The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-04-01
WITNESSES IN FIRE PROBE
GRAND JURY STARTS TO FIX RE.
SPoNSlBlLlTY.
Legislative Bill, Putting Supervision
Of Escapes Under Fire Depart
ment Drafted.

Jury threw into action the machinery
for full investigation of the Washing
ton square fire of Saturday, in which
JAP lives were lost, by subpoenaing 20
persons as witnesses to establish the
blame, and the board OF aldermen
paved the way for an ordinance max
ing fire drills compulsory in factories.
Among the witnesses summoned be-
fore the grand jury are Max Blanck,
one OF the proprietors of the Triangle
Waist Co, whose employees We're the
victims, and Joseph Asch, owner Of the
building.
Fire Marshal Beers continued his
inquiry, the work of Identification
eliminated from the morgue all but
20 bodies. and scores of funerals were
held on the East Side In addition,
an aldermanic committee WAS in
structed to draft bill for presenta-
ton to the legislature, placing the in
stallation and maintenance of fire es-
capes on all buildings solely under
the jurisdiction of the fire depart
ment. There, Chief Croker said, it
should have rested all the while.
Chief Croker declared for fire cs-
capes on all buildings, hreproof or
otherwise. The proposed ordinance
requiring compulsory fire drills was
left with a committee.
Say Doors Were Unbarred.
Before Fire Marshal Beers. ma
chinst named GreenSpan testified that
when he ran from his post on the
ninth floor as the flames swept
through the building, the doors swung
open to his Juggling, contrary to the
| marshal's belief that they were locked
and barred. Greenspan said he es-
capped by the roof alone, although
girls grasped his garments as he ran.
ut was too dark" he said, ito aid
them"
Battalion Chief Worth, who first
saw the huddled group of SO bodies
on the ninth floor, testified also that
he found no doors locked or barred.
Indignation aroused by the sugges-
ton that the unidentified dead be
placed in a single grave was dissipat-
ed by the announcement that the de-
partment Of charities would procure
plot of ground in private cemetery
and bury each victim in separate
coffin.
The chief relief fund totals $4,000.
To Andrew Carnegie's $1,000. donat-
ed Monday, were added today $1,000
from Mrs. Russell Sage, $1,000 from
Thomas F. Ryan and many contribu.
tons up to $500.
Union Makes Protest.
New York, March 29-United union
/ labor, Mortified over the Triangle Shirt
Waist factory fire Saturday, in which
/ 143 lives were lost. is arranging a
mighty demonstration of protest
against present building inspection
What will amount to general suspen
sion of work is planned when the bod
les of the unidentified dead are buried
AS many union men and women who
can do SO will follow the funeral or
foot as protest against lax enforce
ment of the labor law.
Tt had been planned to make the
demonstration Tuesday, but owing &c
the provision of the law requiring I'M
identified bodies to be held five days
the joint funeral will take place eth
er Thursday or Friday. The trades
union league has taken charge of the
arrangements. Following the funer
ais a big mass meeting will be held
Unions will also arrange for the prep
aration Of a comprehensive report
showing just what conditions exist In
every factory building in the city.
There are still twenty eight uni
Identified bodies in the morguc, and il
is unlikely that more than one or two
Of them will be identified These bod
les are merely black charrcd masses