The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1884-03-01
CAUGHTIN A FIRE-TRAP
SAD FATE or AN ENTIRE FAMILY.
oorneiius Van nlper, Poor New York
Baker, ana Ills Three ohIldren burned
60 Death, aud Ills WIFI KILLED
by Fall
A TIgRRIBLK FATE

A rERunLR FATE
New York, Feb. 2o.--LNter develop
'ments In the tenementhouse horror OF
Thursday morning, by which an entire fam.
lily was swept out Of existence through tho
temorseless flames, show II 10 have been one
of the most horrifyIng occurrences Of tho
kind that has ever taken place In this city.
The family OF Cornelius Van Ripper, baker
by trade, and man OF high do
gree OF Intelligence aud respectabillty,
occupied two front rooms on tho third door
OF 820 Stanton street, one OF two frame ten
ements densely crowded with poor families,
Frank Weaver single man living In tho
rear rooms was aroused by smoke about four
o'clock Thursday morning, llo rushed out
Into tho hallway and there found
Van Ripper and asked him what was tho
mattor my God my God the house Is
RGroW exclaimed Van ltper, "and must
Iayo my wife and chlldron." Saying this,
no ran Into the front apartment while tho
,lames burst out IN tho hllway, only giving
Weaver time 10 tumble downstairs Van
Rlp0f was never again seen alive Mean
time the flames had burst through tho roof
Of $50 aud were licking NJ 32i. Tho pe0.
plo In tho latter building had been aroused
In time, and escaped 10 tho street In their
nlghtclOthCs.
A great crowd assembled In Stanton
street. and when tne cry was raised that
people were stlll In $50 many heroic efforts
were made 10 reach thum by the stairway
but In vain, The flames aud smoke dollod
entrance TO tho building by that means, and
thG iiro.ladderS had not yet arrived, Sud-
denly tho window OF tho Van Ripper apart.
mcnts was raised, aud heartrendlng shrIoks
came from H. For moment tho crowd
could 500 nothing, Then u gust OF wind
cleared away tho smoke from tho window,
and the form OF u woman, clothed In her
nlghtdross, stood llk0 ghost
save my husband, save my chlldrenw
she screamed. "B0r Gods sake save my
babloSW
Tho crowd In tho street molncd, and sent
back cries Of despair "My children arc
burning upW tho woman shrlokod, eyl-
dOntly undetermined ~ 10 whether sh0
should 40 back 10 her children or Jump
from the window, Another cloud OF smoke
Obsourcd her for an Instant aud all was still.
In another Instant she gave ,dOipalrlng
Blrek and Jumped from tho window, land
Ing on the sidewalk on her head and shOul.
dorA Tho crowd rOn 10 hOr aud picked
her up She gave Two VI three weak mOans
aud died just as tho poliaO ambulance
drshod up. Sho was within wo0k OF con-
lnomenL
by this time tho ontlr0,uppor part OF 500
was In flames, and the lir0 department was
hard at work Just NJ mybroak tho iir0
was oXtlngulshed, and tho iirGnlen aud poe
llcO forced their way 10 tho rooms OF the
Van Rlpora Tho family had evidently
been half suilOcatod before they were
aroused 10 ind escape from an
awful death cut OIL Tho bodies
were all found In different places,
showing that the unlOrtunatos
rushed wildly and bllndly around tho rooms
In their efforts 10 escape, In tho rear room
was found tho girl jennie, with her night
clothes burned OH, llor arms and hands
were terribly burned. Her hands were hold
10 h0r faca when the body was found show
Ing that she had mado an effort 10 koop tho
flames from her eyes aud mouth.
Tho skin from tho hands aud arms OF tho
boy Albert hung In shrods, and his left arm
was rnlsod across his face, lle was found
doubled up In u corner and ono sldo OF his
body was badly burned,
The little child frankie, chaued and
blackonod, was found npar lin fathers
body In tho front room,
The fOco and head OF Van Rlpor wurO
horribly burned and tho features wor0
scarcely recognizable,
Tho romans Of tho family were gathered
In blankets and conveyed by ambulance
wagons 10 tho station house, whore thoy
wore laid out In n row. They woroi Cor
nellus Van Rlpor, aged forty, Robocca Van
Rlpcr, aged thlfty.two Jennie Van Rlpor
aged ten; Albert Van Rlpor aged soyon
Frankie Van RIpor Og0d two