New-York tribune., 1920-11-21
Men Rescue Their Families

Men Rescue Their Families
Many of the men living in the house
made several trips to get out all the
members of their families. Frank Pot
alcure made four and saved his wife,
their two children and his mother-in-
law. Robert Walker, of 306 West 146th
! Street, climbed up the front fire escape
and brought out baby some one had
left in his crib on the second floor.
Charles Frank, the only member Of
his family to escape, was a the fire
escape window on the top floor with
his wife, her ster and his niece, when
his wife reminded him of his pay
envelope, which lay on the bureau of
his room. He returned for it and
when he came staggering back. half
suffocatcd and blinded, he could see
nothing of any Of his family, nor was
there any response to his cries.
He stumbled TO another window,
thinking he might have missed his way
There was no one there either, and a
sudden glare OF flames behind i'm was
warning that he had no time to search
further. He climbed to the window
sill and discovered to his borrow that
, he was not at the fire escape window
Flames sprang out beside him and he
lowered himself until he hung by his
hands from the sill He was almost
exhausted when his toe touched foot
small high-sct window on the next
floor The window was open, and, kick
ing both feet inside it, Frank dropped
The impact drove the breath from his
body and he hung helplessly there
until a man living in the next house
managed to reach across the narrow
air shaft and dragged him to safety.
Scores HuddIed on Escapes
When the fremen arrived scores of
tenants still were huddled on the Brad
hurst Avenue fire escapes. Extension
ladders were run up by the crews Of
Hook and Ladders 28 and SO, and fire.
men assisted the tenants to the street
For a time it was feared that every oc-
cupant of the top floor had perished
Then word came of the rescue of Frank
and little later that Ralph Powell and
his wife and two children We're safe at
S6 Bradhurst Avenue. They had made
their way to that building over the roof,
being the only tenants to think of that
way Of escape.
The body Of Franks wife was found
near the window, where he had left her
to get his pay envelope and had been
unable to ind her again. rhey had
been married only four months. The
bodies of Mrs. Reynolds, Mrs. Franks
sister, and her sixteen-year- old daugh-
ter were al the back of the room.
Mrs. Gebba's body was within a foot
Of the fire escape window, and beside
it was that Of one of the children.
The others. with that Of her husband,
were several feet behind tenn.
Scores Pray in Park
Scores OF persons in the crowd that
gathered in Colonial ParI. dropped TO
their knees in prayer as the bodies,
wrapped in tarpaulins. were lowered
one by one from the fatal fifth floor.
They were taken to the West 135th
Street Police Station, where identifiea-
ton was made with some difficulty.
Deputy Police Commissioner Faurot
later called attention to the value
which universal finger print system
would have in such case, as the
c!enched hands Of a person meeting
his death in fire usually preserve the
lines Of the fingers.
Fire Chief Kenlon said that his de-
partment had no authority to inspect
tenement houses for fire hazards, as
that was the province Of the Tenement
House Department. Several fires have
been started By match or cigarette
iung INTO 4 baby carriage, and a few
years ago a pyromaniac at large in
Harlem was accustomed to kinde his
hres IN baby carriages stored in hall
ways.
The damage caused to the building
/ Dy yesterdays fire was estimated at
/ $4,000. ". T. Crane, of 43 Cedar
Street. is the owner Of the building.