The New York herald., 1875-12-02
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A DISASTER.

CROWDED TENEMENT BURNED-ALLKGED
NEGLECT THE CAUSE.
In the crowded FIVE story tenement house No %
Thomas street. the corner OF West Broadway, a
FIRE occurred yesterday morning, which within hour
rendered homeless sixteen poor families and made
many Of their number entirely destitute.
The fire ocoasioned by what would appear to be
cupable careessness the part OF Henry Lunng the
proprietor of Asma grocery store on the first floor
Shortly before eleven O'Clock, wishing to draw some
ale, he went into the cellar, where he found
the ale pipe leading to the Frozen and
in order to thaw 1t out he lighted
newspaper and held to the pipe The ceiling of the
cellar low and the place filled with rubbish
The fire from the paper licked the ceiling and in mo-
mcnt 1t was in a blaze The flames spread rapidly as
the ceiling saturated with kerosene, which had
frequently drpped the floor Of the above and
soaked through Quickly calling to hts boy for pals of
water Luning made several attempts extinguish the
fire. but without avail An alarm then gven and
within short time the engines were on tho spot.
Captain Caffray with a section of followed.
When the police arrived they found the street block
AIDED with multitude Of people, and it was only after
much difficulty that the space around the burning
building was cleared for action.
WITH SMOKE,
which rolled in dense volumes from the doomed house.
The hearrendlng screams OF the women and children
rushing in dIsmay down the staircase battling
with the smoke and flames in their struggle for life,
rendered the excitement intense.
Within few minutes the streams on, and the
smoke clearing away scene revealed TO view that
touched the hearts OF the stoues and nerved the fire.
men to almost superhuman Efforts On the top of the
building were several women and children,
ing and frantic Retreat from the inside had been
of and the helpless occupants OF the upper floors had
been driven TO the roof One OF the women, more
excited than the rest running from edge TO
edge, her hair streaming and her face haggard with
fear In her arms she Rugged convusively little in
fant and her agonized screams rent the air.
The hremen in the meantime were working with all
their might. Ladders from Hook and Ladder Company
No 8 had been placed against the burning building
and some fremen went TO the Several work
employed in the neghborng house OF H. Clafin
and Co. had anticipated the remen by placing the
roof Of the adjoining building, occupied by G. W. Blats
as gold and silver refinery, ladder reaching to the
women were rescued The only man on the
burning housetop was Thomas Norman,
sailor and he, with seaman's instinct,
the roof To cut and fasten 1t the work of
moment and by IL his wife and another woman
enabled TO slide down TO the top Of the refinery build
ing. Two ladders were now bearing in safety their
living freight and the danger past Hardly had
they reached the ground when tongues of darted
through the roof Ten minutes delay would have
proved fatal
Within an hour the fire was extinguished.
On examination ii was found that the flames had done
sad havoc having destroyed nearly all the furniture of
the occupants.
THE DAMAGE.
The building damaged to the extent of about
81 600. 1t is owned by Mr. David Briggs OF No. II
Jane street. and is insured for 200 in the Greenwich
Insurance Company. The building had altogether
twenty rooms which were let to sixteen families at
monthly rentals varying from SO TO $12 The drst
floor was occupied by Herman Luninc, grocer; loss
$780, insured for 81 900 in the Park Insurance Com
pany. John Choewa shoemaker; loss 500 The
second floor by the families of Patrick Flanagan,
Lawrence johnson and Thomas Jay. The third floor
by the families Of Peter Welsh Michael Fadden and
John Zimmerman. The fourth by the families of
Patrick Morrissey, Owen Barnum and Michael Ahern.
The fifth by the families OF John Fitzgerald Peter
Schultz, Thomas Norman and William Hintzman, all Of
whom lose all their furniture which in the aggregate
was worth about 81 200.
Among the tiremen who distinguished themselves in
saving the occupants Of the house were Foreman
Reeves, Assistant Foreman Sullivan and Firemen
Whitmore and Grill
After the fire extinguished the homeless families
clustered together and Joined by their chill
dren who had been TO school while their homes
burning, and the momenous question as TO where they
should 60 discussed. Many had friends upon
whose charity they could rely Others more fortu-
nate hastened to the homes OF their relatives
q temporary habitation.
Mr. Purcell proprietor Of saloon opposite the burned
tenement house moved by the suffering of those made
homeless, threw open his doors and welcomed them in
fire was built in the basement and fourteen women
and children sat huddled around tho stove, weeping
and bemoaning their sad lot Richard Wilson, owner
of neghborng restaurant, sent In an abundance Of
provisions and their pangs of hunger were appeased
The heads of the homeless families mainly laborng
men, and many OF them at present out OF work and
without penny in the world.