National Republican., 1880-01-06
Seven Victims to Imperfect Construction.


New YORK, jan. "a fire broke out this
morning IN the basement Of Nos. O. aud GO
East Fourth street. known as Turner Hail,
occupied by William Winckel as a ballroom.
The building was owned by tho Turner So
ciety, and was damaged 5000; stock dam.
aged $1,000. After the 6rc William Geb, ten
years Louis Schmidt, thirty years Henry
Gohrweilcr, twenty-five years, aud Teresa
Erhard, twenty-five years, wer0 found on the
top floor, all dead. The scene of the tragedy
is 4 double house, with large number Of
lodge and mcCting.ro0ms. There were no fire
escapes attached 10 the building. There wero
two stairways-oHe wide and one narrow one,
aud the wide stairway served as funnel
through which the flames, when tho fire broke
out spread to aud seized upon the upper
stories. There had beeu a meeting of the
Turn Society, who had received visiting
brethren fom YoulSers; and also a wedding
party in the building during the evening, but
these had all gone away before the fire oc-
Cured. At the head Of the wide staircase
were bedrooms. William Wuckel, janitor,
and his wife Josephine, slept in one of these,
and in Il room adjoining these Mrs. Winckcls
sister and little adopted child, William
Sets aged ten years, slept, They had been
in bed since midnight, and it was four
hours since Mr. Wiuckel had turned in
when the fire was discovered. The alarm
failed to rouse the sleeping inmates and they
were stupchcd almost to unConscIousuess by
smoke. Ladders were raised to the roof and
the tread of fireman aroused the inmates who
ondeayorcd TO make thcir escape, but they
were met by rush of fame. Then they
made for the roof aud the iiremen helped
them up, moro or less torribly burned, Be-
fore the child however, could be saved lt
was burned almost to crisp. Streams OF
water were in the meantime being poured on
the burning building. From the central por-
tlon Of the house cries OF agony and shouts for
help were head. Here on the east side, had
slept George Muller, Ernst and Herman Ruhl,
Louis Meyer, Henry Gehrwuiler and Louis
Schmidt, walters, and in the west bedrooms,
Teresa Erhardt, Annie Bauer aud Rose -,
servant girls. Their floor was q vast sea Of
flames, aud mon and women were seen rush
ing wildly about, looking for means of escape.
George Muller and Ernst aud Herman Ruhl
reached the roof half suflOcated aud partly
burned, and Louis Meyer sprang from
a window to the yard below,
distance of sixty feet on more, aud wa picked
up half killed. Louis Schmidt was found
attor the iiremou venturcd In crouching in
corner, whence he had been unable to escape,
and was burned to a crisp Henry Gehrweiler
jumped from a window into tho yard aud was
found there but died in the police station.
Every bone In his body wasbroken. Teresa Err.
hardt was burned 90 death In her room, and
her features were blaCkened and almost uureC-
ogni2Cblc Annie Bauer sprlug-frOm window
rather than die IN the fro aud fell Ia the yard.
She was terribly burned and sustained internal
injuries from her fall and it is thought
she cannot liyc, Rose, the last OF the servants,
also jumped from window, but struck tho
arbor In the yard. She broke both legs and
arms and received internal injuries.