Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-03-31

About two O'Clock Wednesday morning fire
broke out in the tenement house No. 9O,on 45th
street, wooden building four stories high and
divided into four parts. The four houses to.
gether had rs feet front, giving ls feet breadth
to each house, with as feet depth The hall
ways were only five feet six inches wide, in
cluding stairways, which were only about two
| feet wide Into this tsnder-box were crowded
from twenty to thirty families, and ten persons
were roasted alive. They were Mrs Catherine
Wheeler, aged "a, her daughters aged IA, A,
and years, her son aged IL, Mrs Rosanna
Bennett aged 30 years, sons aged II and 9
years, and dasghters aged years and 10
months. The husbands of the women were
night labOrers, and away from home. The fire
is believed to be the work of an incendiary.-
The lower part of No 30 was mass of flames
before the inmates could be aroused, and when
the alarm was given those not stifed by the
dense smoke ran to the stairs, but only to be
met and driven back BY the ascending flames.
The Times says the scene at this time was ap-
palling. The inmates could be seen running
hither and thither seeking way of escape, but
finding none. While the increasing flames
rose higher and higher, and they were forced
from one floor to another by the intense neat,
the shrekings of the women and children were
terrible to hear. Those outside looked on with
feelings Ct horror, for, until the firemen arrived
with their apparatus, they could do nothing to
save them. With remarkable alacrity, even for
New York Eremen, Hook d Ladder Company
No. came to the scene. There was imme
diately a hope expressed that those in the
building might yet be saved, for the fremen
lost no time in rearing ladder against the
building, and springing TO the rescue, and the
fire had not yet reached the upper story; but
through their very eagerness to save those in
peril, the time and the means were lost. All
being anxious to rescue some one, too mapv
climbed the ladder, and it gave way, bringing
them all to the ground. Those inside who saw
the ladder break, and who were not vet suffo-
Gated, gave one heart-rending cry, and it was
the last. All who were able rushed to the
windows and sprang out, pTeferring to die by
the fall rather than by fire. In this wsy quite
number escaped without serious injury.
The scene when Mr. Wheeler and Mr.. BEN
nett were called to identify the remains, was
an exceedingly mournful one. They are both
employed by the Sixth avenue Railroad Com
pany, and were not at home when the fire oe-
CURED, which destroyed their entire families.
Soon after Mr.. Wheeler entered the station
yard, he raised the cloth beneath which what
we're thought to be the remains Of his family
were laid, and burst into tears There was
nothing there but burnt and blackened flesh,
and chared bones. Recognising ring upon
one Of the fingers Of the largest figure, he said
he thought that was the body of his wife, ana,
letting the Goth fall, he wept bitterly The |
most hardened Of all present Joined the unfor>
tunate man in his sorrow. When he had Wept |
awhile he raised the cloth again, and sobbine |
painfully said; 81 had a family this morning;
there is all that remains Of it now"
Dropping the cloth again, he was removed |
from the yard by number of his friends. Mr..
Bennett was also strongly affected It was
not possible to separate the dead families with |
certainty, and all that could be done was to fol-
low such indistinct indications as could be dis
covered