Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-03-30
SURVIVORS
To TELL STORY
OF FIRE HORROR
N. Y. Fire Marshal and District
Attorney Are Conducting
Separate Investigations.
THIRTY WOMEN CARRIED,
H%YSTERICAL, FROM MEETING
Unstrung by Recital of Holo-
canst Tragedy, Even a Plat
form Leader Shrieks.

NEW YORK. March 30.-Fire Mar
shall Beers, who since Monday has been
probing the causes Of the Asch building
fire in an effort to determine who was
responsible for the great loss of life,
resumed his inquiry this morning de-
termined to question every person who
might throw light on conditions in the
burned building.
The fire marshal has summoned en-
ployees Of the building. 1remen, police
men, in fact every person who might
know anything about the fire, and as
the subpoena servers bring in the wit
nesses the Story of the TERRIBLE panic
Is told over and owe again with few
variations. b
Everyone agrees the fire began among
the cuttings on the eighth floor, but no
one seems to know how. Witnesses
deny that any person was smoking on
the floor, and william Bernstein, a cut
ter, who, 1t is reported. had been clean
ing a coat with gasoline just before the
fire, denies ne had used any gasoline
In the factory.
Evidence Ready for April Grand Jury.
Scores Of girls and young men have
testified before Assistant District-At-
torneys Bostwick and Rubin, who are
conducting the investigation for Dis
trict-Attorney Whitman. The facts ad-
duced by the distriet-attorney will be
presented to the April grand jury after
the new panel is sworn in next week,
superintendent of Buildings Rudolph
P. Miller, whose name has been men
toned frequently in connection with
the responsibility for the lack of ade-
quate fire escapes on the Asch build
ing, returned home yesterday from a
trip to Panama. He is not inclined to
accept any responsibility, and while
disinclined to discuss the matter did
say he thought 1t was the legal duty
of the fire department to report to him
violations of the fire-escape laws.
The fund for the relief Of the families
OF those who lost their lives in the
fire has grown to 45,S12.51. The largest
individual gifts in the past twenty
four hours We're: John Jacob Astor,
1000; NJ. C. 3. Borden, 81, 900; Mrs.
jefferson Seligman, $500, and Mrs. H.
Neustadter, $500.
The Women's Trade Union League Is
planning a mass-meeting for Sunday
afternoon at the Metropolitan Opera
House, at which the fire will be dis
cussed ana legislation improving fac
tory conditions urged.
Women Hysterical at Meeting.
Thirty women were removed late last
night from q memorial mass-meeting
for the victims Of the Washington place
fire, in Grand Central Palace, suffering
so terribly from hysteria that ambu-
lance surgeons were called to attend
them and to remove some to the hos
pital. over 5000 persons were present
at the meeting. mostly women whose
nerves were unstrung by the recital
which some of the speakers made OF
Saturdays fire horror. The meeting
was under the auspices of the Shirt
waist and Dressmakers' Union.
The wave of hysteria followed q dead
calm, in which, at the request of the
chairman, after r~ecitals of the fire dis
aster, all stood In silent respect for the
dead. The vast audience stood mo,
~tionless for a full minute and a half
when a ripple of sobs broke forth
p~unctuated with a woman's shril
scream from the centre Of the audi.
forum.
The wave of emotion spread to al
corners Of the place. and ever to thu
stage, where one of the women leader:
of the meeting screamed wildly hnt
struggled with those who sought to re
strain her.
All the speakers referred to the vic
tins of the fire as martyrs, and sail
that their sacrifice would not be II
vain II 1t spurred the working class u
greater efforts for their own protec