The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-18
THE TENEMENT HoUsE HORROR.
the Murphy Famly-COnSitiOn OF tho
SurviVOrs-Tho Fire MarshaYa InvestI-


SurviVOrs-ThO Fire MarshaI's InvestI-
CATION.
Two other victims of the tenement house
tragedy have succumbed 10 thet !niEries. Mrs.
ROsanna Murphy, who had fingered in a state
of unconsciousness from the moment of her ad-
mission to the hospital, expired at a late hour
on Monday night Happily for her she had not
returned to the use of her faculties at the last
moment, and death supervened while she was
still insensible of her suherings.
Her husband, Patrick Murphy, is doing well,
although his injuries are of q serious nature and
may protract his sojourn in the hospital, and
Cornelius OMeara died at Bellevue yesterday
afternoon. Mis-. Julia Kelly, who jumped from
the third story window, ls lying In critical
state at the hospital. Her spine was seriously
injured by the shock of her descent. Mary Anne
Garvey, the little girl, has nearly recovered, and
will be out OF the hospital in few days.
The funeral OF he Murphy family took place
yesterday afternoon. 1t was a melancholy
sight when the solemn procession moved off
with the remains of the mother and her three
children. The funeral Of the O'Meara family
takes place to-day, when q mother and her three
daughters will receive this last tribute of respect.
The male heads OF each of the two bereaved
families still lie IN the wards of the hospital,
aud in the one case it is only too probable that
he is soon to follow, if not accompany, the
remains OF his wife and children.
The crowd continued all day yesterday, both
at the hospital and at the house. AT the 1OFmer
place hundreds OF young girls, the shopmates
and acquantances of the dead girls, took last
look at the bodies, and at the former an iuces-
SAINT throng continued, as if unable to feast their
eyes with the sight of the spot made memorable
by so sad u catastrophe.
The prisoner, Macmillan Miller, still remains
IN confinement at the Twenty first Precinct
Station House, whittier he has been committed
by warrant from Coroner Wildey. He is not
allowed to communicate with visitors.
Mir. Hoffman, the owner of the house, in
reference to questions put to him yesterday by
Captain Allaire, said that Miller had not been
doing good business, that his neighbors had
raf1 m huu nf I'M oT,A hat hn hoA koa,
trying to sell out the place. Tue Fire Marshal
is in search Of any facts that may tend to throw
lieh upon the origin OF the fire, but his efforts
SO far have not been very satisfactory. He will
however, develop what information he has
before the Coroner's jury, who meet for the
inquest tomorrow morning at o'clock, in the
Norgue.
Asthis terrible disaster has given rise to conside-
Table discussion as to where the responsibility of
a want of fre-escapes IN the building should be
placed, It may not be out OF place to quote the
law on the subject.
In the ''Aet Tor the regulation of tenement
and lodging houses in the cities OF New York
and Brooklyn" passed May a. 1867, section 8
reads as folloWs;-
''Every such house shall be provided with proper
hreeseApe or means OF escape In case OF fire. TO be
| approved In New y H0rk by the inspector OF Puolc
Healthh N"-N ~
1t will be seen that the law is very expressive
in its terms, and does not leave the construction
| in tenement houses of fire.escapes at the option
of the inspector, but says they shall be pro
| Yided."
1t has often been contended that the law ap-
! plies only to such buildings as were con-
| structed after the Law was passed. The first
| section Of the same law already quoted from
makes this question cear;-
"sectionl From and after the LIST day OF July 1867
no house building portion thereof in the cities OF
| New York and Brooklyn shall be used, occupied
| leased, or rented for tenement aud lodging house
unless the conforms in its construction
| purtenances, 10 the requirements ofthis act"
1t is to be regretted that at times the Board of
| Health Inspectors, in their sanitary reports do
not always agree with the subinspector OF
| public buildings; otherwise speaking, it has
Board Of Health has officially informed the
| Board that certain house had no fre-escape,
and the Board referred the matter to the In
spector OF Public Buildings, it is alleged that
| N. Y. Herald