Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 1

Tli 8 Weather. stern Pennsylvania Fair t.l;iy. ta.iT and warmer tomorrow. Sunrise, sunset, Hi a. Wrtlhrr Detail Tic 11.

The Only Morning Paper in Pittsburgh NKVVg SERVICES Auocistcd Pmi New fork Time lulled Kwi Cal.eraal Bcrrlee Chlcacn Tribon ilitMltil VOL. U'JW rt caaMtaM iHi. xm. 9 aeiepnone: ATlantic 6100 SATURDAY MORNING, JULY 25, 1931 MP Ar WW WW In KFiR 12Kni'2( i i 'r 31 MOT' H) Alf iH MS LU ILH USD HHS IMF Pdim CD I) Gfl Rescuers Battle to Save Lives of Holocaust Victims 150 I GREAT RECEPTION IS PLANNED HERE FOR POST. GATTY Priests Carry Rites of Church Into Holocaust All to Have Chance To Take Part In Civic Welcome.

PARADE WILL BE HELD ME TREATED' HOSPITALS Twelve Reported Missing In Penn Ave. Fire Seen By Thousands BULLETIN. One of the dead was identified at the iaaasajsj aaaaaaaaaaaaaBBBssaasvasaaHisaBBSBBBBtsBSBSstasnssBaaaaaaaBBBajr i i mmmm ii i -O Amidst scenes of confusion and horror as the infirmary of the Little Sisters of the Poor burned last night, more than a score of priests, in and out of the inferno, went administering the rite of absolution to those dying and in danger of death. Among the clergymen who offered consolation to the victims were Fathers Coakley, Kennedy and Carroll, of Sacred Heart church, Fathers Young and Campbell of St. Lawrence church and Father Lucian.

'Xodft City and County Officials To Pay Tribute; Air Circus, Fireworks on Program. Pitt.lur;V frala welcome for Wiley a-id Harold Gatty "the'two boys in a hurry" when jhe'y come here Wednesday as guests of the rost-Gasette, will be civic reception in which the entire city will be enabled to participate. Arrangements for the welcome or the io fliers r.o circled the world In a reeorJ time ot little more than and a half days went ahead y'sttrday. ith indications of develops into one of the most elaborate nch ents in history here. City anl county officials, leading business ani professional men and aviators have befn rrj-inized to pay just trib-ut to the two International celerities.

I'arade 1 Scheduled. The raraie through downtown soon after their landing Bettis Field at 11:30 in the the official welcome of Mayor Kun, members of council and county commifbioners at the City-County buildmr. and the reception at Bettia from 7 until 9 o'clock In tha vtmng will she practically every-or. aa opportunity to see the two men hose daring won for them a nich in aviation's ball of fame. Aa aef.nl escort composed of Pitta-burfha roost distinguished aviators iU Cy it to meet the distinguished viaitort as they wing their way here from Toledo, 0.

Included In the ar.aJ escort will be Carl W. Forcier. tcanager of the new City-County airport, ho command tha aquad-ron: Captain Sam Eaton, from T.tfzfrt rld. representing tha U. S.

army; Mijnr Hal Bazley, manager of field, and rilots Jack Morris and Joe Dawson and others. Wrlroin At Held. Vpnn tli landing of the Winnie Me, the sturdy monoplane that car-r them on I heir epochal journey. Post and Gatty will be welcomed at 'he field by a committee of prominent citizens. Then will follow the motor parade, headed by the airmen, through the uty streets.

The proces-ijti will halt the City-County where the mayor, council-iron county commissioners will an oiTicial welcome. Later th-y will be entertained at I'iniheou by the Chamber of Commerce, and during the afternoon will ait institutional hospitals. The recei'tmn at liettis Field In tha will best Illustrate the civic 'Coidtaird on Page Fit, Col. MWHEAT WAVE DANGER FADES Coroner Seeks Aid in Check Of Fire's Dead Coroner W. J.

McGregor early this morning requested that relatives of inmates of the Little Sisters of the Poor Home communicate with him immediately assist him in his check-up of the casualties in last night's fire at the home. f. 2 I1 (I i I flu L- ll i wafcSU STORY OF FIRE TOLDJYHERO Like Nightmare, Says Man Helping in Jam At Doorway. From his bed in the Homeopathic Hospital. Bruce Griffiths of 3524 Belmont street, BanksvUle.

one of the first to discover the fire in the Little Slsters' of the Toot "Home; told his story of the disaster. Griffith collapsed after saving many of the inmates. From an electric sign on which he waa working at Bigelow boulevard and the Eloomfleld bridge, many blocks from the home. Griffith saw flames shoot from the windows of the top floor of the burning -wing. Hastily informing firemen, he rushed to the Are in his truck.

