New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-11
secondsts Brooklyn, E. d. The loss fully covered
by insurance
MEETING DEATH IN THE FLAMES.
TEN MEN LOSING THEIR LIVES.

LABoRERs' BoARDING-HoUsE IN PFNNsYLyAN1A
SIT ON FIRE BY THE UPsETTING OF A KEROSENE
LAMP-ILSr or THE DEAD AND WOUNDED.
PITTsBURG, Penn. Dec. 10-Between and
O'clock this morning frame bOarding-house, To-
Gated on the line of the Pittsburg and Lake Erie
Railroad some seven miles below this city, was set
on fire by the explosion of lamp. OF fifty persons
known to be sleeping in the building only twenty
four escaped alive The rest were burned TO death.
The building which stood at the opening OF a
green hollow. was owned by Martin Joyce con-
tractor but was managed by Mr. Kown, boarding.
house keeper. 1t was about thirty feet wide and
fy-eight feet in length and constructed OF sixteen
foot boards placed on ends. 1t had a board roof
with a very steep pitch. In the lott
formed by the sloping roof the laborers
were huddcd for the night In the lower story
WIS the dining room and at end of the building
was the kitchen The stairs leading to the LETT
where hunks were arranged in rows were little Det-
ter than Ia der They stood just at the side OF o
door oa,ing from the dining room to the kltcn"n
The only light that entered the loft came through
two openings without glass which were closed at
night with sliding doors.
The fire originated in the upsetting aud conse-
ouent explosion Of kerosene lamp. An eye-wit-
ness saws: Between 2 and o'clock MIR. KOwn
rose and lighted the kitchen fire. Leaving lighted
lamp on table noar the diniug-roon door, he went
to his wife and the servants In his absence
the explosion occurred. The dIning-room was in
flames in n moment Mr.. Kown made his escape with
his wife and the servants and shouted
To those up stairs to ran for their lives In another
moment the flames had enveoped the stairway
thus cutting oft all means Of escape for the doomed
men above, except through the small openings at
either end and from these the sliding doors had to
be removed The loft was filled with straw and
combnstbe material used as bedding and only
those who were nearest the openings succeeded In
escaping. The scene in the room battles descrlp-
ton. The flames rapidly spread from board to
board The room was filled with sitting smoke
through which the forms of the unfortunate
men could be seen rushing to and fro
Twentv-three of the occupants of the loft succeeded
in squeezing through the opening; some WIN th9Ir
undrrclothes on fire. The Others rushed frantlcal
about the rOOm first to end then the other IN II
location being known bY their cries un II the smoke
snfiocafed them aud their vOices became less ana
lees distinct The building was Oy this time
wrapped in sheets Of fire. Around 1t the SURVIVORS
stood sveung in the frosty ar OF the early morh-
As soon as possible word was sent to the other
boarding houses, which, like that kept by kown,
lodged labOrers employed IN constructing the DAVIS
| Island dam and physicians were summoned from thc
nciVhhorhoOd Special engines were sent down the
Pittsburg and Lake Erie road. Those that had es-
capped from the building were provided WIN such
/ .H
The seriously injured were taken 10 the depot on
the south side, and thence removed 10 the West
Pennsylvania Hospital while those who were less
seriously burned were removed to the notel oi Mar
tin Joyce, on Pcnnsylvania-ave
The following is list of the killed and wounded !:
THE KILLED
Patrick Foley section boss, age fifty, single native
OF County Galway. Ireland.
Michael DOnahue age hfty, single.
Michael Doyle, age thirty-eight, single
John COnnOrs age thirty, single.
Jeremiah Hanlon, age thirty-elGht, single
James Kerns age thirty, SINGLE
| John Riley. age thirty-fve, single.
John Kennedy. age thirty eight, single.
Thomas Foster, age twenty-five, SINGLE
| THE WOUNDED
Michael Morgan. of Worcester, Mass, fearfuy burned
! about the head and body Will die o. - ,
John Connolly Pitsburg, deep burns on the race ana
Martin Ialey badly burned about the face and body;
M McrhaS rh Leonard. Pittaburg seriously burned.
HUGH McCune. the clearinghouse Keeper burned ana
trampled upon recovery probable.
William Barr, slightly burned. -. ...,ou.,,.
Matthew Clancy, New-York. burned about the feet
Montgomery Bush Washington County, Nd; bruised
and trampcd; will recover 80
John Reilly badly hurt ABOUT the feet will recover
Hugh Campbell, slightly burned.
The coroners investigation was begun this morn
ing on the scene of the disaster, but after several
witnesses had been examined the inquest was adj
iourned The testimony given established the fact
that the fire was caused by the explosion Of lamp
The scene at the ruins this afternoon was desolate
E5.hiug remained of the shanty but three
bIackendi ioists and a part of one door
The site of ihs building was strewn with
furniture, kitchen utensils, shreds of clothing hui
man bones strips of crsped flesh and skulls. Where
thc north end of the building had stood on portions
of partially consumed straw b d. the remains OF
seven victims were piled up in terrible confusion.
This he'd had been placed under one OF the openings
and IL was evident from the positions of the bodies
that the original occupants having escaped, Others
had sought to make their escape through the open
htrr.a IN mn n4t n
and when the floor of the loft gave way the charred
remains dropped to the ground below.