New-York tribune., 1915-11-07
8 Girls, 4 Men Die in Factory Fire;
$50 Workers in Panic FIGHT for Life
Three Women Crushed to
Death in Struggle on
Fire Escape.
20 INJURED TAKEN
TO HOSPITALS
Owner Of Williamsburg Building
Arrested as Three Investiga-
tions of Blaze Are Begun.

Smoke and panic caused the death
Of twelve persons yesterday after
noon in the five story factory build
ing at 281 and 2S7 North Sixth
Street, in the Williamsburg section
of Brooklyn. Those who were not
strangled by smoke as they fell be-
fore the wild rush for safety were
killed by jumping from windows or
from the single fire escape.
Two others are dying. and twenty
seven lie injured in Brooklyn hos
pitfalls.
Seven persons may be missing, ac-
cording to the inquiries made at the
Bedford Avenue police station by
relatives Of workers in the building.
Mrs. Celia Diamond, who owns
the building, and her husband, F.. l..
Diamond, head of the Diamond Can
dy Company, on the first and second
floors of the building. were arrested
en- charges of criminal negligence.
Diamond admitted that he had re-
ceived an order between three and
five weeks ago to freproof the walls
Of halls Of one Of the stairways. He
instructed man to have this work
done. Only one floor had been fin
ished up to yesterday. There has
also been dispute with the authori-
ties as to the necessity of putting in
sprirklers.
Fire Commissioner Adamson, af-
ter hurried investigation, said last
night that he was not prepared to
say that all the building require
ments had not been observed.
Il won't be able to say whether
or not this was a firetrap until !
have received full report" he said.
at will be necessary to look up the
records on this building. AS for
sprinklers. which this building was
without. the law does not require
sprinkling systems in buildings less
than seven stories high"
Commissioner Adamson said he had
been Informed that some fire drills had
been held by the companies occupying
the building. In the Investigations held
after the fire some OF the employ
ing occupants were very hazy on this.
ern. II was constructed eight years
ago. There were sufficient exits. Thos.
persons TO whom death came before
the street was reached were found, near
the windows or on fire escape land
incs. Torn parts Of garments hanging
from the ralings Of these landings
pictured the terrific struggle that the
terrorized workers made to save them
selves.
There were about two hundred per
sons in the building at noon. The
structure was owned by Mrs. Celia Dia-
mond. She and her husband. Edward
L.. also ran the Diamond Candy Com
pany. which occupied the first and sec
ond floors. At 1890 Diamond dis
missed all but seven OF his thirty en-
ployes for the day. Work was thea
stillcd on the other floors for lunch.
There were sixty toilers in the Essex
Waist Company. on the third floor;
between forty and ffty In the h. l.. |.
Tailoring Company. on the fourth. and
forty in Abraham Barasch's cloakmak-
ing plant on the fifth floor.
Boy Gives Alarm of Fire.
4 few minutes after / o'clock the
machines were again whirring noisilv
throughout the building. and the work
ers were settled at the labor that, in
their thoughts, was to end for the daY
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