New-York tribune., 1918-03-30
6 Killed, 3 Hurt,
Others Rescued
At Fires in City
Three Are Burned to Death
and One Loses Life
in Leap

Fires in Manhattan and The Bronx
killed six persons, injured three more
and caused several thousand dollars
worth of damage in the space of four
teen hours yesterday. Several of the
blazes were OF mysterious origin and
were investigated by Fire Marshal
Brophy.
Investigation failed to reveal the
origin of the first fire, shortly before
8 O'Clock yesterday morning. which
caused the death Of four people and
seriously injured another, in the the
atrical rooming house at 239 West
Thirty-eighth Street The victims were
trapped on the fourth floor of the
house by the flames. The blaze started
in the bathroom on the floor below.
Three of them were burned to death
in the house and the other was killed
by jumping to the yard
Other roomcr5 were rescued by fire
men who risked their lives on ladders
against the flaming sides of the build
ing.
Victims OF the Fire
These people were killed by the fire:
Mrs. BERTHA WILLIAMS. forty years
CATHERINE HARRINGTON, thirty
years old chorus girl
EDWARD SWANSON. thirty years old.
Of 276 West Thirty-eighlh Street.
An unidentified woman, believed to be a
Hippodrome diving girl. who died few
hours later in Bellevue Hospital
JOSEPHINE VALLARI, twenty-one
years old: an actress; is in Bellevue Hos
pital. suffering from burns.
The fire was discovered by Dolly
Chalmers, hat check girl, and Isidor
Silverman, singer. The flames shot
up to the fourth floor through an air
vent in the bathroom. Silvcrman and
the girl attempted to rescue the land
lady, Swanson and Miss Harrington.
who were trapped on the next floor.
There are no fire escapes in the build
ing. Swanson and the two women were
burned to death The unidentified
woman leaped from third story win
dow.
Miss Chalmers was rescued by Luther
Estes, sailor. He climbed up TO the
window from which Miss Chalmers was
screaming for help, hand-ovcr-hand
of the house. When nearing his goal
lhc sailor almost fell from the vine; a
ladder was put up and he carried the
girl to safety.
Another rescue was effected by Fire
man Lawlor, who saved Josephine Val
IarI. The girl stood at a window on the
third floor, the flames scorching her
clothing. Lawlor climbed up ladder,
but finding this left him two feet from
the window he opened window on the
next floor and, by standing on it and
grasping coping with his fingers, ne
was able to climb to the girl. He car
ried Miss Nallari, who was badly
burned, down ladder other fircmcn
raised.
There have been six trivial fires in
this house since the first Of the year.
OH:y one of the blazes, which started
presumably by cigarettes being tossed
INTO rubbish, was reported to the Fire
department. The property damage
by yesterdays blaze is estimated at
$4,000.
Woman and Baby Hurt
A woman and her baby were injured
by falling from Il window at the fire
which destroyed Il five c-story tenement
house at 27O Alexander Avenue. The
Bronx, shortly after O'Clock ycstcr-
day afternoon. This fire originated in
the hallway Of the ground floor and
swept to the roof.
Imprisoned on the third floor bv
flames, Mrs. Blake carried her infant
daughter to the window. She was
about to leap to the street, but wells
from fremen halted her A ladder was
PVT up to the window An elder girl.
Hargnret, was carried out safcl& but
Mrs. Blake, panicatrickcn, lurchcd from
the arms of n fireman and fell TO the
street. The baby, caught by another
fire fighter, was dropped by him. when
flames made him lose his balance.
Mother and child were taken to St.
Francis Hospital, where it was found
IN" woman was Suffering from u broken
Thc baby was found to have escnncd
"Ith slight brusc on the head
OlhCr women truun1A Of tLn LousA