New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-26
CUILDRENBURNED TO DEATH
FATAL EARLY MORNING FIRE IN A sHANTY
A SAD CHRISTMAS IN THE DRIscoLL FAMlLY-ihE
MOTHER SERIOUSLY INJURED.

sixth.st and Audubon-ave., was totally destroyed Dy
6,e early yesterday morning and three children
perished while Drscol, bis wife, and another chlIu
were so erty burned that they were removed 10 inc
Ninetv-ninth Street Hospital in an ambulance. "nhln
few minutes after the Games first seen bursting
from the windows of the sbanty, dozen policemen
ond pcrhbors were on the spot and TO Il cir timely aid
was due the fact that the entire family were not
roasted to death in the tiudcr-bOx OF a dwelling
Tao 6 o'clock relief of policemen had been tnncd
ont from the police station at andfity-
second-st and Tcnth-ave., and under houhdShiah
I,obcr we're going mp the avenue TO meet the squad
they were to relieve When at s1uis Corner opposite
One hundred the policemen lrst
corcbt siobt of the flames and heard the cries oi
"FJre !" and Hclpw The squad they were going 10
relieve were coming down Kingsbrdge Road and theY
saw the flames and heard the cries about the St'he
time. Being mounted men, it was Only snoi' '''"N
before they had sent out an alarm ana "eIe "i0''
burning cabin The wind was blowing nai s"lo' ""N
the shantv was fast disappearing OeloIo inc H"u''
II was a fauattv. ouc-story and atuc structure
1iridcd into four little rooms, each scarce SIN ''e'
,oro n was lust like the hundo ds of other little
shanties occupied by poor laborers which crown The
rocks ND town and make TIE upper part Of the island
cturesoue II not romantic 1t built of pieces OF
nlank of various lengths nailed perTendcularly and
battened on the outside patchwork OF boards cinhg
70 the rear of the homey dwelling and answered for
q stable a woodshed and an OuthOUse. In one OF the
four small rooms slept Driscol end bis wife IN hl9
he'd while in trundlebed beside them were two little
bows Patrick and Daniel ages eleven and eight
refpectivev In the next t. them eleot julia age
fourteen. and Mary, age seven. while in third
apartment the northeast corner room. were Alchacl
Driscoll ace thirty nephew of Patrick. and John'
ace seventeen, son Of the old couple. The fourth
fIo aur1n nf thp fNrp
st. eets in the southeast Of the buldng Under
the shantv rude cellar had been dug, in which the
family goat was housed at night quaint little stoo2
opened from The kitchen on Audubon-ave.
Policeman Newman. as lie reacl ed the burn
ing dwelling made his way up the socp and into the
kitchen. whence moans were preceding lie iound
Drscoll lying or the tooT near the door ana p'Hed
him out into safety. lis shirt, the only garment ne
wore was ablaze in some places. Other poc3me and
some neighbors pushed into the little room and,
qropiug in the thick smoke. found Mrs. DIiscou and
dragged her ont Of the shany Her clothing was auTe
and she was terribly burned about the he, and
shoulders. her hair being singei from her head New
man then went into tho bedroom Of the old people and
found and brought out little "Pasey." Dan with
bal burn on his nose, had goped his way ont alone
and unasssted. The gIoans OF the unfortunate people
were pitif. to listen to- and unclod they were, the
cold wind added to their 80 erng aud chilled them 20
tbo hone Meantime the res seeking TO save
the remaining members # the family Mae
Driscol told the police that John Driscol had gone
into the little girls bedroom through back door and
tried to save his sisters bat The door had been hoTu
shut b, the wind ard he would perish unless aid was
nromotly given Policeman Low kicked oien tla door
and tled to enter the but to use his own words
"a puff of fire ten feet high drove me bach, and
knew it was all up with the children" - tho stable
u. .r.ffH..
men who tried in vain 10 save The animal. They flung
blanket over lis head aud eldeavorcd lead him
cut but terror had palsied the brutcs limbs and he
was left to perish.
