The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-26
Cruel Calamity Yesterday
Morning at Morrisania.
TERROR, DESPAIR, SMOKE AND FLAME.
Margaret Burns and Her Three
Children Burned Alive.
The POLICE AND FIRfMEA NOWHERE.
Digging for the Bodies and Mourning for
the Lost Ones.

In the Third avenue, the 'Old Boston Road,r
As it used to be called and is yet known by some
of the ancient inhabitants of Morrsania and the
lower part OF Westchester county, there were still
standing on last Tuesday evening three frame
houses. painted OF a dead yellow color and having
green blinds 10 cover their windows. These three
frame houses 1ronted on Third avenue,
between 14lst and 1920 streets, and formed
a block on the avenue, The two houses
toward the south being each three stories in
height, while the northern or corner building was
a double house, and was ionr stories IN height.
AT the rear oil this corner house was an extension
one story high, beyond which was fence. Looking
out from the rear of the house was board fence,
which surrounded the house totally, and beyond
TINS fence again large open and unbuilt
rpaees stretching or in the direction Of Wilton
and Long Island Sound. Now the reader has be-
fore him one or the most terrible, and
vet unexplained disasters, II it do not turn
out TO be a wholesale murder OF an innocent fam
ly that has ever been known in this city. And
further, let IL be added that the scene OF the dis
aser Is in the village of North New York. township
OF Morrisania and since the annexation OF Janu-
AIRY, the locality has become the ntythird ward
and Thirty-thlrd police precinct OF the city and
county OF New York
TERROR IN NIGHT.
At precisely i've minutes before three O'Clock
yesterday "wednesday morning the owner OF the
lager bier saloon directly opposite to the corner
house, with the extension already described, on
looking out in the night from his dwelling window
up stairs, saw flames and smoke issuing in rapid
volumes from the cellar OF the house opposite. IN
winch were eight families of mechanics, laDoring
peop lie, their wives and children sleeping unaware
OF the monster that was creeping up to lick their
lives out. Immediately alter some person. as yet
unknown, ran along the yet silent street and gave
the alarm, and crying out excitedly, "Firel Fire
Turn outm
Soon alter the rapid beat Of feet and shouting
woke up he neighbors, and by TINS time the IRE
had burned up toward the second story enveop-
nessmakers shop on the street door, Kept by
man named HOLLYWOOD. The houses. being OF
very poor framework and dry as an old waf-Worn
line-o battle snip, burned Ike finder, and the
names went roaring through the scant tim1ers
and lathng and hoorinG with rapidly that was
awful TO behold The open spaces around the
tated dwellings gave tie DANES great headway.
and in twenty minutes rom the time that the Dire
burst through the cellar the house was wrapped
from basement 10 roof In cloud OF fame and
smoke.
'.MERcY, FATHER, MY CHILDREN"
Now, let The reader pause and picture this scene
morning. lGys'e The only lire company Which had ar
rived at twenty minutes after three O'Clock was
Third avenue one block below the scene OF the
nre. The foreman's name is Milmore, and 1t took
minutes to run a block. During this twenty-five
minutes there were tnrty-eght wretched peo-
double-breasted undertook smotherlng witn smoke,
stngeing VITA hame. ana totally paIalyzed with
despair ana HOIfOT III tndb Trey NOulu NC
burned every one alive. And still the frenen came
not, and The SC cams OF the people were terrible
3 and dare not enter the burning building. of
the people who saw this thing yesterday morning,
women ne who gathered around in groups~had the
SO leariauy impressed on their minds
way to their lips, AMI their eyes had sort OF con-
fused and stricken look in them. Finally nv
arrived, bnt then there was great deal OF Diff
Guilty to gel water. Water was got az last from
Haven Can al also Instant. The Croton mains do
not run here but the sooner they do the better for
life and property,
BURNED TO DEATH.
There was fire escape in the rear OF the building
q means OF escape to those tcirty-egnt souls who
were caught IN this fiery furnace lbe stairways
very narrow and fragile and mean looking. tnat u
stout man might have carried away his back
= were blasted and charred cinders ten minutes
after the alarm had been given NO escape tnat
way was possible. The occupants OF the different
rooms, In their night robes, many OF whom were
TO the windows and screamed in despair.
Those who opened their hal or landing
Opaque masses OF binding smoke, witch flied
ears, eyes mouth, surocatng and driving them
back. There was only one recourse lett and that
was by the rear windows. and to these, where
narrow and unadjustaole fire escapes were HANG
ing, The terror stricken men, women and children
rushed, some OF them being as naked as when
they entered the world
On the top fourth floor were man named Ma.
son, Mrs. Mason, his vile. and two children, one OF
them a boy somewhat grown. The other family
vile, Mary Burns, aged thirty-fve; ANNE, his
eldest cnild, aged twelve; Maggie, aged nine;
and Michael, a baby aged two years. The Mason
family escaped, as did all the other families IN the
building. crawling down the fire escape like rats;
but oil the Burns family the father, his eldest
daughter Annie and the BABY alone escaped.
while Mrs. Burns and her three chilcren-Maggie,
Bessie and Tommy-never came out until they
were dug out Of the debris yesterday morning and
evening in cbarred fragments, never TO De recog-
nized By any one again but by Him who breathed
the me into their nostrils. Mrs Mason was helped
ont, she neve. knew how. by her husb and and son,
anu they reached the street IN their night clothes
o. the tnlrty-elgat persons, not one came out OF
the burning building With any article OF inrnlture
OF money value. but ouly with the clothes IN
wnlcn they slept or threw on hastily IN their fright.
of Thomas Burns lived here we're two windows
to ne sorth IN The SIDE Of the house, and looking
lower than the burning building These WIN
SSoss, as is usual in al like disasters,
mouldcr IN the IRON WORKS Of Jordan L. Mott, and
hard working man, got out OF one oil these win
81 after he got out himself Then he dragged ms
daughter Annie out. and as fast he drew up the
window SASH 1t slammed down again. lie finally
ned the glass panes ana sash to pieces, with
the fury OF despalrlng man. VINO saw his vile and
I burns becoming confused ana terrified, with her
three remaining little children ciinging to
Z sirnr. and giving last despairing wall,
winch was heard by the father outside, SIZE aded
away INTO the burning building as blast OF lire
o. ana sunoca,ing smoke burst through the broken
sash, scorching the lace Of her husband Wn9 could
9 not again enter the names. Little Annie burns,
- small Tor her age, screamed from the adjoining
i, ROOF to the french, who were planting ladders
against the burning building, my mother Is Duln-
ing up--there woman and three children In
: the hrelu but iather and daughter assert that
they paid heed TO her aud did not endeayor
:, 10 assist Mrs. Burns or her three
children out or the flames. Finding mat the ROOF
% ON which he standing beg inning to bur IN,
y he ran TO the third house below and, SEEING his
two children by che hand, he escaped by a scuttc
- aud took refuge In neighbours house.
THE FLAMES SPREADING.
o. No one can give any account OF the cause or
origin oil this terrible ire. IL from cellar
under the harness shop and liquor store: and the
daughter OF Charles Dorr declares, and others
Toborate her her statement, that there
no combustible material in the cell
b )ar--notning but some coal and a barrel
B of beer. While the occupants were getting
out the fire had spread all over the building, and
10 nnIned 70 0rnnnn not even She'll helnQ lett