New-York tribune., 1922-10-23
IL Injured, $50 Homes
less, When Flames Sweep
Tenement; Citizens Orr
ganixe for Relief Work
Wife Loses Mate
And Four Children
Five Incendiary Fires in
the Same District i'm
the Last Three Weeks

HennlS OF the homicide bureau IN the
District Attorneys Office will launch
this morning Investigations into the
origin Of the fire early yesterday in
which fourteen persons died, seven
teen suffered injuries, some Of which
may cause death, and $50 occupants
Of a five-story double tenement
structure at 1771-73 Lexington Ave-
nue., were r'ade homeless.
The fire was discovered at q. m.
1t is thought to have started under
the main stairway, where six baby
carriages had been parked. One FAM
lily was almost obliterated in sheets
of flame that roared through wooden
airshafts and Railways, involving all
five floors within fifteen minutes
after the first alarm. Four children
and the father of one family burned
to death. Only the mother survived.
Five incendiary fires occurring in
the same neighborhood within three
weeks are under investigation. On
the two preceding Sundays six
alarms were rung in from the dis
trict.
Twelve of Dead Identified
Twelve bodies at Bellevue moryus
had been identified late yesterday
afternoon. Those of q man and
woman, so charred as TO render identi-
fication difficult, were viewed by scoreg
seeking lost relatives. A crowd num-
bering thousands gathered in the
vicinity of the morgue and more than
10000 persons swarmed ali day on
fire lines surrounding the burned
building. where two square blocks had
been roped off.
Tlirg known dead are:
San eel Silver, eight years cid; Fam
ME Silver, fourteen; Dora Silver, twss.-
ty; Beatrice Silver, seventeen; Nathan
Silver, fifty, father of the above; SID
ney Sugarman, twenty-seven: Kathe-
rine Sugarman, twenty-five; Abraham 1
Matilsky, thirty-two; Mrs Anna Matil- /
sky, thirty-two; Antonio Amaroso, sew
en-; Augene Amoroso, nine; Mathilda
Ingleso, thirty; an unidentified man
and an unidentified woman, both at
Bellevue Morgue.
Three Alarms Answered
Three alarms were sounded and
every piece of fire apparatus in ths
district responded. The second alarm
was answered by Acting Fire Chief
Martin, who ut once rang in a third.
Plpemen began their attack from the
lower Railways, but flames already
We're issuing from the second story,
while smoke billowed from windows On
all floors whence terrified occupants
screamed appeals for aid. Scaling lad
ders and all available life saving ap-
paratus were used in rescue work.
much Of which was spectacular.
Civilians aided scores to safety be-
fore firemen and police arrived. Four
hours elapsed after the third alarm
sounded before the fire was declared
under control. Collapse of the third
floor half an hour after the cutbreak
prevented rescuers from reaching the
upper stories and doomed several to
death. "
Fighting to control an enormors
crowd that milied about the brrnin.
building, fremen and police officers
drove through smoke and flame to the
AID or frantic women and children
whose cries sounded above the crash
OF arriving apparatus. Women and
children were lowered from smoke-ob-
scured windows on the third and fourth
floors by firemen, who scaled perpen-
d1cular walls to reach them, to other
fremen standing on the tops OF lad
ders. More than forty persons wsra
carried to the street in this manner.
Others traversed hot fire escapes on
the backs of their rescuers. Ono fire.
man descended an escape with a Young
child in each arm. while third csunv
about his neck.
Smoke Blamed for Fatalities
Much loss of life is believed to have
been due to confusion caused by dense
smoke that filled the interior of the
structure: Fire escape platforms Of
OF the adjoining one by only ffteen
inches. Viewing the building by day
light, it appeared that all might have
escaped by passing from one building
to the other by way of these platforms
had victims been aware that the Are
was confined to one.
Before the dead were removed
committee of men. prominent In tho
neighborhood had been formed to raise
funds for relief of the homeless. Those
on the committee are Henry Frank,
chairman; Deputy Commissioners John
]. Dietz, of the Department Of Water
Supply; Judge Francis X. Mancrso,
Deputy Commissioner H. Warren Heb
bard, Of the Department OF Markets;
Senator Salvatore A. Cotillo. Assembly
man Owen M. Herman, Alderman Ed
ward T. Kelly and Alderman Timothy
J. G.-ssfvan. Martin y. Kennedy Of 46
Dey Street. was appointed treasurer OF
the committee and request is made that
contributions to She fund be sent e.
him at that address or to relief head
quarters, 208 East 10th Street.
Il is pointed out that nearly all tHs
homeless lost their furniture and AlssE~
ing. Most Of those who ezsapaa Sexx
o-.v their night Clothes. INN sdinss
& measures were taken in behalf
G 4 ore than fifty women and children
= obtained temporary shelter with
occupants of adjacent apartment
houses.
City Marshal Joseph Lazarus. who
turned in the frst alarm, said last
night that when he returned to the