New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-09-04
Two shopmen Questioned

Two Shopmen Questioned
PITTSBURGH, Sept. (By The
Associated Press) George w. Nc
Candless, director of public safety, who
lie cooperating with agents OF the De-
partment OF Justice, announced to-
night that two railroad shopmen were
questioned in his Office at length this
afternoon. He authorized this an
nouncement:
I'VE have only begun our investi-
cation into the cause OF the fire. Two
shopmen were questioned in my Office
and officials of the Pennsylvania Rail
ment tonight regarding the cause of
the fire but / think can promise
q statement tomorrow"
Governments agents, leaving the Of
flee Of Director McCandless. said they
had nothing to say "officiai or other
wise" and intimated that any Federal
announcement must be made from
Washington,
Pennsylvania Railroad officials gave
the first casualty list to the Associated
Press, but had not issued any state
ment regarding the cause Of the fire at
late hour tonight. The burned area
was closely patrolled.
Burned to Cinders
An eighth charred form, removed
from the debris, proved to be that OF a
dog. The carcass, like the hodies Of the
human victims, was burned to cipder-
A score of shopmen who escaped
from the blazing clubhouse told essen
TALLY the same story to newspaper
men. Awakened by the shouts of the
watchman or by the clamor which re,
suited in an instant, the men leaped
from their cots. Those who grasped
the situation jumped or dove from the
building and fed. Those who did not
do so died.
Not single survivor, who was ques-
toned could supplement the watch
mans report. Residents living In the
vicinity, asserted the fire flashed from
the building with such force that peo-
pie living two miles away were tele-
phoning for details within three min
utes.
District Attorney Harry H. Rowand,
conducting an independent investiga-
ton, gave out this statement:
"If facts warrant, grand jury will
make an investigation of the fire."
Rowand said, however, that his pre-
liminary investigation had not thrown
any light upon the cause of the con-
Migration.
Pennsylvania Railroad officials reiter-
ated the statements of employees that
the fire started within the building.
This caused them to ignore possible
theory that a spark 1r2.a locomotive
might have been responsible. The same
officials declared the clubhouse cook
corroborated the watchman's statement
that the fire, when discovered, was
roaring through a mass of greasy waste
and rubbish.
Saw Men Die
II was the last man to get out alive"
said NJ L. Davis, tall, midlle-aged
carpenter from Corbin, KY. "AlI /
know about the fire is that four men
were behind me, but they couldn't
make the door, he added. II don't
know who they were. They seemed to-
be fighting. They were coughing. II
guess the smoke got them before the
fire.
tits hard to say where the men came
from. was here only FIVE days. Some
of the boys came before I did. A few
had Just arrived. Some, you knew,
didn't like to give their right names.
81 was sleeping with soTna of my
clothes on. { heard yell and IL
jumped for the door. The Are fol-
lowed me out was the last living
man to get out. Maybe that will indi-
cate how the Are moved.
"No, wont call it Are. It was
grease lightnjn1.o