The New York herald., 1879-12-16
SHRoUDED IN MYSTERY.

UNABLE TO. ESTABLISH THE CAUSE OF FIRE
THAT COST FOUR NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
10 THE DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS.
Coroner woltman yesterday held an inquest on
the bodies OF Charles Butxek. aged seven years; !;
Wilhelmina Butzek, thirty-eight years; Joseph
Butzek, hfty-four years. and Mary Koranda. aged
seventy years. who sufocated at the hre in No.
50 Cannon street on November IA. Isaac Fisher. OF
Engine Company No. H. the first witness. He
received the signal from station No. 22S ut twenty
eight minutes past twelve A. NJ; their arrival
they found that the rooms OF the second
story of the four-story brick tenement sblaze.
They got their water and extnguisned the flames.
The fire had extended up the stairway burning the
hand rails. and passed the third floor without doing
any damage On the fourth floor the nremen found
the FIRE had made considerable hcadway. burning
the rear rooms somewhat and also the front
rooms and bedrooms On this floor the family
who were sufocated lived. On passing up
stairs they found four persons-two women
and two children-sunocated. These were found
In the small front bedroom of the hall.
Their bodies were considerably burned and they
ut removed. Witness notified the chief Of
battalion, John w. Miller, OF the hnding OF the
bodies, and the chief ordered Hook and Ladder No.
II to remove the bodies: Witness was satisfied
second floor; the building is single ten
ement; tho fire originated between the rear
.
latter room; he saw lamp and some glass in the
room; there was no scuttle 70 the house. In the
opinion of witness the probable cause OF the fire
was either the breaking the explosion OF kero-
oil lamp; there was hre escape in the roar OF
the house: tho stairway is very narrow. and. in the
opinion of the witness, the house was dangerous
one to get out Of in case OF q IRE. fts4
Charles X. Hyde. Chief OF the Bureau of Fire Es-
capes of the Department of Buildings, testified that
he visited the house the afternoon Following the
fire; he found the building burned In the interior;
the tenement was four stories hgh-about forty feet
In, nd hy fha
law required every building to have scuttle In the
house; it reported April IT, 1870 to have
the tenement examined March 20. 1878. and re-
port was then made that 1t was supplied with hre
jeremiah Dixon; there is no record OF the date
when the building erected. but 1t built be-
fore 1850. when the Building Department was organ
found the Are escape in good condition; the ladder
passed up and extended to the roof. so that per-
ascending by the hre escape could reach roof
FLIGHT LIFE.
George King. of No. So Broome street. sn uphol-
sterer. deposed that at the time Of the fire he
sided on the top floor OF No. 80 Cannon street; about
midnight he heard crash and got up; he thought
there were thieves in the house and SO informed his
found there was fire on the second hoor back
room he alarmed hts wife and three children. and
they escaped from the burning building; he did not
see Cohen during the hre; saw him about ono week
after tho tragedy; witness could not say II thsro
Fire Marshal Sheldon next testified HE made an
Investigation into the cause and origin Of the hre;
he found that the fire orginated on the second noor
ana that they were all absent ~ the time the nre
broke out It also appeared that the danes got
great headway before the danger discovered;
there were at arst suspicious Of incendiarsu. but
there evidence TO establish these suspicions
tho room occupied BY the Cohen family:
Mrs. Cohen acknowledged that she lett the lamp
Burning bspssh sna pnc
whore the lamp was suspended; the fact Is that
many ircs occur when tho light 10 left burning low
~ AD1~
rectly under the lamp showed that the Are must have
burned an hour aud half or two hours before tho
alarm sent out.
solomon Cohen wns the next witness called. He
resides at No. 80 Suffolk street and Is tailor by
he moved there in June last; hc used TO work in his
rooms with one or two sewing machines; on Novem-
ber i3 he left the house at seven A. NJ and was not
home all that day aud night; he used TO work on
Thursday all night In order TO deliver the work on
Friday; the nre occurred on Thursday; he informed
home that night, and she brought him his
supper ut seven p. NJ. to No. 205 Broomc
w% 4. .no Children and Won't 10 n: hoss Of %
brother. who lives at No. Hester street; she did
expect to stay all night. but intended to call
him at ten p. NJ: she subsequently informed
him that his brothers. child sick and she wanted
TO 90 home about ten o'clock. but that IL rained
doctor: ne had his furniture Insured for $500 for
about i've years.
Henry J. Dudley. superintendent OF Buildings.
submttc cd his report. The building built brick
Is four stories high. l5 feet Wide. ~ feet deep
and had but one family dwelling on each hoor
of three rooms zach. The building is provided with
ladder attachment The fire got possession OF the
stairs before the people could be aroused. otherwise
they could have escaped to the and been saved
by means Of the fre escape, the distance being only
We feet the roof Of the adjoining house; there Il
no scutte ladder In the house. and even II there
worethcy would not have afforded any relief in this
case. the fire had complete control OF the stairway
in short time, aud the scutte opening would nat
ura!ly be from the hallway.
Alter brief ielibcration the jury returned with tho
following verdict THAT the said people ldecessedj
came TO their death by sufrocation during Ire at
No. SO Cannon street. November IA. 1879. The
origin OF the said FIRE is unknown to s. We recon-
mend that the Building Department place notices in
languages informing inmates Of tenement
OF the location OF the FIRE escape and other
means OF escape In case Of hre."