Firemen were Just beginning the work of rescue as he arrived. The front door had been opened. -It seemed as though there were a thousand piled up on each other at the front door." Griffiths said. "We started pulling them out, as fast as we could. I don't know how many I helped out It seemed like a thousand.

We kept on carrying old men and women out, with more rescuers appearing every minute. That's about all I remember about it it was like a nightmare." Griffitha is suffering from shock. His condition is said by hospital authorities to be good. A report at the scene said a passing motorist first saw the fire and attempted to enter the institution to warn occupants. He.

with others, spent 15 minutes breaking through the gate and doors of the institution, it was said, before they could reach the inmates. Another report said a man named McCabe turned in the first alarm from a store near tha building. W. H. Shulte.

40. of 2100 West Liberty avenue, passing the home in his automobile aa the fire broke out, ran into the building and aided 22 of the inmates to safety. Burned on both arms, be was taken to St- Frarf-cls Hospital for treatment. An unidentified boy about 18 years Allegheny county morgue this morning by papers and letters in his pockets. He was Joe Stewart, of 1114 Sunday street.

Morgue officials said he was suffocated and burned. Thirty-one aged men and women were known to be dead, in a fire that destroyed the Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged at Penn and South Aiken avenues last night, and firemen were still searching through the ruins at 3 o'clock this morning for several others believed to have been burned to death. Hospitals throughout the East End were crowded with 157 others victims, injured or overcome by smoke in the burning building, according to reports belived nearly complete. Despite Fire Chief Richard Smith's declaration after a complete search of the ruined building, that he did not believe anymore bodies remained there, rumors persisted that a dozen oV more were still missing, including" six volunteer 'resetters' "ho were not seen returning from the interior of the structure. Continue Search for Bodies Today.

Chief Smith said the charred floors were in such dangerous condition that further attempts to find bodies, would be delayed until after daybreak. Only the. stark blackened walls of the huge building remained early this morning to show where, a few hours before, death had crept upon the 31 aged persons sleeping peacefully in the refuge of their last home. Only a bright glare against the walls of surrounding houses remained of the roaring blaze that had swept from the basement of the builidng to the roof, turning the 60-year-old building into a seething furnace. The aged men and women who had occupied the home were being cared for in hospitals, in neighboring houses, in the parish house of St.

Lawrence church, and in other shelters. Fire Is Put Under Control. Fire was under control, though the ruined interior was still burning somewhat, at 3 o'clock this morning. Firemen confined their efforts mainly to subduing this last afterglow of the tragic conflagration. The entire interior was destroyed.

One of the women brought to the morgue last night from the scene of the disaster is. believed to be a nun of the order in charge of the home. The body was so much charred as to be unrecognizable, but the remains of a white cloth across the forehead indicated to morgue authorities that she was one of the sisters. Many of the victims, both men and women, were disfiured beyond recognition by the flames that entrapped them. Records of Home Saved.

Records of the home were rescued from the flames, and were being checked early this morning with hospital lists of injured to determine whether more lives had been lost. Wild terror among the aged and almost helpless inmates, and the frantic struglles of firemen and volunteer rescuers to save the aged people from flames, turned the neighborhood of the home into a veritable inrerno during the height of the disaster. Squads of rescuers battled desperately against the raging home into a veritable inferno during the height of the disaster. The wide lawn about the home was thickly scattered with physicians, nurses and rescue workers, bearing out the victims and giving hasty first aid. Ambulances shrilled through the streets around the home carrying their burden of dead and injured to hospitals, while police battled tokcep back a crowd of more than 20,000 that (Continued on Taae Ttoo, Col.

iJ RESCUES TEN AND COLLAPSES Brave Youth Faints On Ladder With Firemen. rorf-3iette The pictures above were taken at the height of the fire that claimed at least 30 lives and caused injury. to more than 130 at the home for aged and infirm conducted by the Little Sisters of the Poor, Penn and Aiken avenues, last night. The upper picture shows rescuers administering first-aid to inmates who had' been carried from the building. The lower picture shows a scene typical of the valiant rescue work in which policemen, firemen and volunteer rescuers distinguished themselves.

Collapsing while climbing a ladder to continue the rescue work in which he had helped to save 10 lives at the Little Sisters of the Poor home fire last night Bert Huber. 21. of 724 Cope land street was taken to the Homeopathic Hospital suffering from the effects of smoke and exhaustion. Toung Huber was past the home wi th two companions, William Mossman, of Kegley avenue, and John Benz, of Alder street just after the fire broke and with his companions immediately rushed to Join the rescuers. Huber collapsed as he follewd two firemen up a ladder to the third floor to carry out an aged woman Brutman Predicts Continued Mild Summer Weather for Local District standing gasping for breath at a window.

