New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-14
yoL.XLIV...N .No'l3,156.
ESCAPE FROM A DEATH TRAP.
SEVERAL PERSONS INJURED AT A FIRE.


While violent thunder storm was d''nc''nR
u.rlom at A. m. Yesterday The wmdowsol oil the
,,,.st,rv aat. house No. 2105 Sccou@-aVe. Ner'
oroped hastily and the inmates ot the house ''e''
q, slopt loudly for assistance. Smoke issuing Io"
,bo windows ard rising n donsc CLOUDS nom ..'
,,of showed that the building was on ul' lu'
bonse was divided into front and rear Hats on 'a'u
a,or The stairways were M the middle ana ,''s'
to the head of each flight was a dumn-"M'e' '"'''
,nnninp from the cellar TO the root In'Io VIZ Wv
Gre cacaprs either ih front ot ~ th' ''''
o,,,s had started in the cellar and had run uP
,bronsh the dumb waiter shaft extending INTO ''e
~. aud rnpnlrtely cutting un all chance oi
.-.,,, nv the stata Awakened FROM sleep Rit'r
A.. t,lls were filled with smoke the itifht'n'N
,,.,nt, could only escape from thcu rooms lhl"uk"
A.. ,,,p,lo,,a The rooms were nlline with smoke
,n,,dl, when they raised the W,ud"NSand sent '''"
,,,.of du.tcss abroad into tho darkness ana a'"'"'
p,l,,rnrn were shcltorug themselves IA do"tNHSS
At a.l,taue, aud dad uot hear the "n'oN "u"'
"a. repeated by the noighhors Many h""-''"'
,.,u and women from tho houses close oN '"" ""'
INTO the r.iu to offer advice or assistance an" "'''
M alarm wa, runs to call the hiemen the "orA u
rescue was begun. ida
- -, er,,rt of Frederick Realandcr's grocery ON
,be fr.t floor OF the burning house six persons
h.lou,inq to the Setzius family, IN the irOhI u"t
or tL Second story. climbed out on tie awning ah"
..r. h.lped down TO the sidewalk. Inc HonV
rooms on the thlrd floor were occupied oy J""''
Morris his " lie and their infant son. MIS- MoiiiS
iumpcd 10 the awning and escaped Witha sFI"ii''N
ankle Her husband threw the baby 10 heln'oi
of the Sctzius family, who caught II safely nen
Mr. Norri, dropped 20 the awning ana caIIlcu 'A0
child TO the sidewalk
FAILING TO TIE CELLAR WITH HER BABY
vVprp ~ 4
Jobn Mcmahon a conductor on the Secohd-aNe''
.,~f,cs railroad his wife and their child three
months old Mrs Mcmahon sat on the window Sill
for five Minutes with her babe in her arms, scream
In, ,a+ the ton of her voice. Her husband tied
.beet about her waist, attached clothes Inc TO
the sheet and tried TO lower her 10 the awning
The knot OF the sheet slipped and Mrs. McMahon
fell still claspiug the baby. When she struck the
awning the canvas was torn loose from the sup
norts and she fell through. while the infant rolled
urhurt upon the awning. The woman fell directly
pyer trap door TO the cellar. II broke under Aer
snd-sbe went down upon the stone steps. She
insensble when some men present raised her from
the steps and carried her into an adjoining house
was discovered later that her skull was fractured
snd that her left arm broken near the shoulder
NcMahon climbed down the front OF the house.
droppinr from one window to another until he
reached the awning. lie was frantic with distress
OIL account of his wife's fall.
HOW The PEOPLE II THE REAR GOT OUT.
Meanwhile exciting work going on in the
rear of the house. where there was no awning
Rcalander the grocer lived i'll the rear Of his store
with his father and mother and three younger mem
bers of the family. They all escaped into the yard
through a window. From WINDOWS Of the second
story LOUIS Loudon and his wife also jumped INTO
shc ward. lie escaped unhuTt. but his wife fell
upon stone steps which led into baoomcut.
