capt. Van valken-
burg from the third floor. lie dIdn't
know citizens were failing IN an attempt
TO use ladders TO save the girls on the
noor above. After Van vaikenburg had
been saved he ordered fire nets reid for
the girls 10 jump into.
Lieut.. CafYrey swore that no member
Of the department went up a ladder 10
the fourth floor. where the girls were
screaming al Blazing windows. from
which most Of them jumped to death.
He reached the third floor, but Il was
too hot" to go higher. No ladder was
raised between windows, because there
was mo use"
swears hs Saved Fifty.
Lieut.. Darkin sworc that he passed
shs - '0"h ~ front IRE fs-
cape TO Fireman Brown. In browns
own testimony yesterday lie swore he
was inside the building. unable 90 get
to the trapped girls on the fourth floor.
until he was overcome by smoke.
A merchant testified that no effort ia
raise n forty-foot extension ladder had
been made excep, by citizens, who took
II from the truck.
Capt. Robert II. Park testified tina,
hit truck No. T. arrived on the arst
aiarrn. bat Ire was home at breakfast
and did not arrive at the fire unit
twenty MINUTES later.
What was going on when you ar.
rivedy' asked Prosecutor Mott.
1T was all over when | got there, !
replied Park.
How long does 1. take your men to
get up a forty-foot extension LADDER
Not 'lpslynr than four mlnutes."i
Isn't that a pretty long time?'
81 don't think 80" =
Il have heard there was only one
remn at work putting up that
ladder. and that citizens helped. Did
you hear this" asked Mr.. Mott.
mo. sir"
You life net broker"
YES"
"What did your men do then
They did not get u blanket to use as
n net, a II was the last woman
who. Jumped that broke the net"
leg Broken on Narrow Free seape.
Mr. Mott then called Marie Faust. a
little. thin, pale girl. She was employed
by the wolf Company and fled by the
rear flre-escape.
1T was a narrow fir~e-escape," said
Marie. MY dress caught and fell on
another girl. l vas not hurt, but the
girl ] fell ON broke her leg"
The ladder wan attached to the wall
perpendicularly.
Did o have fire driiis?" asked n
jurpr.
No" was the reply.
Alfred =. Donaldson Of No. 100 Bloom
field street. whose place OF business IL
opposite the burned factory. was the
next witness.
After ! had sent my men across to
do what they could" said Mr.. Donald
son. II followed. I saw the hook and
ladder come up. There was "A girl IN a
window Of the fourth floor. We rushed
10 the truck and took on a ladder. We
could not get the extension to work. We
shouted to the girl. whom we learned
afterward was Miss Hsag. the fore.
woman, not 10 jump.
II saw no fremen. The flames came |
out around Miss Haag and she Jumped. |
She fell close to us. The ladder stood
there. some time afterward. against the
wall"
dersyff asked Mr.. Mott.
NO. SIR"
Safe TIL Platform Fell.
Clara Diehm. whose sister Kate. was
killed at the Are n another sister,
Sophie, had an ankle broken, testified
mat the giris were not panic-stricken
until the platform, inside the room.
which led Ia the fre-escape broke un.
der the weight OF those upon Il.
AN were waiting their turn TO 20
down the ladder when the platform
broke and they were thrown together.
Then they lost their heads and ran 10
the Windows" she said. Il was next to
the last down the ladder
Engineer Paddock vas recalled. and
said that he had inspected the platform
and considered 1t secure.
Roy Davidson. a hoy employed by
the Wolf company, swore he had never
seen a fire drill IN the factory. lie had
been there 1--WE years.
Capt. Schweikerdt OF Truck No. .
who was acting battalion chief at tho
1re. told OF taking Cant. yap Vallte,-