He was asisted to the old, collapsed after saving seven in ground by firemen, who again went up the ladder and saved the Among inmates of the home unac THE DEAD. St. Francis Hospital. Ten dead. All unidentified.

West Penn Hospital. Eight dead. All unidentified. Pittsburgh Hospital. Two dead.

Both unidentified. Homeopathic Hospital Five dead. AH unidentified. Taken From Ruins. Six dead.

All unidentified. INJURED. West Penn Hospital. Fifty overcome or injured. Wynian, 7.1.

Michael Schmidt. 77. Andrew Rahel, 63. David Mulaney, 65. Julius Lavoutch, 75.

Mrs. Annie Campbell. 15. Mrs. Eva Froehlich, 78.

Mrs. Kate Mullen, 55. Mrs. Mary Smith, 49. Catherine O'Malley, 68.

Mary Reagan, 70. Amelia Schmidt, 70. Minnie Lenz. 68. William Conley, 70.

William Bowers, 69. James McNeilis, 72, a paralytic Hugh Ward, 74. James Cavanaugh, 83. John Enright, 72. Nick Covich, 70.

Mary Ellen Heineman, 72. Linda Tuttle, 74. Alice Sebola, 75. Catherine Saver, 82. Mrs.

Anna Lagley, 67. Mary Conrad, 78. Ellen Grant, 64. Winnie Butler, 62. Mary Buchele, 65.

Sam Berry, 70. Susie Shupech, 70. Annie Goettman. 67. Margaret Cain, 80.

Margaret Honrahan, 50. Emma Stevens," 73. Anna Ward, 69. Anne Bumba, 73. Catherine White, 70.

Theresa Strunip, 76. Mary Little, 66. I Jzzie Byers, 66. Ada Lafferty, 75. Mary Connors, 66.

Zacca Sabella, 75. Mary Horn, 65. Elizabeth McGray, 75. Mora Leary, 70. Unidentified woman.

Fireman R. H. McLaughlin. 35, 6803 Frankstown avenue, of No. 8 Engine company, lacerations of the chest' Walter Grady, 32, 165 Banner way, volunteer rescuer, overcome by smoke.

St. Francis Hospital. Forty overcome or injured. Timothy Dillon, 61 bnrned on ears and face. William Frennd, 67.

William Ryan, 64. John Brunide, 70. Michael (Connolly, 69. William a 71. James J.

Mullen, 74. James Cooper, 67. John MeGuire, 64. William Kramer, 69. Gabriel Urso, 70.

John J. Davis, 70. Mrs. Mary Maloney, 71. R.

Hagenback, 69. Stephen Nashye, 65. Entil Blead, 65. Patrick Griffin, 70. Thomas F.

Conlon, 69. (Continued onjffape Two, Col. Li Heroism Is Shown In Rescuing Many Aged and Infirm Woman of 75 Carried Unconscious From Flames, First of Daring Acts of Heroism By Police and Firemen. mates and was taken to a nospitaj. Paul Hitchcock, employe in a drug store at 800 Melwood street carreil out 12 inmates.

counted for in a check-up early this rrospn-ui ot another heat wava here -er the week-end lessened as the weather map showed nat th warm area covering the Mi'wst i.ad receded to the Western Com BUrnmer weather 1 K'iu vj for today by Weather v. s. LSrolzman. There will morning was Daniel Carlin, 68, who, after leading his wife, Mrs. Sarah Joe Crock, of 7020 enurenmna fiv trins into the burn Carlin, 65 to safety, rushed back in to the burning building to asist in saving others.

ing building, carrying out one dead nd five living victims of the flames. no ie nays. Carlin was not seen after he re entered the buurning building. Battering down a door leading to BABCOCK BUSY WITH TROUT ROD County Commissioner, Far From the smoke-filled second floor of the Little Sisters of the Poor building, in Flames Light Up Scenes Of Confusion and Horror Lurid Glow Cast Over Frenzied Actirity of Recue And Relief With Accompaniment Of Shouts, Screams and Sirens. Aged, Infirm Heroines Rattle Peril of Flame which a score of lives were taken by fire last night, Acting Police Lieu- Political Strife, Devotes Self to Fishing.

tenant Huerh Lavery. who was off duty'-and "resting "at." his home, 331 Politics in Allegheny coilnty is sizzling. But E- V. Babcock, county South Graham street near tne scene of the fire, carried a 73-year- Women Inmates of Burning Home in Valiant Efforts To Save Each Other; Nun Praised For Brave Action as Fire Rages. commissioner, is not Far from it While almost everyone in county is whiDDiuc something or someone into old woman to safety and was credited with the first of a series of dar Peace f.

i' cai S' by the flames, the once atds of the infirmary, with trimmed hedges and tidy Presented a. Dic- shape or into lise or whatever is ing rescues in which Pittsburgh police, firemen and private citizens dis done in such cases. v. and nis tinguished themselves. secretary, Ben Anderson, are tin Men seemed to try to outdo eaen ninsr the trout etreams of Somerset other in their efforts to save the county, where Babcock has a lodge, 'Men and boys living in the vicinity, of the home, were the real heroes of the catastrophe, veteran policemen and firemen, who had attended most the city's big fires in recent years, said last night, i This is certainly the worst fire I've ever seen," Lavery said, after the flames had died down and police had established fire lines around the doomed building.

