Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-09

The Aldine apartment was six sto-
ries, of brick construction. It was the
first apartment house built in New
ark. It was about thirty years old
and was of such interior material and
Of such fashion that would not be
passed under the building code of to-
day. although when built it was con-
sidered a model structure. 1t had but
one stairway md it was built around
the elevator.
There were probably 125 persons
asleep In the house at 5:21 o'clock,
when the fire was discovered. That
any of those persons living above the
third floor escaped is considered al
Ianost miracle by the police an Gre
officials
Not a single person, as far as could
be learned today. escaped by means
If the stairway. All OF the tenants
reached the street by way Of the
fire escapes on the front, rear and
two sides of the buildings, or by tall
ladders raised by fireYnen.
The three women whose dead bodies
arc in Mullins morgue are these OF
servants They slept in the servants
aluarters on the top floor of the build
ing ana were trapped by the flames
and smoke.
Only One Exit.
When the first of the fire apparatus
reached the Aldine apartments the
stairway and elevator, which are IN
a well on the Lombardy street side
of the building, were mass OF
darnas The flames had already
broken the glass in the front doors
and were belching into the street.
The Lombardy street doorway was
the only exit. .,,
Tenants in the house were piling
down the fire-escapes on all sides.
Men. women and children we're
shrieking historically for relatives
from whom they had become separat-
d in the thick pail of smoke that
hung over the entire building.
once on the street husbands began
loozing for wives and parents for
children. Houses on Lombardy street
we're thrown open 10 the scantily
clad people. Many of the refugees
we're SO choked with smoke they couio
not talk coherently All were fright-
ened and panic-stricken.
Women clad only in night clothes
were rushing from house TO house
cooking for missing children Men
uaiama clothed, ran here and there
making frantic search for wives.
In the background was the flaming
anartment. veritable fire-trap.
smoke was pouring from every Win
dow near the elevator shaft. A pillar
of fire ascended heavenward where II
had burst through the roof WITHIN
ton minutes after ii was discovered.
over all hung a thick pail of smoke,
punsent and of light yellowish hue.
II waved and billowed. at times en-
tirely masking the leaping flames,
or,ly to make the latter seem all the
more fierce and dangerous when a
breeze occasionally lifted the smoke
curtain aside for moment
Heard by Passerby.
The first alarm was turned in at
S.21 a. m. by Anthony Rogers, of 106
Garside street. He was on his way
home from a dance. Rogers heard the
crash of glass as the heat and flames
smashed through the Lombardy street
doors of the Aldine apartment. Real
izing the peril of the inmates, Rogers
dashed for the fire box, No. 10, in
front of the building. After turning
in the alarm he shouted for assist
Responding to the first alarm Of
fire were Engine Companies Nos. 2, ],
8 Nos. / and > Hook and Ladder
Truck Companies and Chemical Com
pany No. l.
On the second alarm, sent out six
minutes after the first, were Engine
Companies Nos. ), %, I, 9, No. Hook
and Ladder and the Water Tower
Company.
The third alarm. following the sec
ond bv nine minutes, called out En-
gine Companies Nos. 20. IL, 10, 8, and
No. Hook and Ladder Company.
This made eighteen fire-fighting ma
chimes in all. No. 10 Engine Company,
at sherman avenue and Astor street,
covering the greatest distance.
When Battalion Chief George Lynch
reached the scene on the first alarm
he found the elevator shaft and stair
way were a seething mass of flames.
He Immediately sent in a second
alarm, five minutes after the first one.
This brought out Chief Paul ]. Moore.
At 1886 Chief Moore sent out the third
alarm.
Aid for Inmates.
After Battalion Chief Lynch reached
the fire his first concern was to aid
the occupants, who were struggling
down the fire. escape. Ladders were
quickly raised to the bottom plat
forms OF the fire-escapes. Firemen