The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-07

One of them died later IN a hospital.
Frank Cobb. who helped in the rescue
work. found the window ledge SO hot
his hands were blistered.
No small share Of the rescue work
was done by Thomas Sabine, a night
patrolman. who saw the first girls strug-
Cling on the fire escape on the second
floor landing. unable to lower the drop
ladder to the street. Others behind were
crowding them against the rail. Sa-
blno saw their p~redicament, swung open
a door In the elevator shaft that opened
on the street and climbed up 30 he could
pull down the ladder and assist the girls
to the street. This was before the flames
from the first floor enveloped those who
clafnbered on the escape after their corn.
panions had reached the street.
Say They Had Ne warming.
Those who survived the fire insisted
that they had no warning except the
instant knowledge that the building WA
probably doomed. Thirty or forty made
their way down from the third floor In
the second floor. occupied by the candy
factory. then crossed that fioor and de-
scended by the candy %company's emer-
eency stairway on the other side of the
" Nv SttaDC VI Itvsl VI nv
others on the two upper floors was made
possible only by the opening Of the trap
door leading to the emergency stairway
on the third floor. for the flames quickly
shut on exit on the other side of the
building.
When that stairway was blocked the
press on the fire escape was increased.
Many who first heard the cry OF Are
through the building made for the fire
escape instinctively and We're badly
burned or killed. especially those who
reached the landings on the second and
third floors.
Those who found themselves facing a
flaming stairway on one side and a
damned fire escape in front crowded
the windows. pitifully calling for help.
AT the other side they faced difficulty
with the pivotal window sashes. In the
rear neighbors said they saw others
frantically try to raise windows that
would not bulge.
! Charles Crosse, foreman of the Ans
bacher Color Works at $40 North Sew
| enth street, In the rear of the factory
building. saw three girls suspend them
selves from the third floor window ledge
and drop to the one story shed In the
rear.
Crosse and several others got lad
ders and stretched them across from
the Color NOThs TUOl u lUe sUeu anu
/ carried the girls across to safety. One
girl Jumped to the roof OF the shed from
the fourth foor and was badly injured.
4 man ollowed her and was seriously
hurt. Neighbors said after the fire that
they could not look az the building when
they saw girls appear at the windows
and prepare to jump.
Ambulances from ST. GATHERINGS,
Eastern District, Williamsburg. Green
,.t,, T,~ta,,.,l Sfr.af Su.dish md
Kings County hospitals were quickly on
the scene. Fire Marshal Brophy. As
eistant District Attorneys Goldstein and
Wilson. Borough Inspector Dillon, Fire
COMMISSIONS .Adamson. Capt. Cray OF
the homicide bureau. Coroner Ernest
Wagner and other city officials arrived
soon after the appalling news OF the
tragedy reached them. AS fast as the
injured were carried to the street they
were rushed to hospitals. The dead
were not carried down the fire escapes
until an hour after the blaze started.
The bodies Of eleven dead were taken
out of the building and one other person
died in the Williamsburg Hospital. The
dead We're laid out temporarily in Have
meyer street.. wrapped in blankets. Be-
cause of the condition OF the bodies
Identification was slow End 1t was not
until late last night that the identified
ton of nine of them was complete
They were first taken TO the Lee ave
nue. station and then TO THE Kings county
morgue. A dozen priests from nearby
Catholic churches hurried TO the seen.
to administer last rites.
Arrests Forecast.
The arrest of Diamond and his wife
was forecast at the Investigations in ths
afternoon. Diamond admitted that h
thought he ought to have had more exits
and that he would AVE put them in i
ordered. Three weeks ago he was or
dered by the Department OF Labor Il
fireproof the right hand stairway. W
which the flames shot to the upper floors
He had Just about completed one floor
the third, and was waiting, he said, FOL
the officials to approve of the work.
Diamond is ~ years old and his wife
Celia. As. They live at 2g27 West Thir,
ty-second street. Coney Island. TIL,
warrant served on them last night 10y
Detectives bowling and Royce of th'
seventh branch charged them will
"homicid~ in causing the death Of d
number .t persons at yesterdays fire
by failure to comply with regulation
OF various official departments. Dia
mond's wife owns most of the share'
in the stock corporation owning thu
building. which II known as the pia
mond Building. but her husband Il
president OF II. They were locked up IL
the Raymond street Jail.
When the firemen got through witt
the building last night 1t was demol
ished. For a time in the afternoon |
was thought the front wall would col
lapse. The roof and two Of the uppel