"And if it weren't for the "help of the young fellows around this neighborhood, the list of dead would be twice, or three times as large," he said. "When there was a call for more hose from firemen up on ladders, a thousand willing hands pulled the long lines over the brick wall and help hoist them up the ladders. There was more work to do in hurry here tonight than the combined police and fire departments could possibly do, and these youn men who turned In and did such a fine job certainly, deserved credit." Police Lieutenant William Fuller-ton, who also helped carry out the inmates, likewise praised the civilian heroes. One of the first persons to reach the home after the fire started, waa William Gaefke, 6302. Tenn avenue, seed and infirm from the smoke and paralyzed woman in the next room, beloved by all the inmates.

Mrs. Margaret Connell, 75, one of the five who tried vainly to aid her more unfortunate neighbors, told the story of how the woman battled against suffocation and heat to aid others to safety. Sister Paacaline. in charge of the stayed at her flames. Trapped inmates were car ried "down ladders by firemen ana with much more success than the politicians at home are having.

Yesterday afternoon they spent the hours from 6 to 9 lining up the finny tribe vote and hooked nine beautiful specimens for their ticket "A volunteers and one aged woman, nor conscious, was lowered to the ground tui.t Jweu a lony tim. of thos who vlewe1 lt fri lighting and rescue work noa'fc waa turmoil. Xtttrn nd screaming al-- engine, and ambulancea, fv.B of "Artless youths, their black and their arms n. 'J-''ltt' shining with sweat itn JTila trom Place to place i.r, net. From a window th wal1- nreman'a nil nd in a few sec pw" torm of old man would m.

ar window and tha flre- ffwo Are escapes on the wing which waa burning were swarming with rescuers when the fire waa at its helghth. The overcome and injured aged persons were taken down the escapes by being passed from one volunteer to another, in much the manner of a bucket brigade at a rural fire. Those carried. out were taken to ambulancea, patrol wagons or taxi-caba and sent to the hospitals 'or to nearby homes. Many of the aged inmates of the home were able to leave the building themselves before firemen arrived.

The removal of the dead by firemen and -deputy coroner revealed that many who lost their Uvea bad crawled beneath their cota in the infirmary, evidently to keep out of tha choking amoke aa long as possible. A number of bodies were carried down the fire escapes over the backs of stalwart firemen and policemen. Home had to be removed stretchers, great thrill," said Ben. 1 Eight aged women, occupants of a room on an upper floor of the Little Sisters of the Poor Home made efforts to save each other last night, as fire spread terror through their wing of the institution. All were believed saved.

Mrs. Sarah Carlson, 65. first spread the alarm to the aged group, three of whom were crippled or paralyzed. Then she started for the men'a quarters in another part ot the building to make sure that her husband, Dan, was saved." Her friends last night did not know whether or not she reached safety. As the five aged who were able to walk began helping Bridget Pooley, Margaret Henry and Bridget Reardnn to safety, the three invalids cried in unison; "No! No! Jtelp Mama." "Mama" is an agedQind from the third floor by a rope tiea around her waist.

Firemen and policemen, like Lavery. off duty, rushed to the fire, working in civilian clothe in which they had been enjoying an evening's rest to battle the flames. "Brawny bluecoats worked with the doctors to aid the stricken victims of smoke as thev waited for the arrival of the UIICl.lUI IHI.U. Mint refused to leave until the floor was "We were almost suffocating," Mrs. Connell said.

"Tha women had to run from window-to window for air. Sister Pascallne -made them stick their heads outand breathe before going on. There were no lighta and the heat on the floor waa intense. I felt too weak too go on. I sank back in bed and a Aromaa car ried out" i Babcock is recuperating rrom me shingles at his Somerset county ledge.

Anderson reports the solitude is something enormous. The trout were from six to nine inches in length. United States Senator ames Davis was the guest last night at the lodge. The senator is expected to leave the lodge after breakfast this morning to attend a gathering in Somerset KtI1Uy toes him free of Into the big life clanging ambulances in the shadow ri, wid hurtle. None of more eea persons of the flames that had turned a quiet haven for the aged int a roaring Inferno.

"JUrtrt tn rescuers wen (Continued on fage Tko, CoL S) Hi tlir fl..