Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-02-26
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A Lady ana Gentleman BuFned 10
Death aud Others Fatally Injured.

!. Lady ana Gentleman BuFned q
> Death aud Others Fatally Injured
PHILADELPHIA F4b 81 So Fire brUke Gu
4 this morning at A Is O'Clock In the celia
o Of The residences Of Mr.. John King of tn,
. firm Of Oyd & King q: 1889 Pine street
e -Four persons are known 10 havs died
b either from burning or from mi uries re-
] ceived by Jumping from the burning
building. Mrs. King and her tHC
children were savsd, bat injured by
jumping from the third story windo8
D upon mattresses held by spectators.
! Miss Hamilton, . sister Of Mrs. King,
. climbed out OF the fourth story window In
the rear Of the building and, fearing to
} jump, held on to the window sill until
, suffooated by the smoke. Her grasp,
paralyzed by death, held her there until
her body had been burned almost to an
unreoognizAble crisp.
Two servants, white women, died from
the ipjuries received In jumping from
the blszing building. Mr.. King appeared
at the third story window standing ON the
sill from which his wife had leaped.
Calls were made TO him TO follow Ler but
ne fell back into the sesthing flames.
For an hour crowds stood around help.
less and could only watch the frantic
efforts Of the imprisoned inmates to
escape. From ths residence OF John Il.
lnRham, on the northeast corner Of Six
teenth and Pine, all the inmates escaped
uniDjured by jumping from the windows.
The body OF Mr.. King has not been re-
covered.
The FIRE at Fifth and Market streets had
so deta ned the fire department that 1t
was fully 20 minutes before there was
any response to the alarm. The people
in the neighborhood were then frantic.
"Will they never come" shrieked an
old woman at the corner Of Sixteenth and
Pine. "They are burning up," and as II
to verify her words the form Of John King
then appeared at the window.
"GreAt God l' shouted q big brown
bearded laborer, ''oan nobody save him3"
Nobody could.
The greatest excitement prevailed and
the neighborhopd was filled with q
surging crowd.
The body Of Miss Hamilton was laid
ont in the yard Of an adjoining residence
while those Of the two servants who were
found alive were carried into house on
Sixteenth street In the rear of Mr..
lnghsm's residence, but both died In n
few minutes.
It was shortly after a O'Clock this
morning when Mr.. King thought he de.
tscted the oo or Of smoke coming from the
cellar. He arose, dressed himself and
went to the Fifth district station house
| and asked for an officer.
LieutenAnt UsiItVn detailed Patrolman
Martin, who hurried to the house, and
xlnguisnsd what appea.ed to be very
rhtug Dire.
Im elsd Of that" said Mr.. King,
o7uSus lever feel safe when fir. il
Don't. | can 90 to bid now and rest IL
soe.''
He did go TO bed, but was awakened 20
linutes later by the roaring and crack
ng OF the flames around him. Hs
errible fate has en- told.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 21,-Fire broke out |
early this morning in the four storied brick |
building No. 504 Market street occupied on |
the first floor by Ruth, Bennett d Co dealers |
in china aud glassware. The two upper floors |
we're occupied by Joseph l. Meany 4 Co boot |
and shoe commission merchants. The stock |
Of both firms was destroyed, that of Ruth,
Bennett d Co. was valued at $s50O0. The
house Of S. A. Rudolph, Sons
Co., No, 506 Market street, the
contents OF which were destroyed and
to the building No sos Market street, the
upper floors Of which were damaged The
hrst hoor and basement were occupied by
Lippincott, Son Il Co., auctioneers. The |
cellar WAS Hooded as was also that of Gala
day d Brian, dealers in tailois' trimmings
No. $40 The total loss on buildings and
stock is estimated at $l25,00O.
1t was while the the fire department was
battling with this extensive fire that the fire
broke out in Pine street which resulted in the
loss Of five lives.
ASSOCIATED PRESS ACCOUNT OF TIE KING
RESIDENCE FIRE.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb 81 The occupants of
Xii gs residence were asleep in the upper
stories, and were aroused by the heat and
smoke only to discover that the usual means
of egress had been cut of They ran to the
windows, and most of them jumped out.
MIR. King appeared at the fourth story win.
dow, and was seen to make an effort to Jump
out but was 30 much overcome by the heat
and smoke that he fell back into the flames.
His charred body was found after the fire
was extinguished.
Three other people who jumped to the
ground, two female servants and sister of
Mrs. King, also lost their lives, Mrs King
appeared at window crying for help. A
mattress was held by the firemen and she
was told to drop her baby first and then jump
herself. She did g. and received severe, but
1t is said not dangerous injuries The baby
was 30 badly injured that it has since died.
THE DEAD AND WOUNDED.
Following is q list of the dead and
wounded.
Killed-oonn A. King, aged s5 a retired
lumber merchant, burnt to death in the third
story front room.
Miss jennie Hamilton, aged 49, sister of
Mrs.. King and daughter Ct DIR. Hamilton,
burned to death on the fourth floor Her
body charred almost beyond recognition.
John King five years, the son OF Mr.. and
Mrs. King. He was dropped from the fourth
story window and was apparently caught all
right IN mattress by the firemen, but died
from the conclusion.
Mary Burns. aged IS, servant girl body
burned to crisp
Mary -, colored, aged 20, another SER
want body burned to crisp
1njured-Mrs Lillian King, daughter of
DR.. Hamilton leaped from the fourth story
window after children and alighted squarely
on the mattress but was severely hurt by the
concussion.
Lillian King, aged years, daughter of
Mrs King, severely injured about the body
and limbs by being thrown from the fourth
story TO the mattress.
,Catharine -, aged 20, another servant
girl, badly burned
II appears thas the King residence was on
fire twice during the night and early morning.
Fire was discovered in the basement about
O'clock O'clock but the police we're de-
that the danger was over. The inmates who
had dressed themselves preparatory TO a
speedy flight again retired. About 6 o'clock
the neighbors were again alarmed by smoke
issuing from the basement and they rang
the door bell MIR. King appeared and assured
them that it was the result o! defective
due, aud that there was no danger Soon
afterwards the flames burst forth from
the lower floor. The neighbors
raised an alarm but as two other fires were
in progress in different parts of the city at the
same time, 1t was three quarters of an hour
before the fire engines arrived.
Mrs. King showed remarkable courage and
was the heroine Of the fire.
The King Fires Victims.
Mira Iuhn King WIN rran n.rinnnir {