New-York tribune., 1910-11-29
PREPARE TO PROBE FIRE.
Authorities Begin Investigations
of Newark Tragedy.
BOY HERO TELLS HIS STORY
County Officials Think It VIII
Be Difficult to Fix the
Responsibility.

Be Difficult to Fix the
Responsibility.
With the positive identified ton of one VIC
tim and the appearance of another sup
posed victim. the known and identified list
of dead in the tragic fire in High street.
Newark, on Saturday, was reduced TO twen-
ty-three.
There was found. however. the charred
remnant Of human thigh bone in the mass
Of debris inclosed by the partially standing
walls of the factory together with bit of
faded blue cloth which may result in the
placing of one more name on the death
list
As 20 the missing the officials Of the New
Jersey city and county are not yet prepared
to speak finally, because they have not yet
compared the list of reported victims with
the payrolls of the firms which were housed
in the burned building. Persons morbidly
curious and anxious TO gam admission to
the morgue have reported friends or rela-
tives missing. The majority If these cases
the police believe are fictitious. but they
have hampered their work.
Grand Jury Inspects Ruins.
The Essex County Grand Jury made an
inspection of the ruins yesterday, and late
III the afternoon a coroner's jury, which
will hold an inquest next week. viewed the
body of Carrie Ruprecht, one of the vic
tins. in order TO comply with the law and
lay basis for their investigation.
Wilbur A. Mott, the County Prosecutor,
began an investigation by taking the stories
of some of the survivors and eyewitnesses,
and il was while this was in progress that
Roy Davidson. the boy employed in the
Wolf factory on the fourth floor. who was
reported as missing and probably dead.
turned up to tell his story Of the tragedy
Theresa Tortarello's body. which was once
partially identified by her father Joseph.
but later returned as a case of mistaken
identity. vas positively identified yesterday.
when her father. who is q shoemaker. dis
covered e piece of patched shoe which he
had repaired himself.
OF the twenty-five injured victims in the
City and St. Michael's hospitals. five were
reported Yesterday as being in such serious
condition that there was but little hope for
their recovery, but none died during the
day.
The three Gottlieb sisters. who died to-
gether in their combined efforts TO save
others. Were buried together yesterday in
Orange
May Lead to Legal Battle.
From the remarks Of county officials. it
was understood that the question Of re-
sponsibility for the condition OF the build
ing as to fire protection and escapes would
be a difficult one, and would likely lead 70
a legal battle Newark city ordinances, it
was said. prescribe that in buildings over
three stories in height there shall be one
fire escape for each twenty-five persons en-
ployed above the third floor. but the cty's
authority Is supposed 10 be exerted when q
building is in course of erection. After that
it is up to the State Labor Commission
Thomas J. D. Smith. the foreman Of the
grand jury. said after the building had been
inspected by that body that there had not
been sufficient fire escapes.
The coroner's jury will consist Of {. Will
lam Heiman. the foreman: George W.
Jagle Charles Cameron. William J. Hughes.
Philip Lindermann and J. Martin Roll jus
tice Of the peace. of South Orange. All but
the last named are Newark business men.
The plans Of the County Prosecutor. il is
understood. are 10 subpoena 10 the grand
jury all city. county and state officials
whose duties pertain to the supervision or
inspection Of factory buildings. either in
course of construction or while being used.
| This viii undoubtedly result in bringing
some men before the grand jury who will
not he able 70 aid IN fixing responsibility
for the conditions which resulted in the
tragedy Of Saturday, but Mr.. Mott holds
that guilt is personal and he means 70 20
through the lists until he finds the re-
sponsible man or men. Besides these the
County Prosecutor viii summon survivors
and witnesses and present dispositions from
those Of the injured who are still confined
70 hospitals
Boy Hero Tells Story of Fire.
Rov ravidson's appearance At the County
Court House and his story. told TO Mr.. Mott.
were the bright features of an otherwise
dark day He is the youth who was cred
tied by the girl survivors with having aided
in the escape OF all by his cool presence
OF mind and il was At first reported that
ne had lost his own life in the work OF saw
ing others
When asked about his heroic work he
would say nothing more than: I did the
best ! could"
Apart from that. however. Young David
son was willing 10 tell what happened,
Il was taking some express packages off
the freight elevator" he said, when I
heard the Try Of Fire" and the. girls stan-
peded for the fire escape. which opens from
a rear window. They couldn't get the win
dow open. though. so picked up a board
TO break il with. Just then a wooden plat
form on the inside Of the window ledge
broke with the weight Of the girls on il,
and that delayed them a little Then I
heard a cry from IN front and tried to
make my way there 20 help the girls caught
in that part Of the room. but the smoke
vas TOO thick and I was only able to
crawl 10 another back window, where l
managed to help four other girls get out
with me We got 70 the ground by way OF
the roof Of the engine shed"
The fund for the relief OF the victims
and those who relied on them for support
is growing hourly. Five hundred dollars
was sent to city Treasurer GUeuther by
the Wolf company, and III large and small
amounts, il was said last night, the total
received approximated $3.50
From the records OF the Newark Fire
Insurance Exchange II was disclosed yes
terday that that body had been trying since
1905 to improve the character Of the risk
in the High street factory building. from
the standpoint OF the insurance companies
The records show that the premium rate on
contents in the building was So %, instead
of the standard rate Of s., the extra 81 %
hundred being for what the fire insurance
inspectors termed deficiencies in the risk