The New York herald., 1921-01-31
FEAR TO JUMP INTO NET
Cigarette Smoker. Blamed
for Blaze, Gets Away Be-
fore Smoke Is Discovered.
ANOTHER WOMAN MAY DIE
Man Finds Among Collected
Rubbish a Shoe Containing
His $3.50 Savings.

A cigarette or burning match tossed
carelessly to the floor by two occupants
of room No. IL in the Colonial Hotel,
Hohoken. was found by police investiga-
tors yesterday TO have caused the fire
which swept the hotel just after mid
night and burned to death six men and
five women. A man and woman died
later in a hospital.
BY a strange chance room No. IL was
virtually the only one unoccupied of the
hotels forty-six, for the man and woman
who engaged 1t left a short time before
the fire was discovered.
Crowds gathered yesterday in front OF
the four story building at 80 and Al
Newark street, but there was little to
ne seen. A casual observer would have
noted little out of the way. The build
ing itself was outwardly uninjured the
sray-white bricks bore no trace Of fire.
Within, however, the blackened walls
charred furniture and ruin told another
story. for the fire which had ragged for a
single short hour was one OF terrific
heat and fury as the bodies lying un-
recognizable in Hoboken's morgue at
tested.
The Local authorities. the police, fire
and tenement house departments, the
county physician, Mayor Patrick Grif-
iAAl anu AtiiS 0diNtii, IOScGQtOi VI
Pleas of Hudson county. were all much
interested in the fire and its causes. IT
is probable there will be an investigation
TO determine whether there is criminal
responsibility for the deaths. The build
ing had fire escapes in the rear, and
each room contained the fire alarm bell
the New Jersey law makes obligatory.
List OF Identified Dead.
or the thirteen dead seven have been
identified. These are:
DAISY GRAY. 27 years old. of 321
Pacific avenue. Jersey City. divorced
wife OF Charles May. who was identified
by Mrs. AIaisie In Mar. of 1907 Willow
avenue, Jersey City
FRANK LOGAN, 36. single, a driver.
of 22l First street, Jersey City, identi-
Fed by Mrs. Elizabeth Davis. "of 217
Second street
MRS. MARY SCHUMACHER. AZ. a
ssleswoman. of 217 Second street Jer-
yey City. identified by Mrs. Elizabeth
Davis, with whom she lived She died
in St. Mary's Hospital at 5 AS p. NJ
ELMO SNIDER. %. OF $50 Fifty
second street Brooklyn. foreman OF the
compressed air department of the B. r.
r.. identified by his wife Flizab beth.
HESTER CONSTANCE PETERSEN,
rs. single. Of 539 Fortieth street. Brook
lyn. identified by her uncle. Gustav Jur-
gensen. Of the same address.
HERMAN LINkE. AZ. of 5i9 Grove
street. irvingte- =. j., identified by
Samuel Rice of 22s South Sixth street.
.Sv~sark.
JOSEPH R1KER 30 years old. vet
eran OF the recent war. OF 10e Oal;
street. Jersey city; identified by his
brothers.
Those In St Mary's Hospital are,
according TO the police, Blanche Kaehler,
IS. OF rs Madison avenue, Jersey City.
and Richard Dierksan. 35. a dishwashe
OF the hotel The police identified
Miss koehler will probabl die, accord
ing TO DIR. Francis Brophy.
George Groli night clerk OF the hotel
whose desk is one flight up. smelled
smoke about midnight. he told the police.
He traced II and found that il appar-
entity came from a linen room near his
desk. He pulled out the linen. but al
though the smoke increased he could
md no blaze. He then opened the door
OF room ~ near the linen room and was
met by rush Of fire. He dashed down
stairs TO Henry Scharsching. president
of the hotel company leasing the build
Ing. Scharsching despatched John Ross
TO ring fire alarm near by and ran up
stairs TO the desk and pulled the interior
alarm. He also telephoned an alarm to
Fire Headquarters and then. according
to his story. went through the hotel with
Groll pounding on doors and giving the
alarm.
Airshaft Fans Fire.
most or those In the rear rooms made
their escape down the Are escape. but
those in front were trapped. for the fire
rosrcd upward through an airshaft near
loom IL and spread In every direction.
Richard Dierksen. a dishwasher at
tempted meanwhile TO extingush the
names but was driven upstairs. He was
found after the worst OF the fire was over
in room the flames were stiil licking
on the floor of which were four or FIVE
sbodies. He fought his rcscurers. but
was dragged downstairs and rushed to
ST. Mary's Hospital delrious and pos
sihly insane. He was strapped to a cot
and treated for burns.
Fire engines reached the hotel a few
moments after the alarm was sounded
but found the place in flames and could
not reach the upper floors from within
They raised life nets in front Of the
hotel for the agonized faces OF men
and women could be seen on the upper
floors. but none jumped. despite the
roaring flames.
When firemen and police were able
60 enter the building they found that
all that had failed TO escape at the
minute OF the alarm had perished. Sew
eral victims could have saved themselves
had they not stopped to dress. One
man and woman were found dead In
room outside which was a fire es-
cape. They we're kneellns beside the
bed. Seventy-fve or eighty persons
were In the hotel when the fire started
Edward Walter. an employee OF the
hotel returned from q nieht or yes-
terday and found isle interior wrecked
Hc hastened to Po'ice Headquarters
and was permitted 20 look 10 the clothes
He rummaged about feverishly amonn
the shoes end finally pulled $3.50. his
savings. from the toe or shoe found
IN a room he he'd occupied
AIRS. Eva Jofus and her two-day-old
baoy were overcome by smoke in their
homo next to the hotel and hurried to
q hospital