New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-08
SILENT CROWDS
MOURN FIRE DEAD
fearless Thousands Gaze
at Williamsburg Factory
Ruins for Hours.
FATHER SAW GIRL
DOOMED BY FEAR
hin of Victims, Stunned by Sud-
den Tragedy, Bury Blackened,
Crushed Bodies.

williamsburg was a fearless city Of
mourning yesterday, mourning for
those who had died IN the IRE at PSI
TO PSI North Sixth Street Saturday.
There was little Of that familiar
street corner gossip which y ight be eN-
pected at such q time. The BIC hre.
YES. YES. the big ire was on many
lips. but IL died away i1 The same tone
OF horror in which II began.
As pilgrims 90 shrine, people
crowded 10 see the pitifully mIsshapen
shell o. the smoky ave story factory
with It's trembling FIRE escapes where
Cousin Bertha was ufocatcu Within
sight Of her father o. Sister Irene
lesped. only 20 fall a broken mass.
The stars which gradually slipped out
OF q fast darkcuinC SKY outlined luet
as great silent crowd as had stood all
afternoon 20 gaze, 90 sob and tSi"
away.
az 275. lived Bertha Eossman. hlteeh
wears old. who worked for the p. !. u.
Tailoring Company. on the fourth hoor-
Her father. Louis kOssman, TOO tne
following story after the family had re-
turned from her funeral:
Il am tailor and J work hard Tor
my family Bertha did not nave 10
work. but she did not want 20 90 TO
school and the factory " so near thaI
] consented.
..Yestcrdav she came boz az noon for
dinner. Aftcrward she jumped up say
ing: 4 must hurry back or ! WI" oe
late. save me some Of that cake TOT
supper. ] haven't time 20 eat IT now
and away she ran laughing.
at was not fifteen minutes after that
ufl
into the street, ] saw the factory where
nv Bertha worked was on FIRE.
TimiGity Doomed Girl.
Il looked up TO nay Bertha's floor ana
there I saw her outside the windoW en-
the fire escape. She was standing WIN
a little friend Of hers. They were na491
in hand. ] called 10 her that ! wou-q
help her. but I DO not think she heard
me Her little friends uncle is o ire
man. lie held ~ net. The memo
jumped and was saved. Ny berlha
said, y am afraid and then IT. was too
late for her 20 jump, for those pc
hind pushed her over and she was
stamped on.
81 could do nothing. Ny wife went
10 ali the hospitals and then 10 the
Mcrguc. where she at last identified
BERTHA. II was so hard 20 recognize
her. because her face was all trampled'
but mother knew "a queer silver ring
she always wore. .,
To-day we buried our little gin.
Her mother is in there.' pointing 70 an
inner room. "sick will it all, and am
wondering about it ala the dear
daughter who will never return.
II was not difficult 10 find where the
victims Of the fire lived. Outside Of
their homes were groups Of sad-eyed,
silent people, who stood respectfully
looking up at the windows, as If 20 AID
the bereaved families by their pres
ence. They did not presume TO enter
but waited, murmuring their tributes,
though some Of them were strangers.
Lena Goldfein. nineteen years old,
lived at 239 South Second Street with
her parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Harry Cold
fem. She worked on the fourth ..oor
for the same tailoring company as
Bertha Rossman, and was caught on
the same ire escape. She, too, was
buried early to-day. Mrs. Goldfein,
who has been an invalid for several
years, had to be carried in chair from
the carriage after the funeral Her
daughter Sarah, about twelve years old,