Evening star., 1932-11-28
F|REMEN SAVEFNE
IN SECOND SERIOUS
BLAZE IN a HOURS
t2-Year-OId Girl, Two Babies
and Couple Rescued in
Fourteenth Street.
APARTMENT DESTROYED
IN RHODE ISLAND AVENUE
Janitor Sought After 40 Persons
Flee Mysterious Morn
ing Fire.

Trapped on the upper floors of a
burning three-story building at 1874
Fourteenth street early today, five per-
sons, including a 12-year-old girl and
two babies, were rescued by firemen.
Four others, awakened before their
escape was cut off by flames and smoke,
fled into the cold street In their night
clothing.
The blaze was the second within about
"A hours in which lives were endan-
gered. The first, early yesterday morn
ing, left 40 persons homeless at the
Alzarado Apartments, 10 Rhode Island
. avenue. Three separate investigations
were under way today in the Rhode
Island avenue blaze and the janitor of
the four-story apartment house, miss
ing since the fire broke out, was the
object of widespread search by police.
Four Alarms Sounded.
The Fourteenth street blaze was dis
covered shortly before o'clock this
morning and four alarms were sounded
before it was extinguished by firemen
under the direction of Acting Chief
Charles E. Schrom.
Awakened by the oder of smoke,
Thomas G. Jalepes, occupant OF room
on the second floor, aroused his brother
and sister-in-law. Jack and Mary
Jalepes, asleep in room at the rear OF
the same floor.
While his wife hastily gathered up
few of their belongings, Jack Jalepes
hastened to a room at the front to
awaken his two children, Athena, IL,
and Catherine, 18 months.
He was barred from the room, how
ever, by smoke and flames. Heat OF
the fire, which had transformed his
confectionery store en- the first hoor
into roaring furnace. had cracked the
floor end flames darted up through the
openings.
Firemen Rescue Girl.
Standing in the doorway, Jalepes
could see Athena, with the baby in
her arms, standing on the roof Of the
show window of the store, almost d.
rectly in front of one of the bed room
windows Before he could go to her
rescue, firemen arrived in response to
an alarm turned in by passerby.
They raised, ladder and carried
Athena and the baby to safety.
"The cracking of the flames woke
me up" Athena said. Il grabbed
Catherine end wrapped her up good,
then turned toward the door. But the
floor was hot under my feet and flames
were darting up, and made for the
window. I climbed out and just stood
there with the baby in my arms. yell.
ing for help. ! guess was there about
five minutes when the firenen put up
the ladder and carried Catherine and
me down"
Meanwhile, Thomas Jalepes had
awakened Theodore Kalogrides, an
other occupant d the second-fioor
apartment. Accompanied by Mrs.
and Thomas Jalepes groped their way
down the smoke-filled stairway into the
street.
Tries to Rescue Neighbors.
On the third floor were John Grat-
sias, his wife; Mrs. Maria Gratsias, and
their 10-month-old son. Steve. They
were awakened by the shouts of Jack
Jalepes, who made futile attempt to
mount the stairs to the third floor be-
fore fleeing the building.
I'VE tried TO get down the steps, i"
Gratsias said. but there was too much
smoke The safest place to stay seemed
to be the back room, and we stood at
one of the windows there. The room
got hotter and hotter and there was
more and more smoke, and We didn't
know what to do.
1T was tying some sheets together,
figuring on lowering my wife and baby
into the back yard, when the flremen
raised a ladder. It was just trifie too
short, however. and they had to get
another"
A longer ladder was put up and Paul
M. Burthe, fire rescue squad. No. 2,
carried Mrs GTatsias and Steve to
safety Gratsias was carried down the
ladder a few moments later by George
Tacey, also of No rescue squad.
The men, women and children went
to the homes Of friends while flremen
fought the blaze, which apparently
broke out in the cellar Jack Jalepes
estimated the damage at $4,000.
The fire is believed to have been
caused by an over-heated furnace or
q short circuit.
other Blaze Probed.
Origin of the Rhode Island avenue
blaze was shrouded in mystery, and in
quiries were instituted by the fire mar
shal's office, the Police Department and
an insurance company. Damage was
estimated at about $4,000,
The fire broke out in the basement
and gained an hours headway before
the first alarm was turned in shortly
before 5 O'Clock. Five alarms were
sounded in all.
A taxicab driver awakened occupants
of the building before apparatus arrived
and men. women and children leapeo
from windows and scrambled down fire
escapes. many Of them barefoot ano
them from the icy air The rool
crashed a few minutes after the last
occupants reached the street.
The ianitor, William Mckinley Scott
colored, was reported missing by his
wife. who said she had not seen hin
since he returned home about o'clock
She and James T. Nesbitt, 81, colored
assistant janitor, were released after
questioning.
wrecked building flremen Dd police
concluded Scott had not lost his life II
the flames. Police of all precincts wer,
ordered to look for him.
Crowd Watches Fight.
A crowd gathered in the cold out.
side-the temperature was 21-say
gesticulating figures through the leap
ing flames and heard shrill scream
above the roar of the blaze. The spec
tators ran to the rescue Of the apart
ment dwellers, assisting them to safety
By the time fremen arrived eyerybod,
was out OF the building.
The FIRE victims lost practicau.
everything they possessed. and man.