Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-23
2 INQUIRIES INTO
n. Y.F|RE;; Is DEAD
Seventeen Persons Injured in
Tenement BIaze-Six in
One Family Perish
MANY THRILLING RESCUES
NJ Associated Press

New York. Oct. 23.-Two separate
inquiries were launched today into. the
origin of the fire yesterday In which
fifteen lives were lost. seventeen in :
jured and $50 persons made home
less. Fire Marshal Thomas Brophy
was in charge Of one investigation. and
Assistant District Attorney John II.
Hennis, of the homicide bureau, of the
other.
The fire was thought to have started
under the main stairway in the hall of
a five-s story double tenement structure
at 10th street and Lexington avenue.
Six baby carriages had been parkcd
there the evening before.
In many respects the fire was similar
to one on the same street, but OH the
west side. Il month ago in which seven
lives were lost.
Six members of the family of Abra :
ham Sugarman were burned to death
and five or six members of the Silver
family lost their lives in the flames.
Several of the dead were killed in jump
ing from the burning structure.
woman. were charrcd 30 badly as to
render Identification difficult, If net i'm :
l.Ossible.
The fire made rapid headway, sheets
of flame roaring through wooden air.
shafts and Railways up five floors In
fifteen minutes. Many thrilling rescucs
were made, Frederick Strokacch being
credited by police with saving eighteen
lives. lie was taken to n hospital, Sc
vcrely burned. Neighbors gave shelter
to the homeless families.
Several tenants pcrched on upper
story windows threatened to jump, but
were prevailed upon by firemen to re
main until ladders could be raised. One
aged woman, Mrs. Mary Inglass, dis.
regarded the warning and leaped from
the fourth floor, receiving injuries
which caused her death tonight.
While the firelnen We're ut work on
the second floor and preparing to fight
their way to the one above the thirt
floor collapsed, but not before a warn
ing roar had sent the firemen to safety.
Nearly score OF persons owe their
lives to seventeen year James
O'Donncll, mechanics = helper, who was
eating Mt n restaurant in The vicinity
when M heard woman Cry for help
Running to the street. he saw the
woman leaning out Of the window on
the second floor with two children by
her side. The young man clambered OIL
the sill of n store window, jumped and
caught swinging sign and pulled him
self up to the window. He led the
three frightened tenants down the fire
escape to the street and then ran back
and rescued the woman's eighteen
months old baby, who was asleep in a
crib.
Later he went to the roof of an ad l..
joining building and by throwing \
board over the alley space made II
possible for . number Of tel ants. who
seemingly had been cut off on the roof,
TO cross In safety.
William Corners, who lives with his
mother across the street from the
burned building. also rescued number
of persons from the third floor, includ"
Ing Mrs. Silver. He was badly burned
when gust Of flame burned the cloth.
Ing from his back as he WAS walking
down the fire escape with n woman IN
his arms.
Everything points to the fire being
of !ncendiary origin" Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Hennis, conducting an
investigation, said last night. Mr.. Hen
mis-, one of the first officials to visit the
scene, noted the similarity between to-
days fire and that In the West Side
Apartment several weeks ago.