New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-02-08
Neh OEIeaas 4aiIp Cresftllt.
Latest Intelligence by Express.
IN ADVANCE or THE MAILS.
AWFUL CATASTROPHE IN NEW YORK
Twenty-Five or Thirty Persons Burned to Death

q n.
Twenty Five or Thirty Persons Burned to Death.
A shocking calamity occurred in New York on
the night Of the I'd inst by which large number
of persons lost their lives. From the account in
the Herald of the following day extract the fol-
lowing particulars
Between and O'Clock last evening fire broke
out in the basement of six-story tenement house,
situated at No. l42 Elm street. The flames spread
with astonishing rapdity up the staircase, extend
ing to the different apartments, occupied by some
twenty families. The instant the alarm was given
the scene that occurred throughout the building
was one Of the most heartrending character--ino
theirs and fathers screaming to save their children
and the poor children screaming as terribly run
ming from room to room in search of their parents
The windows OF the upper stories, both front and
| rear presented a scene of the most painful inter
est-men, women and children calling ont for help
in the widest despair, several, it is said sprnging
| from the windows.
| The firemen were early at the building. Ladders
| were quickly hoisted to the windows and front
and rear, and from the third and fourth stories of
some OF the rear windows, the frenen rescued seye-
| raj women and children, and handed them down to
| the .fremen below. As the firemen were on the
ladders they assert they could see many women
and children Frustrated on the floor, but the rooms
were SO surrounded by the flames as to render it
| impossible for them to extricate them. 1t was be.
1 eved they had been stricken down by sufocation
| prior to the flames reaching them.
1 AT the windows OF the top floors and on the roof
| a number Of poor creatures were seen imploring
| for assistance, but, unfortunately, no human aid
could reach them-the longest ladder would only
reach to the fourth story and the building extend
| ed four stories above the adjoining houses-hence
| those who had made their way to the roof were
doomed their escape being uncertain as it would
\ be to endeavor to go down stairs.
Many OF the unfortunate inmates who had gained
the roof were seen running about from one side to
| the other in the widest despair. Amid the volumes
of smoke, now and then, the forms of these poor
people could be seen on the roof until the fire
burst upon them: crash was heard the roof fell,
| and they all disappeared.
1t is believed there cannot have been less than
twenty-five thirty lives lost. Up to late hour
last night some thirty OF the occupants were miss
| ing
| The first floor and basement were divided into
1 two stores. One was occupied by John Defries as
a grocery and liquor store; the other as bakery,
I kept by an Italian. whose name could not learn.
The door leading to the tenement house was in the
center OF the building and the fire, it seems orr
| ginated in the basement of the bake house. The
baker it is alleged kept hay we'll as shayings in
the cellar, and it was tile fire coming in contact
with this inlammabie material which made so rapid
a confagration. The dense smoke produced by
the burning hay and shayings prevented large
number Of the inmates from escaping down the
stairs there being but one fight, and way for
an escape other than going to the roof or precipi-
tatng themselves from the windows.
We have often anticipated catastrophe of this
kind consequent upon the manner of constructing
tenement houses and We fear many others will oc-
cur in the like manner if something is not done in
the way of providing means of escape. .%g
The upper part of the building was occupied by
about twenty families, and the following are about
all the particulars that could be learned:
Mr.. Wise, with his family, consisting Of his wife
and three children, occupied portion Of the front
child, three years old, was rescued, but of its
legs was broken. No particulars could be obtained
as to what became Of the rest Of the family and it
is feared they were burned to death.
