The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-01-19
TENEMENT HOUSE HORROR

A few minutes before eight O'Clock in the
morning q fire broke out in q New York tene-
ment house-a hve-story brick building on
Madison street-and ten persons-tw o women
and eight children-were either suHocated
by the smoke or burned to death. Several
other inmates OF the building were also in
jured by jumping from the windows or roof.
The cause OF the fire was the explosion Of a
plumbers were using to thaw out some frozen
water pipes. They were working directly
under the stairway, and in some way the
gasoline in tho machine caught fire and the
burning liquid was scattered in every direc-
ton. The house is an old one, and the
wood was very dry and rotten. The flames
rushed up the narrow, steep stairway, and as
the iron ladder OF the fre-escape was placed
directly in front OF the windows opening on
the hallway every avenue of escape was cut
of. The flames spread very rapidly, and the
first intimation many OF the occupants had oil
any danger was when the thick volumes OF
smoke and flames poured in at the doorway
Of their rooms. 8.
The scene was a terrible one at the time OF
the arrival OF the flremen, who were on the
spot eight minutes after the alarm sounded.
At Madison and James streets was collected
On eager crowd, who could only see the smoke
rising above the buildings. The window
castings were on fire, and from the windows
leaped hungrily curling tongues OF flames.
The floors and partitions were in blaze. AT
first it seemed to be an ordinary fire. But
suddenly the faces OF the lookers-on grew
pale. Agonizing shrieks and screams rang Oh.
from the upper stories, and a thrill OF horror
ran through the spectators at the thought OF
the Cassidys on the fourth and the Sheridans
ON the fifth floor.
mary onerluaD, discovering the nrc, mao
called to her mother and sisters, and running
to the scuttle had pushed it open and had
eprung to the roof of No. 81 Madison street.
The fire followed her, cutting of the escape
OF the others. A column OF flame and smoke
ton feet in height shot up through the scuttle.
Policemen Haly and Davis, of the Oak street
station, climbed TO the root from James street
and saved some OF the inmates. But tho
shrieks that rose above the roar OF the flames,
the crackle OF shivering glass and shouts OF tho
crowd told OF many human beings suffering q
horrible death. The little court into which
the house opened was so intensely hot from
tho fire that tie tlremen could not enter it to
raise their ladders. At last, getting upon ad.
joining buildings they poured torrents of water
upon the fire. The means within grew
fainter. Those OF the victims who escaped
death by inialing flame were smothered by
the black hot smoke.
In half an hour the house was Quilted anG
the flames were practically e%xtinguished
Half reluctantly flremen and policemen begar
the search for the dead. There was an ex.
clanation OF horror as the first man who crep1
up the blackened stairs reached the fourth
floor. In the kitchen in the rear lay the body
of Mrs. Bridget Cassidy, burned almost to
crisp, while near her were her three children -
aged respectively six, eight and one years
evidently smothered by the smoke. On thu
other side oil the hall were the bodies of Elle1
Egan, aged two years, and John Walsh, a boy
OF thirteen years. The little girl, almost
baby, had quickly %succumbed to the noxiou.
fumes and was found dead under the bed. Or
the fifth floor were the bodies Of Mrs. Sheridan
and three children, aged respectively fourteen
five and three years. John Egan, four year
old, Annie Egan seven years old, and Minnie
Egan, aged nine, were injured, but not seri
ously.
William G.. Patton, the plumber engaged il
tLawing ont the frozen pipes, and Iilnoth!
Harrington, an assistant, were arrested, tn
former being pit on $4,000 bail while tn
latter, who received some slight burns, wa
sent to the hospital as q prisoner.