Her left arm was broken in two places.
Jacob B,ntz butcher living on q third floor,
prepared to lower his wife and infant daughter.
IL wrapped the baby in blankets ana dropped It
into the arms OF a neighbor Who caught It. The
child head struck against his shoulder SO violently
that tine soft bones If the skull were compressed
out of shape. Mrs Beuu wanted TO jump, but Aer
lusbaud held her back. A tnsmtl living ia One
buallcd-lnd- hirteeutb-st took ladder into the
yarI aud Charles Williams, q conductor, of no. pa
fecond-ave.. held the ladder ON bis shoulder while
Bout and his wife climbed down William
scuorr,r, a plauo-luaker. living ON the top floor,
managed to get ms wife and two children through
tl, ,cuttlr o. the root and the hrcmcu Who aIuNed
about t.tt time rescued thenI
rUFF NAMES UsE oF IHF OPPORTUNITY.
THE tr.pou quickly cxtiuguished the flames
which Dad mot cNtcudod far beyond tho Railways.
VIII. they were at work am cuterpri,u. tA.'t took
houses Nos 2,Ia3 and 2.io7, lie vasa large man
W.T. black hair aud smooth face and ue wore IL blue
m.t which lpd occupants of the houses to thmb that
h. We. either "a fireman cor "a policeman. Flushing
~ thc sttirNay.. lac warned women To- save thvm.
.ciNcs a.. quickly as posstho. Nu tho top uour of
No. 1893 hv stole purse containing about rs,
hcioueiug 60 Atrs Mary Madden, aud gold btepat-
pu owned hy Mrs. RruuctL ON the SECOND uuur
j. WAS rumuging the rooms ot James Murtha,
when hc was discovered aud frightened away. lie
went Goo thc rooms ol L. H. Coulsru ou the second
q tIH q LAM. ID .fI If..I q la.
Family. hut Mrs, Coursru would not leave hm alone
A. o., rooms and he went away. Tie police were
sr1r.uug for him yesterday.
Mis-. ADMahOn Wa. removed 10 tho Presbyterian
Hospital The bones of her forehead were broken
sut displaced, but the brain was not injured.
When size recovered consciousness and talked ra-
toual.t the surgeons Thought that she might rc-
cover Mrs London was removed 10 the Ninety
Hutu->t. Hospital where she was doing well Ir
Cocks. Il East One-hundrcd and twcltth-st., at-
Ten ICED the Bcutz infant and under his mauipula-
touS ihe skull of the child resumed II natural shape.
Mr.. Bentz took the baby to the house of relative
n Brooklyn. Ihe damage BY the ire was less than
$1,000
SOME FACTS ABOUT The HOUSE.
Much indignation WAS expressed by neighbors,
yesterday on account OF the lack OF hro-escapes.
The three Aat- houses Nos 2,l9l, 2,l93, and 2.l95
ver built about four years ago. They are alike in
construction and are dangerous in of fire. l..
b. Coursen, who lived Oh the top floor of No. > lJ3
tvo years ago. complained at the Bureau Of Build
mg, that the houses did not have escapes. He was
told that the owner. Mr.. Jenning, had been fined
for failure ito erect escapes on the house 1t
SAID that the houses were sold aiterward to a
liquor dealer named Steckum, in Thirty -fourth-st
Recently tho houses were purchased by J. ~ Ber-
trand whose agent is Joseph vel OF No. l3S NeSt
1eufh-st. Within a few weeks an examiner OF the
bureau of Buildings had been making inquiries of
the tenants regarding the ownership OF the houses,
and 10 supposed that efforts We're being made
u get hre-escapes on them.
Several persons who witnessed the fire thought
that the house had been struck by lightning, but
thai theory was abandoned when II known
shat the flames had started in the cellar. Some
helghbOrs who passed the house before l q N.
Noticed a strong smell of burning wood. Ii
not known how the fire started.