The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1875-01-30
A DISASTROUS FIRE IN BROOKLYN,
Three Lives Lost and Several People
seriously 1njured-A Mothers Brave
From the n. Y. Times Of Wednesday.

SERIOUSLY IhUufeu-'A Mothers Brave
Act.
From the n 7. Times of Wednesday.
A few minutes before 7 oclo k last
evening, fire, which resulted in sad
loss of life, occurred in the four story
brick tenement house at the southeast
| corner of Hoyt and Pacific streets,
Brooklyn. The flames were first dis
covered in the cellar, and so rapidly did
they spread that T. J. Boedecker. the
proprietor of a grocery Immediately
over the cellar, was obliged to Jump
from the back window of the store to
save himself. 1t was ten or fifteen min
utes after the fire was discovered be
fore an alarm was sounded, and to this
fact must be attributed the loss
of life which resulted. In the upper
part Of the house the residents received
their first notification of the fire from
the approach of the flames to their own
apartments. The second floor, imme-
dlately over the grocery store, was occu-
pied III the back part By the family Of
Boedecker, consisting Of five persons.
They effected their escape by back
stairway. The third floor was occupied
by Mrs. Mary Flood, aged 70; her two
sons, Thomas and John, aged respect
lively 30 and 35, and Timothy McCor-
mick, his son Patrick, and the latter's
wife and family, composed altogether of
SIX persons. The fourth floor was occu
pied by John McGarry and his sister,
and Robert Deidrick and his family,
consisting of four persons. From the
moment OF the discovery of the fire a
perfect panic appears to have seized not
only on the unfortunates imprisoned by
the flames, but upon the people in the
streets. One old woman, Mary Flood,
appeared at the window of her apart
ments on the third floor, and called in
vain for ladder or for help of any kind.
At last, driven frantic by the flames
which almost enveloped her form as
she stood In the window, she jumped
headlOng into the street. The unfor-
tunate woman alighted on her head on
a wooden awning, and crashing through,
reached the sidewalk below a mass of
mangled flesh and bones. An hour af-
terward she died in the Long Island
College Hospital, Mrs. Flood had
hardly jumped from the window,
when she was followed by her two
sons, Thomas and John. Thomas re-
ceived severe injuries to his spine and
was also internally injured. John was
badly, and ii is thought fatally, injured
by his fall. A rare presence of mind
and courage was displayed by Mrs.
Mccormick, who resided with her hus-
band and his father on the same floor
with the Floods. Procuring a rope she
fastened it round the waist of her little
daughter Nelly and proceeded to lower
her to the street. When the child had
almost reached the sidewalk the rope,
which was a slender one, broke, and
the little girl, falling heavily, received
severe injuries to her head Mrs. Nc
COrmick quickly drew up the rope and
making it fast in the room lowered her.
self. By this time ladder had been
procured and she was safely assisted to
the ground. The father-in-law and hus-
band of the woman were sutfocated in
the building. A brother named John
Mccormick succeeded in forcing his
way through the flames and smoke to
the sidewalk. He was severely burned.
When the fremen had the flames sui
ticiently under control to enter the
building the bodies of the old man,
Timothy Mccormick. and of his son
L
the third floor dead. Neither was much
burned. Strange to say, all the occu-
pants of the fourth floor escaped with
out serious injuries. John McGarry
and his sister were not injured in any
degree. Minnie Deidrick, aged II, a
daughter of Robert Deidrick, had her
eyelashes slightly, and one of her hands
severely, burned. After the alarm
sounded the fremen were promptly
at the scene of the fire, but at that
time the flames had reached up
through the house, and all who
escaped had left the build
ing. Seeing that with the force first
summoned it would be impossible to
subdue the flames, the Chief Engineer
ordered a second alarm. Even then the
house was completely Quilted before the
fire was put out. To the poor people
who escaped nothing was saved. Their
furniture and all their personal proper
ty, none of which was insured. is an
Boedecker estimates his loss at So 600,
and is insured for 3, 900. The build
ing, which is owned by Edward
Van Brant Nissan, was damaged
to the extent of about $4,000
The insurance could not be ascertained.
Fire Marshal Thorne has no yet been
able to determine the cause of the fire,
but it is supposed to have been caused
by fire kindled in the cellar for the
use of some plumbers, who had been
engaged during the day mending the
water pipes. The bodies of the two
Mccormack were removed to the
Third Precinct Station. Up to a late
hour last night large crowds were in the
vicinity of the fire, and a good deal of