Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-03-27
Building in Which Hundred and
Fifty Lives Were Lost Only
One of Hundreds Of Similar
Fire Traps,
RELIEF FUND STARTED
TO AID UNF0RTUNATES
Heartrending Scenes Attend
Identification Of Charred and
Blackened Corpses Of VIC
Tins, Ninety Per Cent Girls
nv Morning Journal Special 1eased wirel

New York, March 26.-What VIII
go down in history as the fire disas-
ter Of Washington Square entered
upon it's aftermath tonight with SO
of nearly $50 victims identified. The
official death list has been lessened
rather than increased.
Revised count shows 141 dead to-
night with twelve women and girls
at deaths door in the hospitals. One
hundred and fifty, all told, will per-
haps conservatively cover the casual
ties when those whose horrible hurts
and burns seem fatal have joined
their fellow workers in pine coffins
at the morgue.
Careful counting still rates the fe-
male victims, young and old at ap-
proximately ten to every one male
Broadly speaking they were mostly
Jewish and Italian, living either on
the East side or in a small Italian
quarter near the scene of the fire.
With all the dead removed from
the building, the coroner began an
investigation into the disaster-one of
several inquiries which will be con-
Quoted by city departments-aide
by agents from the district attorne-'s s
office. An inquest will be held and
its result Will be placed before the
grand jury. Many grand jurymen
visited the scene and District Attor-
ney whitman announced that those
responsible for the loss of life would
be vigorously prosecuted.
On Thursday night a mass meeting
will be held at Cooper Union to aei-
tate for more adequate protection OF
socalled fire-proof buildings.
The United Hebrew Charities and
the Hebrew Burial society announced
tonight that they were ready to re-
ieve any distress caused by the fire.
The Independent order of B'Nai
Birth has opened a subscription
fund throughout New York. Massa-
chusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island
and a portion of Canada for the suf-
ferers. Directors of the Metropolitan
opera house have offered the buiiding
free for benefit performance. DR..
George NJ, Price, chairman of an in
vestigating committee, appointed by
the cloak, suit and shirt industry OF
New York, last September, to inves-
tigate and remedy unsantary and
protective conditions affecting mem
bers of that union. gave out tonight
n statement with a long list of fac
tory buildings which he says fail to
comply with fire regulations
What was expected has hap
pened" says the statement. "Those
who knew of the flimsy fire protec-
ton in the loft buildings of New
York long ago predicted such a dis.
aster as occurred in WASHINGTON
Square. If, however, this building
was the only one of those unprotect-
ed, the situation would not be so ter
rible, But the fact is, there is hardly
a large loft building in New York
which is better protected against
fire"
In a statement to the press issued
today. Borough President McAnenS
said that 500 firemen, recently de-
tailed by Fire Commissioner Waldo
for the purpose, reported $500 build
ings lacking adequate fire escapes.
The building department has al.
ready. Investigated 700 of these $500
cases and reported that only 10 pei
cent of them We're in violation of tn,
building code. The Asch building II
which Saturdays disaster occurred
had not been reached among tn,
cases reported by the fire department
Mr.. McAneny urged thorough re
vision of the code, leaving the pro
visions relative to fire escapes to
commission Of building and fire ex
perts to be appointed by the city.
While a crowd of morbid thousand
was held back by the police firemei
all morning with graphing irons ant
fire hooks, sought victims in tn
flooded cellar of the building.
steam pump emptied the basement o
water during the morning and tn
firemen believed, when they restc.
at the dinner hour. that they woul'
find no more dead. Tonight, how
ever. they carried out another body
making three recovered during th
day.
The work of the day shed no ligh
upon the cause of the blaze Thi
probably will never be known.
spark from the motor driving tn
sewing machines, shooting throug
the lint-charged air of the operatln
room to a four-inch carpet of scrap
on the floor, could easily have start
ed fire. but Chief Croker was un
willing to say tonight that i'm hi
opinion. II originated this way.
Two hundred thousand persons, tn
police estimate, filed in a serpentin
line to the pier from the opening O
the improvlsed morgue at ! o'cloc
this morning until late this mornini
AZ times the lines extended beyon
Twenty-third street, four blocks ava!
and tens of thousands, lmpelled b
morbid curiosity, were turned ava
by the police,
Nearly a hundred coffins lay In
long row upon the pier, awaiting re
moval or identification of tn
charred bodies they collected. Fort
human forms so burned. blackene
and distorted that they can not b
recognized. lay covered by white car
Nnn L.. l1Inlr Mn. nnffi... I. ~ "a fnn.