The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1910-12-22
and
POLICE DEAD
IN THE FIRE
Twenty-Five Known to Have
Per,shed in Philadelphia
Leather Shop Blaze
Caught Under Tons of Brick,
Mortar and Timber When
Four Walls Fail Inward
Especial from United Press, i,

Philadelphia, Dec. 22-Twenty-one OF
the city's dremen and police are
known to be dead, more than a score
are In hospitals, some OF them injured
fatally, and six more are missing, as
the result Of fire which destroyed
the David Friedlander Leather Fac.
tory here. during the night. The dead
and injured we're caught under tons
of brick, morlar and timber when the
four walls Of the building fell inward
as they were fighting the flames. The
dead:
At 1880 o'clock. this afternoon. there
were six firemen still missing. with
two Of these known to be in the ruins
Besides the dead there are more than
score injured in HOSPITALS, some OF
whom probably will Jie.
The dead: Robert Steward, fireman.
Charles Hi. fireman: William Hoff-
man. fireman; Howard Bertolett.
Truck z; Charles Eiderman. Engine
Company 6; Frank A. Carroll Truck
Ruttonworth station: Harry Bartlett,
Eneine Company 20; Hoseman Kill
patrick, Truck 4; Hoseman Birchmav-
er. Truck 1; John Collins, Truck 4:
Thomas Entwhistle, Engine Company
q; Charles NJ. O'Connell. Engine
Company %; George Machinsky, fire-
man. Truck z; Fred G. Callbrer, un-
pital. unidentified fireman at Roose-
welt Hospital.
Fred q. Kalzerer, assistant fore
man: Thomas Pass, fireman, Eng ne
Company 2, found in ruins. today
Samuel Parks, fireman, Engine Com.
pany II, died In Stetson hospital. Po.
liceman Norris Mells, Tenth and But
tonworth station.
At 10N o'clock, today, the Are was
still burning and the smoke Of the
ruins greatly handicapped the army
of rescuers searching for those believ-
ed still N the ruins. 1t is possible
that another day may pass before all
the bodies in the ruins are found.
1t was while the fire was raging
most fiercely that the first of the
walls fell. High against the walls
were half dozen ladders from which
firemen were directing streams of
water. Without warning the roof
crashed in and an instant later. the
remaining three walls gave way. The
ladders fell with them and the fire.
men were plunged downward into
the mass of burning woodwork, iron
beams and mortar.
Beaten down and crushed, some died
miserably. Others. although unable
to move, were finally rescued by men
who risked their lives to dig them
out. Still others lived TO he taken
from the ruins but died in the hospi-
tails afterwards.
The fire Is believed to have been
OF incendiary origin and a rigid in
vestigation is to begun by Coroner
Ford as soon as possible.
The walls collapsed at 2:45 o'clock
when II is believed thirty policemen
and firemen were working beneath
them. Some were able to rush out
of danger but il is believed that most
of them were caught in the red hot
cr,,mbl'ng debris.
The blaze was first discovered
about 10 O'Clock and in less than ha (
an hour the interior of the build,n.'
was seething furnace. Unable to
fght the flames from the roof of the
doomed structure. the firemen climbed
to the roofs OF three small dwellings
adjoining the building. 1t was here
that the accident occurred.
Scattered about on the three small
structures at every vantage point
were nearly two score of men, while
clingng to their icy ladder which
was leaning against the south wall
OF the leather factory were Patrick
Carroll. George Machins'sy and John
Carroll all OF Engine Company No.
Z. The men on the houses saw their
danger first and yelled warning to
th~'~ comrades on the ladder but so
sudden was the collapse OF the wall
thst not one of them was able to es-
cape the rain of bricks and twisted
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