New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-05-22
DISTRESSING CALAMITY.
NINE LIVES LOST.


About clock this morning our city was visited
with disaster which will stspd second only t. the
"Gres. Calamity Of Lake street ca the list OF sni-
lar 6isaster. Taking iEto consideration the amount
OF property expcsed and that t,s latter IRE COM
psrstye ely Ibsg n6cent in the destruction OF property
while it numbers among it's victims certalty nlne snd
possibly twelve hun lives, II stands without PSF
alel u our annsls Alb NJ o'clock q. N. ire broke
.ut in the of one of ROC Of two-etoy wooden
builougs on the east slde OF South Wells stree b.
tween Jat kson and Van BlIen streets.
The lnlys OF the fire comprised three buildings and
PORTION Of the f-urth No. 80 being only partially
burned OF the rest the destruction nearly tO al.
Tie fire, wien fret discovered, WAS burning
fe,cely in wooden oLestory extension at tns rear
Of Nee 25S sad 700, occugied oy kitchens. Is
seemed 10 70 thoroughly fire before the arm hsd
be- sufficiently given 70 ca assistance, and the Ign,
xipo pre- REVEALING, forced q dense volume Of hest aud
smoke through every crevice and opening INTO the
front main building, filing every part OF It's upper
story filed with its clam berDg tenants W ose sleep
was 10 be the repose Of death, after nall.
waking interval, or fierce struggle OF agony ana
terror.
This gives the condition Of the burning building az
discovered by those just upon the ground. In these
upper stories in the crowded ard clOee arrangements
forced upon tenants OF this class in ctes were
| sleeping:
Harrison Burgsr, Frenchman, carpenter, Win MS
wife and three children.
John johnson, Dane, with wifi, and con, the lat
VIM. Reilly, an Irishman, and his mother.
| When those first on the grourd after the alarm A.
TEMPTED to render aid if possible, the whes upper
stery Ct both buildings, entered by stairway from
Wells street. was flled with dense and sitting smoke
which rendered entrance imposs bic.
Grosrs were heard from Of the rooms on this
hoor but nething could be done to aid the sufferers
The whole structure IN very few minutes afttr the
alarm wss glos sing like furnace, aud the fire was Ell.
tending southwark along the block, the tenants OF
which more favored by this time, were 10 haste re-
moyirg ont all properly, spd, be yond the buildings
nameG, there was probably little lost, and certainly
no lie.
Tie excitement without among the crowd Of by
s.snoers int. nse, a. the word went round taat
there sere persons in the building burning b death,
but rothir could be dope Soon after the escape OF
Johrson the door forced open by Brace Dao Bses
let him self down FROM the secosd story window oy
bis hands falling feet 10 the eide yak snd un,n-
iurrd. His wife almost immediately leaped from the
same window and fell upon the sidewalk, fdghtfuly
| buried, and u:h bruped by the fall 1t Is thought
ste canuot recover.
Soon after the officers and others were driven from the
stairway seen TO rush frantic ally through
the hail with a child in his arms, and fall near the
head of the staircase This is supposed to have been
the unfortunate Burgar, the French carpenter,
whose bscbened and hslf. consumed trunk, hmbless
ard ghasly when found did indie ed partly cover the
remains Of young,chld
TLis was ali Of the tragedy that could be witnessed
by lcokeis.on; vail OF fire sbrouded all and the
bIsckeped remains dug from the ruins this m)rncg
must, in the hands Of the Coroner and Jury tell the
| rest.
From these ruins this morning nave been taken
nike bodies, ard what supposed to be the remains
Of other. II is confidently affirmed hst three other
persons are missing. The bodies when removed were
tken at TO Amery Hall, for purposes OF inqaest
by Coroner Hsnsen who wss on TIE ground at once.
| The bodies have been identified as follows:
| Harrison Burgsr as above mentioned, carpenter,
who las been at work upon buiditg on Van Buren,
nesr Wells street; body much burned Recognized
by black crsvat ab,u the neck.
Mrs. Burgar ard the remains of their three chill
drer two girls and boy all under years of age.
There latter much burned and beyond all other
| thar circumstsr tial recognition.
VIM. Reilly formerly clerk in Smiths wood yard,
ne ar the place OF Gsster corpse much dshgured but
recognized by large white swelling on the right knee.
| Tne remains of his mother, an elderly woman, were
much burued but fragment of blsck wooden stock
Ing adhered to ole foot. and sided the identification.
Mrs johnson, aged 80 and her son, aged 10 years.
The corpse Of the mother not burned beyond easy
recoCttiop She was found beneath the remains of a
feather bed. Mr. johnson ray. when he sprang to his
feet she was the door, but must have returned with
mothers affecti-D, 10 the son. and both per-
| ished.
This list of nine comprise the known catalogue OF
the victims Just left the scene OF the disaster,
| few small bones found supposed TO have been
the In be cetscbed from Of tie sboye-nsDed.
pile of about 5000 in gold found in the runs sup
| posed &c belong to TIE carpenter.