The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-09-03
6LIVES LOST IN FIRE
mist Az. TENEMENT;
SCORE ARE RESCUED
Sleepers in Harlem House
Aroused by Flames Set
to Cut Off Escape.
ROOF is ONLY REFUGE
Firemen Prevent a Woman
From Throwing Little
Children to Street.
TWO FAMILIES WIPED OUT
Son Of Dead Couple Is Badly
Hurt and 1t Is Feared He
Went Back to Die.
TWO FAMILIES WIPED OUT

Six persons lost their lives early
this morning in a fire in the four story
tenement at 240T First avenue. Ac-
cording to the police the fire was of
incendiary origin, and 1t was charged
that evidence had been found indicat-
ing it was set i'm the lower hallway in
order that the escape of the tenants
might be cut off. Two of the dead
were children.
1t was reported by the police that
the death list probably would reach
seven. Frederick De Lucca, eldest son
of Mr.. and Mrs. Bernard De Lucca.
who were among the victims, suffered
a fractured skull when he leaped from
a front window on the third floor and
crashed into the street. At Harlem
Hospital he regained consciousness
while nurses and surgeons were dis
GUESSING his parents death. Upon
learning he was the last of his family
alive he leaped from bed and with the
first aid bandages streaming behind
him ran into the street and disap-
peared
Policemen and attendants IL ON the
hospitals searched for De Lucca, but
he had gone from the vicinity of the
hospital. Twenty minutes later It was
reported to the police he appeared at
the outskirts of the crowd near his
burned home. and, pushing his way
through them. entered the building. The
upper Railways were still burning and
it was feared he had thrown himself
into the flames
The fire was discovered by Eve youths
returning home through First avenue
near lead street from a party. AS they
crossed 1884 street they saw flames
shooting from the hallway While one
was summoning Policeman Charles
Reilly of the East 126th street station
the others climbed up the front of the
building to he second floor.
Tenants Driven 10 Roof.
Before the firemen arrived Reilly and
the youths had gone through the upper
floors OF the house driving the tenants
found there to the roof. In that way
score of persons were saved Most of
them were in half stupor from sleep.
and a few minutes delay would have
cost them their lives.
Only one alarm was turned in. and in
less than half an hour the fire was
ceiling of the hallway TO the second
and third floors and in the rooms adj
jacent to its path mushroomed out.
The body of Vincent Catalano. 40, was
found in front room on the second
floor. Near il lay the body Of Mrs
Assunta Catalano, his wife. The bodies
OF their children. Ralph, IS. and AS
sunta, an infant. were in the adjoining
room.
on the third floor were found Bernard
De Lucca. 55. his wife and two children.
De Lucca died q few minutes after be-
ing carried into the rear yard, and Mrs.
De Lucca was removed, unconscious. to
Harlem Hospital. where she died an
hour later.
woman IL Rescued.
The fire was still at its height when
1remen OF TRUCK II and Engine SO
ra tsed ladders at the front and rear OF
the tenement at 2409 First avenue and
reached the roof Of the burning
building. On the ROOF CT 2i09 they
found woman and three small children
all crazed with fear and the mother
ready to hurl the others into the street
and leap after them. The woman was
wrapped in BLANKET and lowered TO
the rear yard and the hremen carried
the children down the ladders. Men
were saved from Jumping, too.
Long before the fire was under con-
troll Fire Marshal Thomas Brophy was
called to the building The police and
firemen, II was said, reported to him
that the fire was a particularly devilish
sample OF incendiarism. BY setting ii
in the hallway. they said. all chances
OF escape by the stairs was cut of
The damage to the building was es-
timated at s2.0co.