The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-06
BURNED TO A CRISP.

SHOCKING ACCIDENT IN SEVENTH STREET
TENEMENT HoUsE-A sEvES-YEAR-oLD BOZ
SETS FIRE 10 AN INFANTS erie.
A FIRE occurred in the tenement house No. 221
Seventh street. about one O'Clock yesterday. which
resulted in the loss of infants life. the serious
injury of another and for = time endangered tile
lives OF several people. Friederich ana Mary Wolf.
Germans. with four small children. live in very
humble set Of apartments the top floor. back. OF
the above mentioned building. the remainder OF the
house being set in tenements. and baker, named
Kraft. occupying the store the ground floor.
The VOLTS lave three rooms the principal
one looking out on the back and q hall bed
room oil the landing and small or
closet. without window. situated between the
main room and those in front. They very poor.
Friedrich is out OF employment and the wife works
at scrubbing. thus enabling the family to exc
miserable existence. Yesterday morning Mrs. Wolf
went out to do scrubbing. leaving her husband
in charge of the children. but after some time he
too went out. locking the door the outside and
leaving three children within-two boys Emil and
Joseph. aged respectively seven and three and a
half years. and an infant. seven weeks old. named
Lizzie. IN a crib The heighbors differ in their &C.
counts OF the mans reason for going out. some
saying he went to look for job. while
others maintain that he went to lager beer saloon
across the street to have glass OF beer and game
of cards. But whatever his errand may have been
he had locked the door and put the key in his
pocket. A little after o'clock the boy Emil got
down the ire escape screaming that there was fire.
told the people below stairs how it had happened
and then ran away. Up to a late hour yesterday
evening he had not been heard from. 1t appears
that the crib containing the infant in the small
main room in which the stove was. Little Emil
playing with the fire, and from his broken sentences
the neighbors gathered that he carried some into
the room where the infant was and accidentally set
fire to the crib He seems to have msde some effort
to extinguish the anes and falling. became frg hit
below at once gave an alarm. whicl reached Hook
and Ladder Company No. IL ut fifteen minutes past
one. and the hrcmen were on the ground in . few
moments. Going up by the ladder they got IN by
the front windows aud found the Are blazing out
through the door Of the back room ON the landing.
Captain Tompkins states the fire strong that
1t was utterly impossible to enter until Engine No.
d got itsy pipe into position and poured in
quantity OF water. John Mclean. of Hook and Lad
der Company No. II, then dashed in and succeeded
In rescuing little Joseph, who was lying under the
bed in the hall bedroom, free from the fire. but APP
parently sufocated. The child in the cradle had
already been burned to cinder and must have been
dead before the fire spread DR.. Mcclure, who lives
next door, immediately took charge of the little.
sutfocating boy, and after considerable effort.
which he was subsequently assisted by an ainbu.
lance surgeon succeeded in restoring him. aud he is
now considered out of danger.
A SAD SCENE.
In about half an hour the nremen succeeded in
completely extinguishlng the fire and nothing out
aide the rooms much injured except the balus-
trade. the door and the ceiling the landing The
though not all burned was rendered quite useless.
The unfortunate people are lett utterly penniless.
without bed to lie on or . seat on which to rest.
and their neighbors, being all poor. unable to
help them. When the HERALD reporter reached the
scene the rescued child and the remains of the
burned infant were lying in the back room Of the
bakers shop down stairs. the afflicted mother, the
picture Of misery and overwork. standing
helplessly by them, her sorrow too deep
for her to shed q tear. the poor little
infant simply backened cinder. but preserving
the human shape to perfection, with the exception
grasping for its mother. and the mouth remained
open from the last faint gasp Of pain 1t was sad
moved to tears. Little Joseph lying on an<m.
provisod bed looking swolen and stupefed, but ap-
parently strong. and the doctors expect him to
cover. The father was not there large crowd Of
men, women aud children gathered In the room. in
the store aud the sidewalk aud scarcely breath
Of pure air could reach the little sleeptng sufferer
the bed. 1t was stated that owing to the mother
having been Obliged to leave ner scsunei9g work nn
evening or to-day.