Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1914-08-27
7GN NEAR DEATH
WHEN FIRE CUTS
BUSINESS House
Occupants Of Lieberman
Building Climb to Safety
in Night Clothing
Believe blaze Was
Started BY EXPLOSION

of crashing glass and falling timbers,
ten persons, occupants of apartments
in the structure fed in terror from
The building at the southeast corner
Of Fifth and Market streets at 330I
this morning, as a mass of flames ate
their way through the windows ON the
second floor
All of the persons, of whom three
were women. raced down thesfire es-
cape on the Fifth street side of the
building, clad only in their night at
tire.
Those who fed from the burning
building are Mr.. and Mrs Joshua Rab-
inowitz, Mr.. and Mrs. Charles r. Dull
ing, son and niece, Mr.. and Mrs. Har-
ry Bockius and Frank Nobis all of
whom had apartments on the third
and fourth floors.
They were hurried to the police sta
tion and cared for by officers there.
The Livingston store, Boston Sample
Shoe Parlor and apartments were in
the building
The hre was first seen by employees
of the Morning News and George
Moreland. linotype operator. turned
in an alarm. The iremen found the
Boston Sample Shoe store. which is
on the second floor. Destroying the
door leading to the store, the fire
fighters rushed into the room. The
entire eastern end of the store was
ablaze and it was only after the hard
est kind of work that the firemen sue
ceeded in checking the flames ad-
vance.
Hundreds of gallons Of water we're
turned on the blaze. so much in fact
that the water fell in torrents on
the stock of the Livingston store
which Is on the street, and soaked
through the floor into the basement
According to estimates of Joshua
RabinoWitz, manager of the Boston
store which is owned by Louis Satanov.
who now is in Europe, the ruined stock
is valued at about Sl2b,G, covered by
insurance.
Daniel Rachln, manager Of the Liv-
ingston store, today stated that he
carried about $1,000 worth of clothing
and furnishings. The entire stock is
watersoaked but is fully protected
against loss.
The building, which is badly damaged,
is owned by the Rosa rieberman estate,
and is insured. II is estimated that
cost OF repairing the structure will be
about $1,000
a graphic story of the escape of oc-
cupants of apartments on the third and
fourth floors was given this morning by
Joshua RabnoWitz. who with his wife
has an apartment on the fourth story.
81 was asleep when my wife awak-
ened inc aud told me there was some
thing wrong" Rabinowitz said. 81 Jump
ed out of bed and pulling on my trous-
ers ran to the window. As ! did so
heard an explosion and saw flames
shooting from windows below. ] told
my wife TO hurry. and she got out Of
bed and we both ran TO the front door
Just as some man knocked We tried
The door. but the lock stuck and we
were trapped.
81 again ran to the window and saw
the flames towering higher and high
er ! took my wife and we opened the
window leading to the fire escape and
climbed down that to safety
81 understand the fire started in the
rear of our store. but I do not know
its origin. We never kept filmsy ma
terial of any sort i'm the store and
neither the clerks nor I smoked"
Apartments in the rear OF the third
floor are occupied by Harry Bockius
and wife. who were aroused by the
noise. They ran to safety in theil
night robes. Frank Nobis has the
front fat on the same floor He made
a lightning-like exit on learning thai
the building was in flames Nobis is
manager of the catering department
OF Winkler's cafe.
Charles +. Duling, record clerk o
the Pennsylvania Railroads Maryland
division. lives with his wife and sol
in the front apartment on the fourtl
floor. His niece is visiting the family
All escaped by the stairway Theii
attire was scant.
The fremen battled with the flames
long after those living in the struc
ture had escaped. The fire had Sc
cured a strong hold on the seconl
floor and was rapidly eating its wa!
into the Bocchus fiat when the fir
lighters reached the scene The!
managed to check its advance
Mystery surrounds the origin OF th'
fire. There was nO' easily inham
able material in the Boston Sampll
Shop. where the flames are supposed
TO have started. although the sount
OF explosion seemed to some I,
come from the Livingston store.
Speed with which the FIRE spread il
the Boston Shoe ParlOrs is testifei
90 by the condition of the ceiling an,
Continued on Page Two.