Tsaal Whitp with His Nifn A malta and fvn cbt1!
dren, occupied portion of the second floor. Mr..
and Mrs. White escaped, and also two Of the chill
dre-Eiiza, aged twenty years, and Louis, aged
eleven years. Gustaye, aged seventeen years
was absent. Esther, aged eighteen years, was
nearly suffocated Pauline, aged seven years, was
nearly sufocated. The two last were taken to the
Hospital, but their injuries We're not very serious
A man named Francis Serro, whose family is alb
sent i'll France, also occupied portion Of the sec
ond floor. He was rescued, badly burned abou
the body and hands, and taken to the Hospital
George Bordner occupied a portion of the SECOND
floor, with his wife Frederick and two children
, Caroline, aged years, and Henry, aged l6 years
Mr.. Bordner and the two children escaped unin
jured, but Mrs. Bordner was badly burned. She
was found nearly dead by detective Keefe assisted
by several members OF North River Engine No. 80
The officer took her to the shoe store of Georg.
Scheffmeyer, No. l26 Grand street, and she was
afterwards taken to the Hospital. Mr.. McCar-
rick occupied portion of the third floor (front)
with his family, consisting of wife and two child
rem: they were all saved uninjured. a Jewisl
family, consisting Of eight persons, occupied {
portion of the third floor. The name could not BIZ
ascertained, and the only member of the family
: that could be found was a child % years of age
that was conveyed to No. Is Howard street. 1t il
feared portion of the family We're burned. Mr.
bricks, with his wife and five children, occupied
portion of the third floor; as none of them were
seen after the fire broke out, it is feared they were
all burned Mr.. Walks, with his wife and twe
. children occupied portion of the third flool
(bacl) No particulars could be learned of them
although dgent search was made among thu
crowd to find il any Of them were rescued.
Mr., Armstrong, with his wife and child, occupied
part of the fourth floor; nothing could be Learned
of them after the fire broke out. Mr.. Stark, with
his wife and two children, occupied a part of the
fourth floor; nothing could be learned of them
MIR. Rebeceo, with his wife and two children, AMI
four persons, whose names could not be ascertain.
ed, occupied portion of the fourth floor nothing
could be learned of them after the fire broke out
and it is feared some of them were burned. Mrs
North a widow. occupied a room on the fifth floor
and she was not seen after the fire broke out. VIM
Vopel and his wife Francene occupied portion o.
the fifth floor. Mr. Vopel, on the discovery of thu
fire, and finding that he could not escape by thu
stairway threw cothesline out of the window
and fastened one end to the window sill; he let hi
wife partially down, when she slipped and fell
shed, injuring herself severely. He followed, AMI
i escaped with few slight injuries.
Mrs. Vopel was taken to the Hospital but hel
! life is despaired of. Francis Tysmeyer, with hi.
wife and three children, occupied part of tn,
e fifth floor. He escaped by jumping out of the win
| dow, and received severe NO uulilp
could be learned of the wife and children and it i
J, feared they were burned to death. Owing to TIL
intense excitement that prevailed the names OF tn
occupants of the sixth floor could not be ascertain
1 ed and as the fire commenced near the staircase
cutting off all hope of escape from that quarter,
is generally supposed thai the occupants Of thi
, foor-about dozen in al-were burned to death
William North and his family consisting of his wifi
and three children, occupied part of the third foo
: and all escaped uninjured.
AT late hour last night we learn the walls Q
the tenement house fell in and the whole editie
became pile of ruins.
! number of laborers will be set at work to II
move the rubbish to recover the dead bodies.
INclDENTs-Detectiye Joseph Keefa, with seyt
: raj of the members of Engine Company No. 81
hearing the cries of those within the building. &c
:, up into the second story, rear room, and Their
= found German woman lying upon the floor, he
clothes partly on fire, and five children lying nea
her, nearly suffocated to death. They imme
0 diately tore the clothing of her back and cove
ing her with their coats, carried her to boot an
shoe store in Grand street. She was finally II
moved to the Hospital. Several were seen at til
:, upper story windows, and for long time han
d was seen hanging partly out of one OF the froI
windows on the fourth foor, but o. II was lmposs
: BILE to reach the windows, even by a ladder, th
Unfortunate creature persisted in the flames. Til
: cries az several were heard by the neighbors fo
some time after tile fire had got under way.
Mrs. Nelly Manench, residing on Grand stree
heard the means of several, and the cries of
.1o,s,,n 70 a