Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1911-03-28
Fire Started
By Cigarette
FIRE MARsHAL's THEORY OF
NEW York HORROR.
CARNEGIE GIVES $4,000
Heads Relief Fund for sufferers-Re-
port That Doors Leading to Fire
Escape Were Locked.

the blame for the loss of 142 lives in
the Washington Square fire of Satuf-
day drew to a focus. today the ener-
Eies of the district attorneys staff, the
IRE marshal the coroner, the state Ia
Dor department, and Borough Presi-
dent McAneny of Manhattan. Dozens
Of investigators collected every scrap
of evidence.
An Additional Grand Jury.
Grand jurors turned personal pro-
bers and an additional grand jury in
a formal resolution presented to the
court of general sessions offered their!
aid to the district attorney and de-
clared that some one. should be prose-
cuted for the disaster
Found Doors Swinging inward.
What the probers found-evidence
that doors at exits swung inward; the
crumpled fire escape in the airshaft;
the one fire escape blocked by iron
shutters when opened; an empty wa
ter tank on the roof; and the prac-
tice prevalent among cutters OF light
ing cigarettes a few minutes before
yet to be ferreted out, will be placed
speedily before the grand jury for ac-
ton, District Attorney Whitman an
'nounced.
Doors to Exits Locked?
The tenement house department
summoned owners of half a dozen
faulty structures to police court as
a preliminary step to far-reaching
investigation of tenements. One man
other cases, it was announced, will be
pressed tomorrow. Fire Marshal
Beers summoned the proprietors Nof
the Triangle Waist company and sew
era1 employees to testify at a public
Investigation, largely to inquire into
the truth of reports that doors lead
ing to fire exits were locked.
Fire Started from Cigarette.
$50 far as I can discover" he said,
there has never been a fire drill in
this factory. In my opinion, it would
take seven hundred girls three hours
to reach the street by the. one fire
escape in that building. 4Nine-teHths
OF the employees cannot speak English,
yet l. could not find a sign in Yiddish
or Italian pointing out the fire exits"
The fire marshal said he was con-
WINGED that a cigarette, lit by 2 cutter
and thrown in q heap of clippings,
started the fire.
4 4 carnsgis Contributes 5000.
Thirty-three bodies, most of them
shorns of all semblRnce to human forms
lie unidentified tonight at the Chari-
ties Pier morgue. Eleven persons,
most of them girls in their teens, are
uSultuR lOI l1lS. III lO6p1ldlB. ~
coEteges traversed the East Side and
the italian district near the factory
and as many more are scheduled for
tomorrow. The unidentified will be
buried in a single grave, but will be
held as long as possible to give rela-
tives and friends an opportunity to
claim them.
Death List at 142.
Final figures place the death list at
142, as announced last night. OF these
1913 bodies were taken from the scene
of the disaster and nine died in hos
pitals. The list will be swelled, sur
geons say, by others, who, still liv-
Ing, have no chance Of recovery.
On Lookout for Bogus Heroes.
Bogus heroes will reap no rewards
for mythical rescues at the Washing
ton square fire if a warning issued by
the survivors of the General Slocum
disaster prevails. The Slocun Sur
vivors' association held q special meet
ing tonight to prevent, as President
Charles Dersch put it, "a good hearted
public from bestowing rewards where
none was deserved"
The association extended it's SYM
pathy to those bereft of relatives in
the Washington square fire.