The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-11-17

NEW YORK. November 15.--It has been a
marvel that, considering the careless habits
of many Of the inmates of the tall tenement
houses that line the streets in the lower
wards on the east side, some extensive and
frightful confiagrasion, involving the loss OF
many lives, has not occurred for many
Years. The fire that occurred yesterday
morning at No. so Cannon street, and re-
suited in the loss OF five lives, shows to
what fearful periIs the residents OF tene-
n,ent-houSes are subjected. Whether this
fire was accidental or incendiary is not
clearly determined. though the weight OF
popular suspicion is in the direction that 1t
was caused by the motive Of one tenant iii
the house seeking the insurance money he
had on his furniture.
THE STORY OF THE CALAMITY.
1t was about twenty-five minutes past .
4. VI. that the indications Of fire were dis
covered at the fonr-s.ory brick tenement
No. 50 Cannon street by John King, an up
holSterer. who has Il store on the ground
floor Of No. 80, and who lives in the south
crn end OF the house on the third floor. He
was awakened by Il smell OF smoke and the
sound OF cracking flames. Gathering hastily
his two children under his arms and awaken.
Ing his wife be rushed down stairs, beat
ing on the door CT the floor below to rouse
up the family, thereby saving the lives OF
Mrs. Wood and hertwo children. The fire.
alarm that was III once sounded brought En-
CINE No. II, Truck No. II, and the insurance
patrol quickly 10 the spot, and the flames
were soon under control. About the time
the engines arrived John Botz>ki, who lived
on the top floor, appeared at n window in
his ni.ht-dress and screamed loudly for
help. He held up his little baby, eight
months old, in bis arms, and declared that
tic stairway was impossible to pass because
| OF the smoke. Frantic with fear, he put
down the child and jumped from the win
dow. forty feet above, to the hard flagway
beneath, and fell with loud thud directly
on his head within few inches Of the curb
stone. He was taken up unconscious, and
before medical aid arrived he was dead.
| THE HEROES.
| The fire aroused the inmates Of all the
ncighborng tenemcnt-houSes, not so much
on account OF The exhibition OF bright and
startling flames, rs these were smothered IN
the excessive emission Of smoke, but rather
| by the racket caused by the tirmen and the
| Imprisoned inmates OF the tenement. The
| trcmcn behaved nobly. They assembled to
the roof OF the house and tried TO force IN
entry through it, but the smoke poured out
in such volumes from the holes they cut
| with their axes that they were driven back.
| Mrs. Woods children, who lived on tie
| Eivington-strect side OF the hall on the
second floor, were saved by Fireman Ne
Lean, who, though blinded by smoke.
dashed in and at the imminent risk Of his
life brought them safely out. The perform
ances OF the iircmen were Of the most he
role kind. Fireman Patrick j. Lynch de-
serves especial recognition. He climbed
| the iirc-e>cape at the rear OF the building,
| and through binding smoke and flame
made his way into the front parlor OF the
| floor. where the Boizski family were crouch
| ing in abjcct fear. Three times he ven
turcd through the sitting smoke to rescue
the Botz>ki family. At the second attempt
he got hold Of Mrs Boiz>ki, but she. fran
tic with fear. resisted his efforts to save her,
and he imperilled his own safety.
FRANTIC STRUGGLE.
"Let me CO." cried the demented woman,
as Lynch was forcing her out OF the WIN
dow. "But you must CO." said Lynch,
"if it costs me my life" The woman
| sDrang from his clutches and rushed into
the front room TO her fate. Lynch was now
almost sutiocated, and he had barely strength
| TO climb through the window to the fire.
escape in the rear. He had no sooner
reached it than portion OF the flooring
gave way. Recovering himself, he strus-
| gled for the ladder inside to reach the
roof, but he tainted and fell back in the
attempt. Before he was perceived by
his companions he had recovered and
was making another effort to regain
the roof. which, fortunately, proved sue
cessful. Just as he was mounting the roof
t,,f I'm ~ L.
| ious, and his first words wero. Save that
woman, boys" But it was too late. Fire
man Toohev graspcd him in bis arms and
| found that in addition 10 Spraned wrist
Lynch was severely burned about the face,
and was so weak that he was unable to re-
cain his feet. Assistant. Foreman Horn, OF
No. II Engine Company. came to the res
cue, and poor Lynch was conveyed to Belle
vue Hospital. On the way he learned that
the woman he had SO nobly endeayored to
save had jumped from the window, and
was on her way to keep him company as Il
patient in the hospital. "Then," said he.
- I am satisfied il she is not dangerously
hurt. / was afraid she would rush back
into the fire.
AN AWFUL PICTURE.
Some forty minutes after the arrival Of
the engines the flames wcrcfulIy under con-
troll, and the Gremen entered and removed
the dead bodies found in the ruins. On the
upper floor. in Il little room in front, the
BODY OF Mrs. BotZski was found crouched
over the dead bodies OF her children, as
though the last effort Of the expiring wo-
man had been dictated by fra!ernal love. A
rcportcr visited the scene Of ruin and desc
latjon, and, with the assistance OF Chief
Engineer Bates, Of the Fire Department,
he was enabled to trace out the origin and
nrogrrss OF the tire. In the first place, it
was assumed that the fire originated
on the second floor at the rear, and
lhar spread through m open DOOR
WAY up the staircase, but owing to the
doors OF the third fiat being closed
the flames made no impression upon that
parlicuar part Of the house and assembled
to the fourth floor, burning away the wood
work OF the staircase as they assembled.
When the flames reached the top story,
with an animatng draught Of air from be-
low, they burst through the window at the
head Of the lobby and eddied around till
they almost completely burned down the
doors in the hallway opening on the top
fiat. The BotZski family were terrified al
most 10 death. They evidently rushed out
from the bedrooms in front ana unbolfcd
the door in the dining-r0om opening on the
hallway, in The hope Of escaping by the
rear. Instantly flame OF fire rushed in,
before which they retired 20 the front room,
closing the intervening door behind them
k....