New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-08
FATAL FIRE IN A FLAT HOUSE
TWO LIVES LOST IN THE CAMBRIDGE.


stroyed early yesterday morning by flames, which
also caused the death Of two of the inmates. Mis-.
Mary Fl. Wakenan and Miss Rosamond b. Wake
man, the wife and daughter of Abram wakeman,
exSurveyor of the Port lost their lives while they
werc attempting to escaps from the building.
Members Of nine other families and their servants
escaped without mucn difficulty, most OF them
using firee escapes n the rear. The building was
like many other fat houses in the city, having an
ornamental brown-stone front and being supplied
with modern conveniences within. There had been
no attemp to make the house ire-proof. Wood was
used freely in its construction the stairs floors and
bay windows being of that material. Some of the
internal arrangements intended for the comfort OF
| the inmates, were sach as to increase the danger
from fire. wooden dumb waiter moved in shaft
from the cellar TO the top story. A light shaft,
| covered at the top with skylght which had been
approved bv the Board of Health, allowed air and
light to penetrate all the interior rooms, which
were arranged in sets for two families on each rioor
Thomas Reid, of No. 1928 East Fifty.seyenth-st
owned tho house. He erected t 10 1877 at a cost
of about $4,000. All the were occupied
| and well furnished.
| W. G..Fletcher, who occupied rooms the first
floor with bis wife and two sons discovered the fire
shortly after half-past a. IN. He arous,d his
| family aud went into the basement, where the
tor, was .sleep In front room of the basement
with his wife and three children. Smoke was fill
ing the rooms rapidly. Mr. Fletcher awoke the jan
tor and then returned to the first floor, where 0.
III. Thompson ana his wife also occupied rooms.
Mr. Thompson was awake by that time, and the Two
men and the jsnltor took pains to inform the fami-
lies above them of the ire by shouting the
hall and air shaft. There was a District Telegraph
signal box in Mr. Thompson's fiat. aud Mrs. IhVmp-
son sounded an alarm OF fire. All the persons the
first floor had plenty Of time to dress and go out by
the front entrance before the flames invaded their
rooms but the smoke was thick. The flames,
when fully under way. mounted to the top floor
with great rapidity, their progress being helped bv
the light shaft and dumb waiter shaft. Occupants
Of the upper stories did not have many minutes in
which TO cl0the themselves after they were
awakened. Those who did not lose their presence
Of mind saw that the staiFways were becoming inl-
passable account of the smoke, and they ayailed
themselves of the fre-escapes In the rear. Mrs.
Waterman and her daughter attempted 20 60 down
the stairs when it was too late. They were suio-
Gated by the smoke after they had gone from their
rooms on the fourth floor to the landing On toe third
floor.
DELAY IN SENDING OUT AN ALARM.
There had been some delay In sending out an
alarm to the remen, the District Telegraph messen-
ger WHO was sent out lTOUl Tue ONCE ia IdTh-dNcs
passing one alarm-box before he rang the BOX at
Ffth-ave. aud Sixty-fourth-st and stopping at the
house to learn what was wanted Foreman Perey,
of Engine Company No. 80, afterward sent out
two additional alarms When the firemen arrived
they were unable to get into the main entrance OF
the house because the smoke was too thick. Is was
not until the flames in the basement had been
subdued that the men were able to
so up the staircase. Meanwhile a number Of
persons lad gone down the fTe-escapes in the rear
and had escaped through an unfDishe brildngin
Sixtv-thlri-st. The tre-cscape was of the usual
pattem--a series of iron balconies on which the
windows in the rear OF the flats opened. connected
10y iron ladders. IL was far from the Eight shaft,
and the wall which sustained the balconies was
still standing last night though cracked and threat
ening BY means OF these balconies the majority Ut
the persons in the house escaped
TAKING TO THE FIRE-EsCAPEs.
The first family to make of them was
that of the Rev. II. :. Day. Dir. Day
Is a Baptist minister, who last had
charge several years ago in Morrisania. He
Is a of wealth and not long ago returned from
a tour Europe, i'll the course of which he accumu-
lated pictures, rugs and other articles with which 10
beaufy his home. Having rented his own house till
May he took the fat temporarily. Last week shs
went to Nyack with his wife, leaving in charge of
the house daughter, Miss Belle Day, age nineteen,
and an Irish servant named Maggie. On
Miss Day. and with her two girls, ages fourteen
and thirteen, remained with her during the night
ana again on Tuesday. Miss Day slept with one OF
thH children in the rear bedroom, while her aunt
slept in the parlor bedroom with the other
child. Miss Day was aroused by shouts Of
iro i'm the light shaft which all admit was
excellent sound medium. She awakened her little
cousin amt told her 10 drcSs, then hurried through
the halls, already beginning to ill with smOke,ro the
bedroom of her auli. She found the door locked.
She raped and cried out Aunt Nell. get up aud
dress !" What's the maiter'" asked Mrs. ,Sngden;
H. afa1 to xa1D haI
not yet taken time TO put on her own
clothing, aud now as she caught up
'ur-lined cloak that lay on a sofa in the parOr she
shouted: Don't ask me, but get up quick aud put
your dress on,' and hurried back to her own room.
Mrs Sugden followed IN great alarm, without wait
ng to do more than to throw on a few gaTmentsand
cloak. When she reached the light shaft
he could already the flames roar
NJ past the windows opening into It. Voices
i've the warning, ard as Mrs. Sugden stepped out
lpon the balcony she screamed Fire" with al tha
'Ower Of her lungs.
oNE-ARMED REscUER.
As vet no one was TO be seen on the balconies.
,ne of the little girls terrified by the excitement,
tarted up the ladder and had TO be brought back.
fter descending TWO ladders the first balcony
cached. 1t was about eight feet above the ground
nd an iron ladder lay upon its floor but the women
yere too excited to see it, Fearful that escape was
ut off even here and that they would have TO
brow themselves to the ground, the women cried
ut louder than ever for help. Their cries brought
homas Horcroft TO the rescue He Is the watch
ian of row of unfinished tlt-houses
uding in sixty-thrd-st., Immediately in
10 rear of the Cambridge He has
st his left hand, but manned aud crippled as ho
as he did work for which many blessings were
slled down Oh his head Yesterday. He stood under
le opening on the last balcony aud received the
omen and children in his arms as they lowered
lemselves and lifted them unhurt TO the ground.
8 fast as he landed them he directed them into ono
the rooms of the houses he was Watching where
ley crowded around a roaring fire that had been
nprovised IN an open Kinney.
Before Mrs, eugden, MISS Day sud the
lildren had left the balcony the lad
ers above became crowded with fright
- ood tba hslnful WatChman