New Britain herald., 1924-02-19
Seven of Victims Are Children Police Think Blaze Is Incendiary But Suspects Are Released
90 Year Old Woman Saved Elderly Couple Arouse Neighbors-Flames Cut Off All Chances for Es- cape.


 By The associated Press.
 New York, Feb. 19.--Thirtecn lives were snuffed out in a few minutes in lire. believed to have been of in cendiary origin. which early today swept from basement to roof of five story tenement in the heart of New fork's lower East Side Ghetto. Seven Of those killed were children.
 The blaze unequalled in rapidity in the annals of the fire department, Jared. famed by a, draft from the tenements open front door up the stair case blocking escape of the eight families who occupied the building.
 Death Comes Quickly
 some of those in the two upper stories, awakening to lind the flames al their bedsides, met death before they could even try to brave dash through the roaring furnace with which they were confronted.
 Terrified on opening their hall doors to liad vortex of flame mushrooming down from the roof through the smoke-chokcd corridor the families ol the lower floors retreated in panic iO tIie windows from which they man. aged, in some cases by seemingly im- possible lfeans to reach safety. Sever al were severely burned; others were injured in falls.
 seven Children Killed
 ot tho dead. i've were boys and two girls. tour women and two men, one 4A. l.st. nDa 4s4s..a was an inlant, whose charrcd body was found at the breast of its dead mother.
 The ire was disco, cred by pass ing policeman who saw smoke and hanes rising against the inner side u5 window
 lin rushed into tho house and up the staircases hammoriDg with his lists on doors and shouting warning. Descendipg ilames. checked at the rool and whipping thcr way down. ward. stopped him before he reached the uppe. stories.
 suspect Is Arrested
 The front door had been open as ho entered and as he dashed out, he saw Louis Chucnheld, news vcndcr, <ulnnine from the entrance with three men al his hocls. IIc took all four 10 q police station where Choenheld. who aprarpd to police Co be mentally de- ranged. babbied in answer to all qucs. ti0ns.
 ' haven't got any matches; you can search m.."
 identified b, Doctor
  GouVerneur hospital, recognized him a.i q man he had treated several times for cpilsptic seizures and who, he add. d had come to him for treatment late last night about an hour before the fire was discovered. lic said scv- ertil days ago he had taken two stitches in cut on ChoenflelJ's head and that last night hc had roidc vcd the stitches. Members Of families on the second and third floors of the building climb e1 tu window silis as the flames lick- cd their way through hallway doors. Fire escapes Ut the back of the build ing were cut of by fast approaching line Of flame.
 Woman of 90 Sa,cd Those on the third floor, Of thc i.ifschitz and Fabcr families including Mrs. botta Lifschitz, go years old Jumped to the roof of q lower adjoin- ! ing building. Mrs. 1ifschitz was as- sL ted through a skylight on the ad- joining structure and taken, unin- | Jurcd to thc street Une of thc first families to realize tlia danger vas that of Harry i schwartz, 75 years old who lived with 1 his wife, Yetta, 6e years old on the second floor. In their nightclothes the. walked into the smoke filled hall and aroused their next door neighbors.
 Thrilling Rescue Among the most thrilling rescues vas that Of Alex Hoch who was dragged from fire escape where he | had collapsed after apparently trying | te save women inside the building. | Sylvester Cornell, awakened in his ! apartments in the adjoining house by bis wife who heard the screams of ter ror- r-stricken women in the burning building, rushed to the roof and iean- ing over the edge saw Hocki, with an almost superhUman effort, he dragged the unconscious man 10 safety.
 Fireman Catches Child
 Fire Lieut.. Platz caught in his arms 2 child who had jumped or been | thrown from an upper story window.