The New York herald., 1920-12-03
FIRE KILLS FIVE
NFLATSREBUILT
IN HOUSING CRISIS
Four Women Among DEAD
in Studio Apartments in
Fifty-seventh Street.
NO FIRE ESCAPES
All Laws Carrying Modified
Restrictions Had Been
Obeyed.
TOP FLOORS DEATH TRAP
Tenants. Stairs Blocked, Could
Not Reach Doors to Ad-
n joining House.
rOP FLOORS DEATH TRAP

Five nersons. four CT them women,
lost their lives early yesterday In u
FIRE which destroyed the two upper
floors of an old fashioned dwelling
made over into studio and apart
ment house at % West Fifty seventh
street All of the victims were burned
to death after being overcome by
smoke The building in which they
were trapped was remodelled TO its
present uses under the laws passed
to relieve the housing situation and
which modified certain existing laws
restricting the turning of dwellings,
into apartment houses. The building
had no fire escapes.
The dead are DR.. Martin j. Potter.
veterinarian and animal trainer. for a
number OF years connected with the
Hippodrome: Mrs. Boswell Reed and
her sister. Miss Jennie Jenkins, and
Mrs. Marjorie Lescomb and friend
of hers believed to have been a Miss
Betty Jones. DIR. Potter Mrs. Reed
and Mrs. l.escomb were tenants of the
building. Mrs. Jenkins had been visit
ing Mrs. Reed for week and Miss
Jones was the overnight guest of Mrs
i.escomb.
The building and that adjoining it,
ana which is Identical with Ii in struc-
tire. are connected by doors cut on each
Of the upper floors through the party
wall. and are under lease TO Mrs. Olcea
coyIe. who manages them as single
venture and lives in an apartment in
one OF them. Each house has base
nent and four floors. with the basement
ard two lower floors of each devoted to
business
sa Dumbwaiter Aids Flames.
The Are began in the cellar OF No. 2s
EAR q dumbwaiter shaft. and by means
the shaft found it's way 10 the upper
,ors without breaking through on any
;he lower floors The top of the shaft
s steel door leading to the roof. and
fire unable TO burn through this
rcad TO the two top floors. None OF
hremen or building inspectors who
snined the building could decide OF
-If origin of the fire, but most of then
laii they believed IL had been burning
half hour or more before il was dis
cred
Although every exaction specified BY
a4 existing building laws had been com
tt.d with in cutting the old house int
fprtments the FIVE persons died for the
~ son that they were unable TO gropc
Slelr way either down the staircase OF
r4a She doors which led through to tn,
ause next door. Or. Potter was found
3faf in his bedroom on the top floor
Of
IN found in halls two OF them clos,
pes'ie the door cut from house to hous;
Oh he top floor and the other two neai
tHe door cut through on the floor he.
The hre. on account OF it's situa ton or
he two top floors OF a house Of aImos
an even height with the houses on either
s.t1S OF il. was subdued quickly after tn,
arrival of fire engines. and did not com
municate to the lower floors All OF th,
tenants Of these escaped TO the streets
most OF them in their night clothes.
Trained Wild Animals.
Or Potter was widely known amonl
theatrical and circus men. not only a
veterinarian who had made specia
study OF the diseases TO which wild ami
mails are subject particularly In cap
AlNitHs buN a. an animal trainer WI
could supply at short notice--and tam
enough for the purpose most any kin,
of an animal desired for theatrical O
moving picture production lie had
simmer home ana training farm nea
Stamford. Conn, and owned e string q
race horses. which II was his custom I
campaign on Southern tracks during tn
winter
Mrs. Lescomb. who was 90 Years ole
was the wife OF Victor .escomb who
connected with the office OF lAoyd's {
London. She came TO this country thre
weeks ago To take moving picture en-
gagenent. She was Identified yesterda
BY a Mrs Eric Breckt ndorff Of 100
Rark avenue who said she had know
her for three years Mrs BreclSendori
also Identified Miss BETTY Jones. br
said she believed Miss Jones had bee
married since she saw her last
Mrs. Reed and Mrs jenkins wer
identified by Mrs. Reeds daughter. Mis-
Helen Howard. who attends a ,boardin
school In this cltS Mrs Reed was
concert singer whose home was
Goterich, Ontario. She was married {
her present husband five years ag,
after having been married previously
David Howard. an Englishman