The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-10-25
FIFTEEN
BURNED
TO DEATH

fneendiary Fire in New York
Tenement Takes Heavy Toll
of Children
New York. ocs. 22.-Fifteen
persons, most Of them children
lost their lives early today in fire
believed by city officials 10 he the
work OF pyromanic. The flames
swept with murderous suddenness
from cellar to attic OF. a five story
brick tenement al Lexington ave-
nue. and One Hundred and Tenth
stree in the thiclliy populated East
Side.
The blaze apparently started in
4 baby carriage under the stairs
IN the lower hall under almost iden-
teal circumstances as the recent
inceadiary fire in an upper West
Side apartment house. which re-
suited in seven deaths. So quickly
did the flames spread through the
building that number Of the dead
were found in bed. burned or suf-
located without the slightest op-
portunity to escape.
Nathan Silver and four Of his
children were among the victims.
Mr.. and Mrs. Abraham Matilslly
and Sidney and Catherine Sugar
man. brother and sister OF Mrs
NJ atilsky. also perished.
ShortIpafeer i.osciock This morn
ing City Marshal Joseph Lazarus.
while on his way home, saw smoke
issuing from the hallway of the
building. He ran TO the next col :
ner and turned in an alarm. Wien
he returned the whole build.ns.
the ground floor of which is oecu-
pied by stores. was mass OF flames
and exit by the stairway was cnt
pofi. Most OF the persons on the
second floor succeeded in making
heir way down the fire escapes.
but those on the uper floors had To
battle through smoke and flames
pouring out OF the windows.
Several tenants perched on up
per story windows threatened 10
jump but were prevailed upon by
iremen TO remain until ladders
could be raised. One aged woman,
Mrs. Mary Onglass, disregarded the
warning and leaped from the
four h floor. receiving injuries
which caused her death tonight
While the firemen We're at work
on the second floor and preparing
TO fight their way to the one above.
the third floor collapsed, but not
before Il warning roar had sent the
iiremen to safety.
Nearly 4 score of persons owe
their lives to II year old James
O'Donnell. mechanics helper,
VINO was eating at restaurant in
the vicinity when he heard 4 wo-
man cry for help. Running TO the
street he saw the woman leaning
out OF the window on the second
floor OF the burning tenement With
TWO small children by her side.
The young man clambered on the
sill of a store window, jumped
and caught a swinging sign and
pulled himself up to the window.
He led the three frightened tenants
down the fire escape TO the street
and then raced back and rescued
the woman's Is months old baby.
who was asleep in q crib. Later he
went to the roof OF an adjoining
building and by throwing board
over the alley space made it pos
sible for q number OF tenants. who
seemingly had been cut Off from
escape on the roof, TO cross in
safety.
William ronners. %, who lives
with his mother across the street
from the burned building. also res
.ued q number Of persons from the
third floor. including Mrs. Silver.
He was badly burned when guss
of name burned the clothing from
his back as he was walking down
the fire escape with a woman in
his arms.
Assistant District Attorney Hen
mis-. one Of the first officials 10 visit
the scene Willie the blaze was in
progress. noted the mark 4 sim
ilarity between today's fire and
that in the West Side apartment
house several weeks ago. when sev-
en persons We're burned IL death.
y that time. in Il doorway next
To the building burned. 4 tenant
reported that JUS; before the fire
he had discovered IL blaZing baby
carriage in the hall. He eNtinsuiSh-
ed il. aEd rs he did so. saw a man.
unknown Ia him, come from the
passage 10 the cellar. lie qnes-
toned the stranger and the lat,
ter answered:
II just thought there might he
a fire. so | came to see" then he
disappeared.
The charred frame of baby
carriage Was found today in the