The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-26

SECOND FLOOR.
No Of Persona
Mr. kaDps, vile ana three ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
THIRD FLOOR.
Peter shielhs wife and two chIdren...............
Michael 5yrnes. wife and four children
S"aries DOrr vile ana cbiiu
FOURTH FLOOR.
Thomas Burns wife and nye nidren.. ..............
Total.....- 50
The house was a small one and the people were
pretty closely packed, and II SO many escaped 1T
was not by the early arrival " either the police
viyors assert that tney cot out by their own er.
forts. and not IN any case by the assistance OF po-
nce or ilremen: 1t Is very pressing case for the
interference OF tue charitable and wealthy people
OF New York, this disaster, which has deprived all
these families oil clothing food and money, as they
have saved nothing, and are now living In the
neighDoring houses at the expense OF people
equally poor as themselves. The property burned
down was owned by Henry Lips, OF Morrisania.
probably amount TO about $1,000. Lipps was in
sured In the westchester, Mutual, Adrlatic Mer-
chants and other insurance companies
The families OF Mr.. DOrr and Michael Burns
assert that they were not helped at all by police
the fire. Some idea may be formed OF the
Fire. Department here when 1t is under
IL was volunteer department., and that on the
eve ol surrendering their apparatus to the city OF
smashed them to pieces with axes and crowbars.
For this they were trieo and acquitted. num-
Der OF men were then sent from New YORK belong
ing to the regular department., and to these were
added number OF hangers-on who are allowed
TO work at any trade or occupation or none at all
during the DAY. aud are paid $500 year for lying
around the engine houses at night, waiting for a
fire. This class OF men are OF no use whatever,
anu are known 10 the townsmen '.Bufialoes.n
DIGGING OUT THE BODIES.
1t was ten O'Clock yesterday morning before any
attempt whatever had been made to recover the
bodies OF Mrs. Burns or her children from the
ruins. The police said that they had no authorit.
There were only seven OF them reacDed the fire
ha1t ron hon tar traC1 rad I'M
had no authority. and Coroner Miller, who
was legally the oircial TO take the matter into
Captain Robbins hunted the town ior him. At
last some fremen went to WORK, and in an hour
ened mass of cSarred flesh ami puip the mead
and body and limos all black, the bones broken OFF
at the knees and the eyes Clearly oDlterated, the
head looking like an india rubber bail. 1t looked
like nothing human and stout men shuddered as
they looked at it, and lted 1t reverently from the
wet and burnt mass OF debris. Pieces OF a smaller
body were discovered, aud then the work was
dlscon tinued Nothing further was done until half
past four O'Clock in the afternoon, as the Coroner
would hold an inquest "DeXt day. and then he
walked on without bordering himself with the
Que he could not hold an inquest Late in the
afternoon the delay became so shameful to all VINO
the relatives and friends OF Mrs. Burns, among
y whom - was ,so,, man named Fox VINO
iurther for the remaining bodies. At six
O'Clock last evening the partial remains OF
the Two other Cnuren were discovered ana care.
fully placed in boxes and were taken to The sta
ton house, in the basement OF which the de % med
and unrecognizabe remuns OF poor Mrs. Burns
and one OF her children had already been placed
on shutter. covered by wet carpets to hde the
cnarred. raw and bloody flesh that twenty-lour
hours before had been the shrine OF an immortal
soul Mrs. Burns was said 10 have been an excel
lent wife, mother and nousekeeper, and her hus-
band. VINO IS badly cut, burned and bruised, Is
almost craZed by the calamity.
A DEsOLATE HOME.
Last evening the writer OF this called at the
nt Mr. EnX w n 10 OILS l<xund hu
Mr.. Mott, in East lSoth street, near Fourth
avenue, TO speak to the desolate husband. Mrs.
Burns was the sister OF Mr.. Fox and poor Burns
found Oh the top floor, his eyes and arms badly
burned ana his whole frame quIvering with ANGUISH,
present. ami her denunciatlons OF the police and
firemen were loud and deep. there was also little
Annie bu ms, CARRYING the baby Michael. aged TWO
the family. The husband made the following state
ment-
HOW THOMAS BURNS ESCAPED
:, 81 am fhlrty-eight years OF age. and my wife
Maggie was thrty-fve wears OF age. We had i've
children. The eldest was Annie-she's here-and
sne's twelve years OF age and there is the baby,
Michael aged TWO years, and they are both saved,
aad my wife and the Two younges the three other
chndren sleeping in the next bedroom. In the mid
die OF the night, about three O'Clock IN the morning,
Maggie my wife woke me up and ran to the WIN
dow, and sue looked out a minute and then came
back running to the bed and hardly able to sneak;
.'Oh,' sue says to me, "Oh, Tom, there's a nose
in the back yardl The house IS on drel Let US
save IN cadren ~ got up and looked ont and
and myself ran to the windows at the side OF tue
house looking out on the next roof There were
no puliess IN the window sashes, and as often as
would raise the windows they would TALL
down again on my head: put Annie
ana Michael out on the next roof
could almost put our hands on II from the window
and then went Tor Maggie. my wire. She was
excited and confused | got out of the window,
waich smashed With my hands quics as got
out. and asked her to reach me the rest OF the
children, and | suppose the smoke made ner lose
her sla w nj her
TO me In anguish
ION, Tom. you're gone Oh. Tom, you're gonen
ANNIE BURNS coming forward with her little
brother In her arms Il cried out to the nremen
who were putting ladders up against the house
there there IS woman and three children burn
ing upr but they did not mind me Ut all, !" and
here little Anne sobbed bitterly.
THOMAS BURNs--Is it the nremen? They never
paid me the slightest attention at all, and when
tried to get III the window the nre and smoke
burst out and they turned me back and 1 got
burnt my sell. Thea was IN my night Clothes and
the other house began to burn under my feet and
so ran to the next roof and got down scuttle
and got shelter with the two children from a
neighbor, and then came here this morning.
mats all nave 10 say.
The reporter lett poor Burns alone in his terrible
desolaron, and the next thing to know Is who
viii be responsible for this calamity A keg OF
Blasting powder was hidden away In a tool chest
at the back OF tue house while the fire burn
ing and the box TOOK fire and the top mad burned
or before 10 became known that there was keg OF
powoer in 1t. Then shower OF water rom The
Chemical Engine Company was directed on o. c tool
cHtSt. WhlcD was as Big as an ordinary coal box,
and brave fellow named an Ripper snatcned the
keg OF powder from the spreading flames and
placed 1t at a safe distance. There large
crowd gazing at the fire at this time, and had the
keg exploded suddenly 1.teen twenty of the
bystanders would never have known what struck
them III this world.
The possibility Of q nec issue OF tnconreYtible
paper regard Cih 0mazeD,ent and anriety and,
i7s my judgment, such an issue arould be detri-
aaent ana u shdme.-CnARLEs SUMNER.