The daily gazette., 1880-05-03
Bttrsaed to Death.
DESTRUCTION OF A COTTAGE AND SAB
DEATH OF A woMAN,AT CLAYMoNT.

OBSTRUCTION OF A COTTAGE AND SAB
DEATH OF A woMAN,AT CLAYMoNT.
A sad aud terrible disaster occurred
at Claymont. Delaware, about two
o'clock. ye terday morning, resulting in
ti'e- death from burning, of a young
woman named Maggie MacNamara, OF
Philadelphia
Ihe flre broke out in the rear part of
a cottage on Maple Avenue, owned by
George w. Bernadou, of the firm Of
stevenson, Bernadou, & Co., general
commission nelchans, of No. 1873 south
Front street, Philadelphia. The origin
OF the fire is unknown, and it was not
discovered until it was fairly under way,
but the fame' burned with such fierce
ness that their progress cnuld not be
stopped, and in about an hour the cot
tage, with all its contents, was entirely
destI Dyed, together with the BAN and
ice house adjoining. Everything was
completely consumed, nothing being
left to mark the site of the buildings
but heap of smoulderiDg ruins.
AT the time of the fire there were in
the house Mr.. BernadOu's two children,
aged respectively nine and seven years,
and their nurse, Frenchwoman named
Jeanette Stene, all of whom were sleep
ing in the second-story front room
Mary Hall, aged %, and Maggie Mac
imara, servants, occupying the third
fioor, and Edward Reardon, coachman,
sleeping on the first or basement floor.
The nurse was awakened by one of the
children calling, and, getting up to see
what WAS wanted, heard the cracking
Of tile flames in the back part of the
house and discovered the smoke. She
called the two girls and told them of
theil danger, and seizng the two chill
dreD, ran down the front stairs across
the road to the residence of Mr.. F, o.
q. barley, where they we're given shell
ter and were kindly treated.
The coachman meantime heard the
outcry up stairs, and going to the back
stairway, opened The door leading to the
second floor, when he was driven back
by the flames, after attempting for
moment to stay them BY dashing buck
ct of wafer upon them. he two ser
wants on the third floor ran to the back
stairway to make their escape, but find
ing them in flames and the house rapid
ly filling with smoke, became frightened
and hardly knew what to do. Mary
Hall threw mattress from the window,
and telling Maggie to follow her, jump
ed out. This the latter was afraid to do,
aud she perished in the flames, portion
of her lifeless remains, almost impossi-
BILE to identify, being found among the
ruins. Mary Hall received a number
of severe bruises, but at the Pennsylva-
mia Hospital, Philadelphia where she
was taken yesterday morning, her inju-
ries were found not to be serious. Both
girls have relatives living in Philade.-
phia, who were duly notified of the sad
occurrence.
Mr.. and Mrs. Bernadou we're absent
from home at the time, having left Oh
Friday to visit son at the Naval Acad-
emy at Annapolis, intending to return
to-day. The house was substantial two
and-a-half frame structure, of Gothic de-
sign built about twenty years ago, bt
nine years since was completely remodel
led by Mr.. Bernandou, and was eleg" nt-
ly furnished throughout. L; stood in t 10
centre OF handsomely laid out park,
had piazZas on the front and sides, and
contained about sixteen rooms.
The icehouSe and stable were close in
the rear of the burned building and
shared the SINE fate. The Origin Of the
fire is unknown, but it is supposd to
have resulted from a defective fiue, as
The flames were first seen on that side of
the house in whlcn the Ia a'er Is situated.
The loss is estimated at about $4,000,
which is believed TO be covered with city
companies. The flakes from the burnir e
building were carried a considerable dis-
tance by the wind, ami caused fears for
time for the safety of property in the
vicinity.
Word of the catastrophe was sent to
this city yesterday morning, and in the
afternoon Coroner Butz went up for the
purpose of holding an Inquest over the
remains of the unfortunate woman. He
selected a jury with Mr.. j. E. Addicks
as foreman, and after viewing the
charred remnants of the body, proceeded
TO investigate the circumstances of the
sad affair. Tue facts of the occurrence,
as given above were elected, and the
jury rendered verdict of death from ac-
cidental burning.
Coroner Butz returned to Claymont,
this morning to see if anything further
could be learned regarding the cause OF
the distressing accident. The mangied
remains of Maggie MacNamara were
carefully placed in coffin and sent to
Philadelphia for interment.