New-York tribune., 1921-11-15
Ten Perish, 80
Are Injured in
Tenement Fire
Postal Clerks and Firemen
Rescue Many When
Flames Sweep House in
Which 80 We're Sleeping
Cigarette Believed Cause
Two Others Are So Severely
Burned They May Die; 4
Sisters Saved by Ladder

Ten persons lost their lives and
about thirty others were badly injured
in fire which swept through five
story tenement house at 10S West Sew
enteenth Street early yesterday.
Nine charred bodies were found hud-
died in two rooms on the fourth floor
OF the building after the fire was under
control. The tenth victim was killed
leaping from fifth story window. Two
other tenants, now in hospitals, &ere
injured so seriously that they are not
expected to recover. There were about
eighty persons asleep in the house at
the time. Heroic work by firemen kept
the death list form mounting higher.
The dead are:
Miguel Quinonez, ten-year-old school
boy, native of Porto Rico.
Mrs. Providentia Urdinarrain, twen-
ty-eight years old.
Mrs. Urdinarrain's two-year-old son.
Quaquin.
Felicita Alicia, forty seven years old,
Porto Rican maid.
man thought to be Eloy Diaz, a
dishwasher at Luchow's Restaurant.
Iomos Orcionecis. twenty-five years
old, native of Argentina, button
maker, three years in this country.
Germon Torres, thirty years old, ma
tive of Mexico, linotype operator.
Benjamin Diaz.
An unidentified man about thirty
years old.
Another unidentified man about
twenty-five years old.
The two victims in serious condi-
ton are Andrew Mellano, in the New
York Hospital, and Mrs. Esposoria
Klnones, twenty-five years, at Bellevue
Hospital.
Probably Started from Cigarette
The cause of the fire has not been
definitely established by the authori
ties, but it is believed to have orig
mated in one of the numerous baby
carriages that had been crowded into
the hallway of the house, into which
some one had carelessly thrown a
lighted cigarette.
Chief Medical Examiner Norris has
begun an investigation, and officials of
the District Attorneys Office also Wis.,
lted the scene, but it was not announced
whether there would be an official in
quiry by that office.
The house is an old-fashioned struc-
ture, faced in brownstone, built inside
entirely of wood and with a fire escape
IN the rear. 1t was mainly tenanted
by Spaniards, Mexicans and Armenians.
The fire was discovered about $3.50
a. m, when Julius Jayser a clerk in the
branch postoffice, Station O. directly
opposite the house, heard screams and
saw a dozen women and children
climbing out of windows on to ledge
on the second floor of the building.
Postal Clerks Rescue Many
Summoning P. J. Kelly, the night
superintendent of the postoffice, and
three other clerks, ladder was hastily
obtained and run up to the ledge.
Kayser, Kelly and other clerks then
helped the terrified women and chill
dren to the street.
By the time the firemen arrived
flames were shooting from the windows
on the third, fourth and fifth floors,
and from points on the roof. Acting
Battalion Chief Mcclure turned in a
second alarm. Men and women could
be seen rushing to the windows utter
ing wild screams and then disappear
ing again.
One man, Benjamin Diaz, leaped tc
the .ledge of a window on the fifth
floor clad only in pair of trousers
With the flames shooting out from be-
hind him he grasped the ledge of the
window from which he hung by his
finger tips.
Members of Hook and Ladder Il
drew up, and while preparing to rur
a ladder up to him shouted to him not
to let go. Diaz, however, lost his
grip and fell to the pavement. striking