The Republican journal., 1877-06-14
Shocking Occurrences at a Fire.

On Wednesday evening of last week, a
Boston tenement house, on Shawmut
Avenue, mysteriOusly took fire. The
building was triangular in form, contain
ing two tenements on each floor and hav-
ing only one front entrance and one mar
row staircase leading straight up through
the center of the cditice. On the first
floor was bake shop, the oven being
situated exactly under the stairway. The
fine swept up through this natural pas
sage with unexampled swiftness, fed by
the light woodwork of the staircase, and
impeled by the furious draught drawing
up the wall from below. From all ac-
counts, it was less than ten minutes from
the time at which the flames were dis
covered before they had burned clear up
to the roof. The occupants of the build
ing, thus cut off from the only means of
exit, were seized with Undesirable con-
sternation. Shrieks and calls for help
arose on every hand, and a scene of heart
sickening dismay ensued. Many of the
people, thus hemmed in by the advancing
flames. jumped from the front and rear
windows to the street, amid the utmost
excitement Oh the part OF the spectators.
Some were rescued 10y means of ladders
by the brave tiremen, and there were
several marvellous escapes from death
AS it was, one person, Thos. Russell, a
man slNty-tiVe years old, was killed by
jumping from a window. He came to a
window and shouted for help and then
suddenly jumped wildly on to the window
sill and thence let himself down till he
hung from the window sill. For few
ponopnfs ha mod SnSnnnfaI th11S
his body swaying slightly to and fro, and
impotent and his arms gave way under
the strain, he let go his hold, and was
seen for y second to 90 whirling down.
Then there was a sickening thud as he
struck the sidewalk. He was not dead
however. His ribs were fractured and he
had sustained fatal internal injuries. He
was taken to the hospital and died soon
after.
Mr.. Parker and his family We're rescued
from the roof of the building through the
eXertions Of two brave tiremen, who with
a short ladder and rope assembled an adj
joining roof, and Notwithstanding the
beat and smoke, succeeded in saving Mr..
Parker, his wife and two children. Mrs
Carr, a widow living on the third floor,
came to window crying piteously for
help. Soon a mattress was brought and
the lady told to jump. She miscalculated
the distance and shot completely over the
mattress, striking the pavement with q
heavy thud. Both legs were broken and
her skull fractured. Mrs Davis appeared
at an upper window, and was saved The
Bangor ladder was run up to the fifth
story and a fireman mounted. The heat
was so intense that a stream of water was
turned on him, and even then he was
badly burned.
He went on up to the window, and seiz-
ing Mrs. Davis, who was by this time in
half-dcmented condition, under one arm,
he descended the long ladder and de-
posted his burden in the arms Of some
brother tiremen. She was badly burned.
The family of Mr.. Ash, including two
children. one sick, were removed from a
fifth story window, all being badly burn
ed. The fire caught it was thought from
the explosion OF a can of naptha which
the baker was kindling his fire with, but
he denies it, and says when he saw the
fire he ran and grabbed the can, and has
il to show. He thinks the building was
either struck by lightning or was the act
of an incendiary.