Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-04
NEW Y0RK'S FATAL FIRE.
EIGHT KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN
KILLED AND ONE MISSING.

NEW YORK, May 8.--Eight persons are
known to have perished in the fire which
occurred last night in the double brick
tenement No. 672 First avenue. They
were Joseph Humphrey, aged S5; Henry
Humphrey, aged 4 months; Miss Eliza
beth Hurley, aged %; Mrs. Christina
Koerner, aged 4S; Mrs. Nina Hrithzmar,
aged 80; Richard krithzmar, aged II;
William Hurley; Mary -, aged As,
sister of Mrs. Humphrey. With the ex.
ception of William Hurley, who died this
morning at the Presbyterian hospital, ali
were taken out of the building dead. Be-
sides the killed there were Ia persons in-
jured.
THE OCCUPANTS OF THE BUILDINGS.
AT the time of the fire there were eight
families in the house, with Il total OF
thirty-siX souls. In the north building
Hermann Lempul occupied the second
floor, with his wife and one child; George
Hurley occupied the third floor, with his
wife and four children; Joseph Hum
phrey lived on the fourth floor, with his
wife, infant son and sister-in-law; and
Jacob koerner occupied the top floor, with
his wife and six children. All these have
been accounted for except Sophie Koer-
uGts AEGQ ~ WIN 10 uAuNiuks Aut HNAtNt
had the premises carefully searched this
morning, but no trace Of the girl could be
found. The ground, or first floor, was oc-
cupied by Humphrey as an oyster saloon.
In the south building Jacob Burge,
who used the first floor as lager beer
saloon, used the second floor as living
apartments with his wife. The third floor
was occupied by Philip Limbacher, his
wife and child; the fourth by Max kTithz-
mar, his wife and three children, and the
top floor by Herman R0ehich, his wife
and three children.
CHARGING INCENDIARIsM.
Mr.. Roehich was the only tenant of the
building that escaped without loss. I'M
mediately when the fire was discovered
he closed his doors and windows TO
keep out the smoke. He then took
his wife and three children to
front window and passed them one by one
down ladders erected by the flremen. In
an interview this morning ROehich said:
''Tne fire cut off all egress by the stairs
and fire escapes. The wood flOOrings of
the latter and the boxes and wash cubs
stored thereon burned like tinder and ma @
the ron work OF the fire escapes su LOT
that IL was impossible TO get down. II
the people had only shut their doors and
gone to the top Of the building none would
have been killed. l saw Mrs. Humphrey
in the hospital this morning and she said
tnat Humphrey set the place on fire."
KoERNER's ESCAPE.
Theodore Ko rner, a young man aged q,
said that be had stepped from the sill Of
the kitchen window OF his rooms TO that
at one Of Roehich's windows and then
climbed into his rooms. and followed the
ROehichs down ladder. Mrs. Burge
was about going TO bed when the fire
broke out, and finding the stairway i'm
blaze she got out Of her front window and
crossed on a sign torn from a coal and
wood yard next door and put up by the
firemen to a place OF safety.
Philip Limbaoher, who is n painter,
was awakened by smoke. He reused his
wife and four children, and dropped them
from third story window into the arms
Of persons below.
Mike Allen Of No. 2f0 East Thirty-eighth
street, caught two Of them and took them
TO his home, where the frantic mother
found them two hours later.
Officer Thos. Flaherty, who rescued
three of the KOprner family, caught a
third child of Limbacher, and rendered
other efficient service.
Pauline KOerner, aged 1S years, jumped
from window on the top floor and broke
leg.
CAUSE or THE FATALITIES.
The direct cause OF the fatalities is at
tributed 70 the tardy arrival Of the hook
and ladder companies and the panic Of
the tenants. An examination this morn
Ing bears out ROehich's statement con-
cerning the chances Of escape by the
roof. Had the frightened tenants run up
stairs on 10 the roof they could have re-
malned there in com paratye safety. The
fire did not get beyond the fourth floor,
In ali Il
and wainscOtting were biackened and
charred. The total pecuniarV loss is
estimated at $4,000, most Of which is 20
the building, and covered by insurance.
Coroner Martin to-day viewed the bodies
at the mOrgue and granted permits for
their removal. He will Impsnel a Jury 70
view the building, and will hold an
inquest some time during the week. The
police think that the fire was due 10
carelessness on Humphreys part, who
often closed his saloon and left very hot
fire in his range.
BURNING or AN ILLINOIS TOWN.
KANKAKEE, I'LL, May 3.-At O'Clock
this morning ire broke out in Mrs. Hill
bOrn's millinery shop az Caberry, a VII.
iaze Of 800 population. and soon destroyed
the entire business portion Of the place.
consisting Of frame buildings, occupied as
stores on the first floors snd residences on
the second, including p business houses
and IA residences, were burned ~ the
ground. The losses, as tar as ascer-
taiBable, aggregate 10000. The in
surance istl3,5OO. Several guests az the
Commercial hotel had narrow escapes,
losing everything but their night
clothes. Every business house In the
village was swept away. The post Office
WAS a total loss. The value Of the con-
tents is unknown. The people Of Caher.
ry are housing and feeding the fourteen
families rendered homeless. and unable
to pay for lodging. No lives we're lost
and no one was injured. The fire Ia be-
lieyed % have been Of incendiary origin.
A MOSTASA BLAZE.
BILLINGS, MONT., May "a fire last
MINT destroyed the First national bank,
and other property, including the cOlsol-
dated Newspaper outfit Of Alexander De-
vlnes- The l0ss Is placed at $4,000.
50 HOUSES DESTROYED.
STOCKHOLM, May 3.-Fire has destroyed
80 houses in TIE town ~ skanOer, render
ing homeless 100 families.
Afiss Sweet Must Go.