Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1881-01-04
A Tenement House and Nine Lives.


New York, Jan. AT 8:15 this morn
ing fire broke out in tenement house
in the rear of james Doyle's liquor store,
35 Madison street. 1t started at the bot
tom of the stairs that furnished the only
means of exit for the tenants in five
story building, excepting fire escape
attached to the building on the outside,
and in less than five minutes the flames
swept through the stairway to the roof
cutting off the escape of score of per-
sons. The flames soon found vent in
the two lower stories and thus barred
egress by the fire escape. The tenants,
panic-strlcken, made a rush for the roof,
but the scuttie was firmly hooked and
would not yield, and the ascending
flames drove the people back within
their rooms. The widest confusion fol-
lowed and men and women threw their
children from the windows and jumped
after them through the flames that
swept across and set their clothing
ablaze, When the fremen obtained the
mastery, the dead bodies Of nine
persons who had beeen burned
were taken out from the building.
Several were injured in their efforts to
escape and were sent to the hospital.
The following is a list Of the dead: Ellen
Sheridan, aged 43 years; Kate Sheridan,
IA: Maggie Sheridan, 5; Morton Sheri-
dan, 3; John Walsh, l3; Thomas Cassidy
6; Chas Cassidy, 8; q girl named Egan,
2: Mrs Sheridan, age unknown. Several
persons were injured among them Jas.
Cassidy, Mary Egan and Chas. Walsh.
Cassidy and another family of Egans
lived on the fourth floor, Mrs. Sheridan
and four children on the fifth floor. At
the first alarm she sought escape with
her children by the stairs, then tried the
scuttle Of the roof. Both failed to afford
exit, and closing the door of her
room, she and the children were sutfoca-
ted with smoke All of the Cassidy fam
lily jumped except two boys. aged six and
eight years, who burned to death. The
Egans also leaped except a child two
years old. which sutfoolted. Officer Thos.
Barrett saved two children from the sec
ond story by the fire escape, bpt the
flames drove him away with burned
hands. The fire only lasted half an hour
The bodies wero recovered and present
ed horrid spectacle. Some instances OF
remarkable bravery and qnick wit were
developed during the progress of the
4 mes. A 70 'tE n med Doneg an reach c
the roof OF the burning bullulne
fom IN adjoining house and witt
an axe opened the scuttle
Katy Shcridal with cllildin her arms
endeavored to escape, her clothing 81
ready ablaze, but as Dopegan caught hcl
arm the flesh peeled from the bone anc
she fell back into the flames, pieces o
the charred flesh remaining in his hands
Mary Muldoon aavsI her children by
wrapping them in bedding aud dropping
them into the arms extended below
Another victim, Mrs. Cassidys babe, ha
just been found. A plumber has beel
arrested for causing the fire. Plumber
were ut work Mt the foot of the stair
thawing out water pipes with gasoline
The vessel was upset aud exploded. and
in AL instant the flames rushed up tn
long stairway, cutting OIL all means o
escape except by fire escape which wa
also soon surrounded by the flames
Eight families occupied the house. Sey
eral of the inmates escaped by iumpin
from the windows,