The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-20
BROUGHT CLOSE TO DEATH.
HdIRBREd DTH ESCfPE ora BURN-
INC house TENANT
A Fire Kindied Under n stairway by an Un-
detected vIiiain-A Midnight scene in Fast
Broadway-SeveraI Persons Badly Hurt.

A Fire Kindled Under stairway by an Un-
detected viiiain-A Midnight scene in Fast
Broadway-Several Persons Badly Hurt.
Somebody kindled fire soon after IL
o'clock yesterday morning In passage way be-
tween 81 and 50 East broadway. The flames
up the side Of a stairway leading to the upper
part OF o. filling the house with smoke, and
caught on tho second floor. Edward Conway,
an employee Of tho American Nows Company,
was awakened by the cracking and dlfllculty
In breathing. lie sprang up, and, seeing the
flames at his door. shouted " Fire !" and ran to
his window. Getting upon the sill, he caught
hold OF a cothesline that hung from block,
and swung himself out. Scarcely awake he did
not cling to the rope, but fell into the cellar
way below. lie was stunned, by his head strlk-
ing the masonry. His shout awoke Daniel No
Ian, n youth who was with his father, mother,
and four little brothers and sisters In the room
adjoining Conway's Daniel looked into the
flaming hall, saw the nre leaping to the third
floor and startled Its sleeping tenants
with his cries. The bed In which his
mother and sisters lay blocked tho most con-
venient window in the room So running into
Conway's room. he slid down the rope at the
bottom OF which Conway lay insensble An
occupant OF the rear two-story brick building
threw scuttle ladder to Daniel. and he placed
1t against the side Of the burning house, but II
did not reach the window Of his parents room.
a baby In his arms, and began the descent.
Scarcely had he gone down three rungs when
Francis Mulleran, an old man. jumped from
third-hoor window. crushed through
fral plat form over the cellar way. and was held
by the ends OF the brONcn boards. His left arm
was fractured, and he was very seriously wound
ed internally. Almost at the same moment Mrs.
Catherine Murphy dropped from window Of
her room on the third floor, nearly over Daniels
head. In passing. her night dress brushed him.
Falling upon ;he stone pavement Of the area. she
received severe internal injuries. Having put
the baby In safe place. Daniel rcascendcd tho
ladder, and brought down separately his other
sister and two brothers Then his father and
mother descended
threw open doors and windows. making a draft
that drew the flames quickly up to the roof.
toundsman Buckley telegraphed an alarm to
the Madison street station and ran to rouse
Engine Company o. whose house Is at 5i East
Broadway. EN-Assistant Foreman Stewart, who
had been conNDr-ing with the rOundsman, got
u ladder that Wa. outside ~ u painters shop,
square away. and dragged IL to the burning
house. The ladder would not touch even the
Sills of the first toor windows Then william
Sproules camhcr"d DOWN the awning frame. and
John Jordan climbed from the third hoor TO the
sidewalk 10y the shutter-. stewart, Michael
Mhalan, "A liroONkn Navy Yard watchman. and
several of the officers that had come from the
Madison street station held up the ladder until
the Fifth Avenue Hotel, and William Nolan and
his family. all that were left la the house, came
down.
Ere this tho fire engines were throwing water
into the house. and at hve O'Clock the fire was
extngti~hcd. Tho tenants losses. aggregated
S3Otu. partially covered by insurance, with the
exception Of William Nolan. a mirror manufac-
turcr. who lost Sl.Jp. The owner Of the build
ing, Patrlck Gihucy Of 2sl Fast FOrtv-ninth
street loses S2,tuJ There was no IRE escape
The Bellevue surgeons deemed all ~ the
recovery last evening. Mullerans life is still in
jeopardy.