Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-01-12
ELETEN PERSONS BURNED
10 DEATH.
Tur ACCIDENT RESULTS FROM THE CARE
LEssHEss OF PLUMBERS EVERY
AVENUE or ESCAPE cur OFF,
WILD SCENES OF TERROR
AND EXCITEMENT.

AND EXCITEMENT.
New York, Jan. AT Sil5 o'clock
thus morning fire broke out 10 II ten.
emeut Ia the reur of James poyle's
liquor store, No 80 Madison street. II
started at the bottom Of the stairs
which formed the only exit for the
tenants in ive.story building, except
ing fire escape attached TO the build
ing ON the outside, and in less than
five minutes swept through the stair
way to the roof cutting off the Escape
OF u score Of persons. The flames soon
found vent also through the lower
stories and thus barred egress by the
fire escape The tenants, panic stricken,
made rush for the roof, but the sent.
tic was firmly hooked and would not
yield. The ascending flames drove the
people back within their rooms. The
widest confusion followed. Men and
women threw their children from the
windows and then jumped after them
through the flames that swept across
the yard and set their clothing ablaze.
When the firemen obtained the mas.
terry, the dead bodies of nine persons,
who had been burned, were taken out
from the building. Several were in
jured in their efforts to escape, and
were sent to the hospital. The fol.
lowing is list Of the dead Ellen
Sheridan, aged 43 years; Kate Sheri-
dan, IA years; Maggie Sheridan, 8
years Martin Sheridan, 3 years John
Walsh, l3 years Thomas Cassidy, g
Charles Cassidy, 8 years a girl named
Egan, years, and Mrs. Sheridan, age
unknown. Several persons were in
jured, among them james Cassidy,
Mary Egan and Charles Walsh In
the tenement where the fire obtained
its start, plumbers were at work at
the foot OF the sGirs thawing out frozen
twentyLnch water pipes, and for this
purpose used gasoline The vessel was
by some means upset, and becoming
ignited, there was an explosion which
blew in the door Of the saloon In an
instant the black smoke rolled up the
long stairway, drawn onward by the
draught caused by an open window in
the top story. There was a momentary
hush as the frightened plumbers hur-
ried into the yard A man sitting by
the bar-room stove, slammed the hall
door on the advancing fire. Mrs. Sher-
idan, at the first alarm, gathered tc-
gether her children and sought escape
by the stairs, but the fire had possession
of them. There was no succor from
the street, and she sought the scuttle
in the root, but It was immovable. She
sbrank back from the leap to the yard,
five stories below, and closing the door
of the apart ment to keep out the rap.
idly. advancing flames, herself and chill
dren were suflocated by the smoke
rapidly filling the room, The Cassidy
family, unable TO escape to the roof,
flung themselves from the windows.
Two of the children-Cbarles and
Thomas, aged Gand 8years-remained
in the room and were burned to death.
The Egan family also leaped to the
yard, except a little child, aged two
years, which was suiIocated. Another
victim Of the fire was found this after.
noon in the person OF a baby OF Mrs.
Cassidy. The little one was clasped
to its mothers breast wrapped in a
blanket The two bodies were placed
in coflins and removed from the station
house to the morguc.
Timothy Harrington, one Of the
plumbers, to whose carelessness it is
charged the fire had its origin, when
questioned by Coroner Herman, ex-
planned thet he was using a gasoline
lamp TO thaw out pipes, With him
was a boy named McGloan, a green
hand, who had worked for him only
since the previous day. He held the
lamp, the contents were very inAam-
mable. He had been warned several
times, but heedlessly tipped the lamp
and some of the oil ran out. 1t flashed
at once In his fight Harrington's
hands were burned. The boy McGloan
disappeared. The police are looking
for him, and at the order of Coroner
Herman took Harrington to the
House of Detention, where he will be
held as witness pending the inquest.
His employer Hatten, was taken to
the station and examined by the Cor
oncr. The inquest will be held next
week.
EASILY DoNE-The Wilkes Barre