Al goo when FIRE engine No 3S whose quarters are
al One hundred and fifty -fourthst and Tenth-aye
reached the scene, the Driscoll shmty was smoking
ruin. The alaIm bad been sounded al Gil, but the
distance was too great to have AFFORDED the Gremen
chance of saving lite. They however put out an
inciplent blaze which bad started on the root OF
frame building across Audubonaye., occupied by
Policeman Carney's family. They turned Their hose
also on the smoking pile and IN short time 1t was
cooled of 80 that when day had fully hrokeu search
was begun for the bodies 1t did take long to find
the cha, rcd trunks of th three children IN the little
min The little girls found near the window Of
their bedroom. lying fragment OF mattress.
sheir bodies were close each other if they had
sonont the window together. Johnny vino had lost
Ii. own life while trying 20 save his sitcIs, was louud
living apart lie had eyidn,ly been suiioc2ied b5 he
smoke a. the md ble the door shut "hlch
his only chance OF c.co ne O"ch' hri IG'n''-l'
OF the three children were taken uP 1id lalc I'D On
empty wagon. Alter beng lheto loi lNC nom tAe
pati oil WAGON carried the bodies 10 the st8on house
hence thov were removed to the MOTIdc.
II w4s an hour after the fire broke out before the
ambulance canoe iron the Nmcty-Iiuh Street Hospital
for the injured victims. III the meantime they had be u
taken in from exposure to the biting wind and cared
for in tie house of Miss Mary harinett, at Ont-
mudIt d and sixty -Gtih-st and hiug'bIidEe Road
Mrs D.isoU was too badly burned 10 EnOw what wa
going OH about her, but the strlEcn father, whose
Christmas had been 50 dreadiuliy darAcned LocSed
himself back and forth, Wringlng III, 5cJched h1ci'
and moaning ont the names Of bis Children While tcab
Of sympathy crept INTO the eyes OF those near HIM
They were taken TO the hospital and nauc as con i"Tt
aaie as possible. TO Warden krhOe the old man told
what he knew OF the occurrences preceding the
catastrophe DIiscol aud his wife are each ity and
it is ihD ght that the age oi tie woman "ii gitaty
retard ber recovery
The husband SAID that he had been in Americatwo
Rngsbr1dgc Road Last May be sent for BIS wife aud
chlldren WHO were II County Cork. ireland. He
rented the shany in One hundred ands
aud lived u il with his children. John. julia. Daniel,
Patrick AMI Mary. lie had SOD, Michael, who was
married and iivrd in Maalson-st.. and two Other
daughters Ellen, age twenty, ana MalRarct age six
teen who lived IL Gr;Udst al service. Ills nephew,
&" Mike" Driscoll Hged with him He rented the
shauty from the owner Mrs. Margaret Phclau, who
Lied with Tim also sleeping IN the aiuc. The
poglbors did not like Mrs Fhe'an. and cld not Ike
tee idea Of his paying her rent 80 ihcS tooh every
means 10 annoy and worry him. They oi en- threw
rocks al his shanty a; night One night they came and
thicklv tered The side Of the sha1ty viih bruah
Only lat Tuesday two big cobbcs ones we're hung at
his house. OF them coming uiough the "Iid0w
and striking him on the head cutting ia bad cash
From this i'll feeling the part # the noiGhbors he
believed that his house was set on nc by some ol
tnem On Thursday night his nice Ellen ha0 como up
10 see him from downtown. After supper vi Ter
brother Mike" he had accompanied her back 10 tie
cars after which hf aud Nike went To barber ana
got shaved. They returned home and both retired.
every body being in bed by o'clock. Dnscoll AYERS
that he the last TO bed and he ctt everything
ss usu,l 1herc were no Christmas tree candles
left burning. For reason. he did not know why,
his lacdlady did not sleep in the sbant during the
night Al 5:l5 a. ~, his usual tine tOi Ilsibg lie cot
nm Ihere "a snIcll OF snlnl e. md he