The evening world., 1911-05-25
Take Woman and Children by
PerilouS Route From
Fourth Floor.
MEN LEAVE FAMILIES.
Scores Trapped on Iron Escape
of Bronx Tenement
Ladder Missing.

one man was made unconscious by
smoke, scores Of panir-strickcn men and
women struggled on hrc-cseapcs when
they discovered tho drop-laddor was
gone. and hundreds Of spectators
cheered one OF the most thrilling and
spectacular rescues over witnessed when
two nrcmen. each with two persons In
his arms. wrapped their legs around a
ladder and slid safely four stories to
the street during a IRE at No. 2Gl East
one Hundred and Forty-nlnth street.
the house of all nations at / o'clock
this morning.
The blaze started in the uoodshcd Of
the basement OF the four-story brick
structure. on the ground moor Is an
Italian mission. and ten miles occupy
the other floors. Before the flames
were discovered they had worked their
way 10 the hrst 10 and burned the
stairway. cutting OF escape by the stairs
for the sixty persons above.
Lawrence McGowan. sixty years Cd,
who lived a hcrmlt's life In the cellar
and Of whom n hing Is known. evil
IDENTIFY tried TO get out and give the
alarm. but was overcome by smoke.
lie was found soon after the hremen
reached the scene by Acting Deputy
Chief KIM and taken to Lincoln Hos
pital In "A serious condition.
Mrs. Annie Rradham. who lives on
the top floor with her four children.
Robert. twelve; Edward. seven; Thorn
as. six. and Loretta. I. smelled smoke
when she got up to give little Loretta
her medicine. She opened the door and
found the hall filled with smoke.
Out n Fire Escape.
Calling her brood about he. she ran
to the fire escape. leaving the door
open. This caused the draUght to draw
In the flames and smoke. Her screams
for help attracted the attention OF Po-
licemen Shine n Baumbach OF the
Morrisania station. who sent In an
alarm and hurried to the house to get
out the tenants.
They found the sta,rways burned and
could not get ny. by that time every
body was awake and pillng down tho
Are escapes. Men. women and children
trampled and kicked one another until
the first floor balcony contained a,
many rs It would hold. Many others
were stranded on other landings or
clinging to the into vening ladders.
Bedlam broke loose when those ON
the balcony discovered that the drop
ladder was missing. There Vas IA gap Of
fourteen feet TO the ground. and some
OF the men began lowering themselves
through the well and dropping to the
alley way below.
Left Women and Babes.
A man seized a pulley clothesllne and
tied 1t to the fire-escape railing, and
the remaining men. with one or two ex-
ceptlons. slid down this rope. But none
OF the women and children managed to
escape either by dropping or by sliding
down the rope.
The balcony had got ~ hot that the
women and children climbed up the es.
capes again. II 1t was remarkable
that mono fell. as nan carried th,il
children on their backs in the perllou!
ascent.
In a few minutes four thirty-five foo
ladders a been run up and the relu
gees were being taken to safety. Mrs
Brddnain aud her four children wer,
found huud.od In It corner OF the TOT
, FIRE escape, 50 Weak from fright and In
smoke they could hardly move.
, Fireman Condren took The woman an.
, the little girl IN his arms, Wrapped nj
, legs about the sides of the ladder an,
' made n successful slide to the street
. four stories below.
Fireman Rousseau picked up the Nv
smaller boys, told them to hold tight
n and. AS tLe crowd below cheered tn
dangerous feat. did the same stunt,
The blaze Was stopped AZ the sccuu
floor aud did only about 500 damage
Q II was said at the hospital that Nc
y Gowan probably would recover.