The bee., 1884-03-08
NOT ONE LEFT.
Terrible Result Of a Fire In the
Metropolis.
Every Member of Family of Five
Persons Killed,

Details of the early morning fire in New
York tenement house in Stanton street, by
which the Van Ripper family of five persons
lost their lives, are as follows: Men who had
gathered in ths street heard cry from one
of the upper windows. Mrs. Van Riper had
opene the N ddle window, and was leaning
out. She was clad only iii her night dress.
The smoke rolled out thickly around her as she
waved her arms and shouted for help. a
faint voice was heard inside crying, save
me! save me!' Mrs Van Riper placed
her knee en- the window sill Mrs. Presley.
who stood below, cred, Don't jump. IL
will kill you.n Mrs. Van Riper answered,
l must, l." and. ha,f turning her heal,
she fell to the stone walk below. Her heal
struck uron the tagging, a1d her body was
pitched violently over against Goa! box.
She was caFriel into James COTS Hquor
store on the corner, where she died two min
utes later.
Just before the policeman saw the smoke
curling from the windows, Frank Weaver,
on tie top floor. was aroused, and RAJ into
the hall. There he met Mr.. Van Ripper, who
hai just come out of his own door The two
passed few words, and Van Ripper hurried
back into his own room. shutting the door,
and shouting to awaken his wife. Il thought
there was time enough" Weaver said, ''and
went back to get my clothing, but
as I reached my bedroom the fire
burst through tie side of the
hallway and Gear across the stairs. The
smoke poured into my rooms so fast that
Just managed to break open my window and
get my hea out. When l had caught my
breath | crawled through and reached up TO
the caves. Being ship's painter | am used
TO climbing, and l had little difficulty then.
| ran over the roof to the brick house. The
engines were coming when got down to the
street, and policeman was carrying Mrs.
Van Riper across to the saloon"
Engine II, from Houston street, was the
first due on the alarm. Foreman Fisher says
he got the alarm az 3:31, and at 3:39 he hal
the water from the hydraut. As they brought
up at the hydranS tn flames burst from the
upper middle window. In front OF the burn
Ing building were grouped nearly dozen
women and children, scaatily clothei..
A no g wa; led I'D the stairway. AS the
noz lie men worked their way they had to
turn six times and play behind them to put
out the fire that kept breaking through the
wall and cutting them of. It was fifteen
minutes before the fire was sufficiently con-
trolled to allow the men to reach the third
floor. Even then it was eating through the
floors and ceilings.
While most of the men tore off p,astoring
and flooring in the hall and the rear rooms,
two Of them with lanterns entered the front
rooms. Just beyond SOFA bed, and under
the window, lay wha5 see ne to be a singed
bundle of clothing. Closer examination
showed that it was Jennie Van Riper, thir
teen years old. She had on only her night
dress. She lay on h.r sida, with her baby
brother claspe1 in her arms. Her limbs and
one side of her face and neck were shock
ingly burned, but the little ona, shielded by
his sister, Eal not been touched by the
flames. Both were deal.
Through the partly open door of a bed
room mans arm pro5rude1. When the
door was opened the bofy of Van Ripper was
found lying on the floor beside the bed face
down. On the be /, near the wall, his feet
drawn up, and his ANS bent up as if to
shield his fare, lay the boy A bert, child of
nine. His body wa burned more than those
of the rest. and partic 1iarlF on the limb; and
back. 1t would seem that the father ha |
carried the girl and the baby to the window
and had tn returned to the bedroom for
the boy, when he was overcome by the
smoke.
The whole family had rerished. The bodies
were lifted into market wagon and carried
to the police station. There they were laid
on the floor and covered with a coarse cloth.
Cornelius Van Ripar was forty years old.
He was q cracker baker His wife was
thirty two years old. The olles5 clilI Jen-
ME, was thirteen, Albert was nine, and the
baby, also named Cornelius was between
two and three.