Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-02-26
A FATAL FIRE.
AFamiIy Aroused From sIeepto Find
Themselves Surrounded by Fire.


PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Feb. 21.-Fire
broke out between and Z O'Clock this
morning in the house of John A. King,
No. 1889 Pine street. The flames made
rapid progress. Three dwellings were
destroyed. The occupants of Kings
residence We're asleep in the upper
stories and were aroused by the heat
and smoke only to discover the usual
means of egress cut off. They ran to
the windows and most of the jumped
out. King appeared at a fourth-story
window and was seen to make an effort
to Jump, but was overcome by the heat
and fell back into the flames. His
charred body was found after the fire
was extinguished. Three persons who
Jumped to the ground-two female SER
wants and sister of Mrs. King-also
lost their livss. Mrs. King appeared
at window crying for help. A mat
tress was held by firemen and she was
told to drop her baby first and njump
herself. She did so and received severe
but not dangerous injuries. The baby
was killed.
The body of Mrs. Hamilton, the sis
ter of Mrs. King, has been recovered.
|
and popular people of the city.
When the fire was discovered the
neighbors raised the alarm but two 9th
er fires were in progress in different
parts of the city at the same time, and
it was three-quarters of an hour before
the fire engines came. Meanwhile Mr..
and Mrs. King and others of the family
could be seen in the fourth story, with
all means of escape cut off. Mrs. King
was in her night clothes, but remarka-
bly, calm, and babe her children be
brave. She then called to the neighbors
assembled below to get mattresses.
They were not long in spreading the
pavement with mattresses and blank
cts. Then, lifting her boy on the window
sill she told him to be brave and jump
He seemed to be aplucky little fellow
five years old. He jumped and struck
the mattress fairly, and it seemed that
he was safe, but he was so badly shaker
, that he died in two minutes. Then Mrs
, King placed her daughter Lillian, three
years old, on the window sill and drop
ped her fairly on the mattress. The
child was hurt, but not killed. Turn
ing for moment to address word tC
her husband, Mrs. King mounted the
window sill and deliberately jumped of
: with as much calmness as one might
} jump into bath. Her fight through
the great distance from the fourth story
seemed to end in safety, but she was
found to be unconscious and badly hurt
Her husband was about to follow her
but seemed to be calling on some ont
behind him probably Miss Hamalton,
when the spectators were Mortified b.
the sudden belching forth of broat
: sheet of flame, by the light of which
Z Mr.. King was seen to throw up hi
: hands and fall back out of sight. A
3 the same time another crowd at tn
back Of the house were Mortified to wit
r ness similar shocking sights. Mis-
Hmamilton had been driven b.
the flames to fourth-story bacl
s window and being unable to sta.
/ in the room and afraid to jump
she hung by her hands outsid
!, the windowsill utterly exhausted
she let go and dropped to the pave'
1 area below. When picked up one sid
of her body was badly burned, showing
that she had been literally burned OF
the windowsill.