New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-06
SHUT IN BY FLAMES.

FLAMEs-LEAHNG FROM WINDOW IN THE EF-
FORT TO EsCAPE-AcCoUNTs OF EYE-w f>sssEs.
Fire was discovered at $50 O'Clock ter
day morning IN the building at Nos. 66 and 65 Fast
Fourtbs occupied by the Turn Verein and other soct
cites. Officer SchwenKe of the Seventeenth Precinct,
first saw the flames. The alarm Immediately given.
and when the extent Of the fire was learned third
alarm sounded bringing twelve engines in all to the
The fire, IL subsequently discovered, had
started in the basement OF the Turn Yeren Building.
which four stories in height and is built OF brick 10
extends from Fourth Tbirdst On either side of the
entrance to the main hall In Feur,h-st. which
one reaches by flight OF broad stone steps. the
braryroom and the office OF the trustees OF the society
In the Of the library is the stairway extending
the cellar below tho to the top-story.
The central portion OF the building halfway between
Fourth and Third-sts Is devoted TO the large supper
for parties the frstfoor to the high-studded
dance hail. which, including the stage at the south eud
is 100 by go feet the second floor and TO the garrett
Of similar dimensions above the hail. to which several
small sleepngrooms for the servants were parttoned
or Owing the height OF the dance hall this central
part OF the building was several feet higher
than the front portion Fourhst to the roof OF which
there access from the garret, where the servants
slept. the south end of the garret where the
appliances for hosting and shifting the tho
stage beneath door leading TO the upper story OF
Primary School No. 9, on Thrd-st,
When the fire was discovered the stairway from the
basement the upper story burning, strong draft
having probably carried the flames rapidly up the stair
the suction In which must have been like that in
an immense chimney. The fire gained such rapid head
way that the upper portion OF tho front
part OF the building and the garrett
were In few moments filed vita a dense and binding
smoke In the garret three women, five men and boy
were sleeping In the fourth story Of the building proper
facing Fourth q. slept William Wmcke who had charge
of the building. hs wife, her sister, Margaret Geb and
the atters little teyear old boy Willie. The fire had
lled the building TO sufocation with smoke before tho
seepers, who had worked hard the evening before.
awoke. Blinded by the smoke and utterly bewldered
Winckel and his wife rushed into the hall and
forced open the door leading to the same floor
In an adjoining house, No "a Fourthst which lisa por
ton of the same piece Of property. His wi'c 3de her
way through. but the door shut probably Ivy the
terrible suction from below and IN the confusion neither
could open t. winckel CROPPED his way back to his
room and few seconds after he dragged terribly
burned and almost suOcated through hole which the
fremen mad cut in the roof His wife, meanwhile, bad
been taken down the stairs Of No. "a, the adjoining
house, and had been carried to friends
house across the street. Adjoining Winckel's room
was a in which Margaret Geib Mrs WinckePs sis
ter, slept with her little boy. She was also taken
through the hole ia the roof but her boy burned 20
death before he could be taken out by the means
Mrs Geib was taken to Bellevue Hospital
Tie scenes meanwhile IN the garret terrible. In
the first little room from the star-landng
on the west side OF the Ernst and
Hermann Ruhl and George Miller All three
awakened in to escape by the door leading 70
the roof of the front part or the building They made
their way the roof OF No TO- In the small next
to their room on the same side men, Lewis
Schmidt ana Henry Schweier, and boy sixteen years
old named Louis Meyer. The window n
formed by the south wall Of No 81 Four.hst. and the
colnice the OF this building came just sbovs
the top of the window Sixty feet below was brick
paved court. what happened in this may best bs
told the words of the boy Louis Meyer, the only ono
OF the three who is now alive.
We had three little cot-5eds" said. pointing
the half-buned straw and iron springs land went to
sleep late. Henry woke up first. about o'clock, I
think. and from side OF the the other
though he was crazy He couldn't ind the door tho
window first, the smoke thick aud binding AZ
last he raised the window. should have suEOeated
If he hadn't found 1t Just he did.
had got up and dashing from one end OF thu
room 10 the other. One of bartenders. who lives
yonder" pointing out OF the window, shouted for us to
get out of the window Henry hold of the corDics
10 swing himself the roof but lost his hold and,
with O shrek, fell 10 the court, where hd
was found dead. L scarcely knew what | was
about; for 1 rushed TO the window ani shouted
fire. Finally got out Of the window aud got hold OF
the cornce and got to the roof, how do pot know.
Then saw the flames rushing up the stairway, and
ran across the the roof Of NJ 20, where the fire.
men were. Lewis Schmidt dIdn't try TO get cut Ha
was in our IOom too. but he was suiocated and was
found dead. The other three men got our about ten
minutes before did"
On the other OF side OF the garret tho
of the three women Teresa Erhasdt Annie Bauer and
one known only as Rosa Awakened by thesmoke, they
made frantic attempts to get into the garrett so as to es
cape by some OF the DOORS out The binding smoke
drove them back and all three leapcd from the windows
utteriug piercing cries. Terribly bruised, they were
found lying in the court sixty feet below and were
taken into beer saloon, No 10 Tird-st, whence they
were carried TO the hospitals. Teresa Erhardt was
found 20 have been killed by the fall
Frederick Geb and his wife, Mrs Winckeps parents,
were the upper story Of No. 64 Fourth ST. 1lo which
Srs. Wnckel escaped from the burning building ana
reached the ground safely.
Before long the immense quantities OF water which
the remen threw upon the fire from the holes in the
roof removed all fear that the building would be en-
t,rey destroyed. The doors into the dance hall were
shut so that It damaged only by water from the
garrett above The stairway completely ruined and
The upper stories were badly burned In the ha IN
the second story were the broken fragments OF the
marble slab on which engraved the names OF the
members OF the 2Oth Regiment New-York Volunteers
who were killed In the The regiment was raised
by the Turn Verein Society
During the afternoon great crowd stood N front OF
the building ana speculation rife to the Of
the fire. Nothing definite will be determined however,
until Fire Marshal Sheldon. who begau to investigate its
origin yesterday afternoon has concluded his abors,
Coroner Elinger win not hold his inquest on the dead
bodies until the Fire Marshal has finished his investga'
ton.
II the time the fire discovered and OF these only
tour escaped comparatively uninjurcd These wero
hree male walters, Ernst Ruhl. George MILLER and
Louis Meyer, and Harmon Ruhl. -Four Others were
aken up dead received injuries from which there
little hope OF their recovery received burns
and contuslons which will take weeks 10 heal. The
record OF the killed and injured is as follows:
LIST OF THE KILLED.
k.ef tyyen fv-aiy
Boheman servant She jumped from attic wink
dow. and was found IN the yard She sustained a
compound fracture Of the right arm which has been
amputated aud other injuries. She died at p.
M at Bellevue Hospital.