The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-09-04
Seven Dead
Ten Injured
by Flames
Fire Starting at Dawn DE.
stroys Bunk House in Penn.
sylyania Yards at
Pittsburgh.
Property Loss $4,000

q
men were injured severely. and
property loss OF $4,000 was
wrought by fire which started at
dawn in a bunkhouse in the Thir-
tieth street yards OF the Pennsyl-
yania railroad, and swept through
the building with incredible speed.
Nearly all the bodice were char
Ted beyond recognition.
The body OF J. i. Carr. Balti-
more, was positively identified, how
ever. railroad officials made a check
Of all employees living in the bunk
house and gave out the following
list Of missing tonight:
Alvin l.. Bruce. q, Kcwanee, ILL.,
Frank Custodino, 28. laborer.
Edgcrt Dunn, IS, repairman.
David l.. Davis, 10, repairman.
Walter l.. Parsons. 2j, repairmsn.
Ernest lnozaneto. SO, repairman.
Gerald Harper. "a. maehinis'
helper.
Railway representatives said II
was possibl. that one OF the above
listed men failed 10 report after he
had fled from the blazing bunk
house.
The most seriously injured em-
ploye is J. NJ. Tajuma Of Toxic,
Japan. an air brake inspectors help
err Tajuma and the other employees
who sustained injuries, were hurt
when they jumped from the second
story OF the bunkhousc. The in
jured include:
Thomas Burns, New York city;
John Burns, Philadelphia; E. Shaef-
fer, Highland Park, Mich, and Ray
Clifford. Tulsa, Ok. The others
gave Pittsburgh as their residence.
Investigations Started.
Investigations Immediately were
started by the railroad, the police and
fire departments and by the Depart
ment OF Justice. They were in prog
rcss, with announcement by the rail-
road that it had been unable TO de
termine the cause of the fire"
+. X. Kennedy, a watchman, saw
smoke coming from section of the
building which, in addition to housing
workmen, was used as a storehouse
and a commissary. Running TO the
place, he saw the interior OF room
filled with waste mass OF flames.
He turned in an alarm
Knowing that 60 men were sleep
ing on the second floor, Kennedy
dashed up to stairway. He was driv-
ell back by dense smoke. but made
another attempt with better success.
Many OF the men sleeping near
windows tumbled out on the tracks
and those who were uninjured ran
from the yards. Others, trapped in
their hunks, perished.
The building was set in a network
of railroad tracks and fire companies
lost time in reaching it. When they
finally arrived, the oil soaked floors
had fallen in and the sheetiron sides
had been twisted into pile of junk.
Bodies Recovered.
Exploring the ruins taxed the re-
sources of the firemen, but by 10 the
bodies had been removed.
The bunkhouse was almost in sight
of the Union station. A number OF
fast through trains were due when
the fire started, but they were held
in the yards until the fire was out and
the tracks had been repaired.
N. p. Good, chairman Of the strik-
ing shopmen on the Pennsylvania
system, i'll a statement, deplored the
fire and said it could not be charged
to the shopmen.
"The shop destroyed was under
guard, as | understand it" said Mr..
Good "and could not be reached en-
cept by some one having free access
to the yards. | understand that part
OF this shop was used for the storage
and repairs OF coach storage batteries,
which, from my knowledge are sub
ject TO spontaneous combustion from
the acids they contain. am willing
to stand upon the record established
by our membership for the peaceful
and orderly manner in which this
strike has been conducted and will
continue to be conducted to sue
cesstul conclusion"
Man Arrested.
Late tonight detectives arrested
George Figgus, q, who was aeeosted
in the Pennsylvania yards about two
blocks from the scene OF the fire,
Questioned at police headquarters,
Figgus said he was resident OF
Pittsburgh and that he knew nothing
OF the fire, He stated he was mere
~ "ruhbering
Police decided figgus had not Civ
ca a satisfactory account OF his as.
tions and Ne was booked on au open