The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-03-29
LEGISLATURE MAY
NOW SIFT DISASTER
Resolution Provides SIS, 1000
for Fire Investigation.
CAUSE OF BLAZE NOT FIXED
Chief Worth Testifes No Apparatus
in Department Could Have Been
Used to Save Lfvcs-Death List still
Stands Mt 143-Twenty Bodies Have
Not rs Yet Been Identified.

New York. March 2S.-With the grand
jury and coroner preparing to delve
into the Asch Building disaster and an
investigation now under way by the fire
marshal. there is promised still another
probing of the fire in resolution intro
duced to-day at Albany.
This resolution, introduced by Ass, m
bly, man Cuvillier. calls for "A legislative
committee of nine to look into tho fire
and report legislation needed to protect
lives in the type OF buildings represented
by the Asch Building. Three OF the
committee would be appointed by the
governor. three by tho president OF IN"
Senatc. and three by the speaker OF the
assembly. and $1,000 appropriated for ex-
pcnse.
AT the continuation of the fire mar
Shals investigation to-day at fire bead
quarters il was definitely established
that the doors leading to the stairways
wer" not locked on any OF the floors. \
partial story of what happened on the
ninth floor. where most Of the loss of
life occurred. was obtained from William
Grcenspan. a machinIst. employed on that
| floor. II" sworc :tat tho door on the
ninth floor was unlocked. a point as L"
which there has been much doubt.
Cause still n Mystery.
Chief Worth. the first chief to arrive
at tho fire. testified that there was no
apparatus in tho department which could
have been used to save lives. lf the
people inside. however. had used the hosc.
instead of tire buckets. he felt sure many
lives could have been saved As to seal
ing ladders. ne said there had been no
time to use them. as the people jumped
TOO fast
Had tho people jumped ono at a
time" he said. they might have boon
saved, because the fire net would have
held them. but they came down in
punches, four or five at a time. and the
not was destroyed. the spring breaking.
No light was thrown today on the
cause OF tho fire. but Fire Marshal Beers
was expecting some information as to
this from "A witness whom he hopes &"
get hold OF tomorrow morning. Testi-
nony of some OF tho witnesses to-daI
went 10 show that on the different floors
and particularly the ninth floor. tho opcr
ativcs made a rush for the doors they
were accustomed to use. The fire marshal
pointed out that this Was whore fire
drill would have been useful. as so
drilled each person would have known
just which exit 10 make for.
The death list from tt" fire still stood
at 142 Freda Velakowski. one of the
injured at the New York Hospital. was
expected to die.
Twenty Yet Unidentified.
At midnight tonight there was still
twenty unidentified bodies laying in the
temporary morgue established on the
Charities pier at the foot OF East Twenty
sixth street. During the day nine bodies
were identified. Most OF the Identified
tions were made by brothers. sisters. and
other relatives through some clothes
jewclry. &c.
The old morgue and pier was crowded
all day to-day. The strict police lines
were still maintained. There were the
usual pathtic scenes whenever a positive
identification was made. Occasionally a
shrek would BE- heard and a few minutes
later a woman or a man would be seen
fainting on the ground. The burial of the
unidentified dead will not take place to-
morrow. The coroner has decided to
wait until the usual five days have ex-
PRED
Commissioner Drummond, OF the de-
partment of public charities. announced
tonight that the department will buy n
plot IN a private cemetery where each
victim will be buried in a separate coffin
and with a namcplate indicating that
they arc unidentified victims of tho fire
\ complete and accurate description of
body may be obtained at the charities
department or from the police. and each
grave will be so numbered that IL at any
time any one may recognize the belong
ings of a victim the body can be disin-
tered