Morning journal and courier., 1885-05-04
News by Telegraph
FROM ALL QUARTERS.
YORK HORROR.
Death in a Burning Ten
ement House.
AT LEAST EIGHT LIVES LOST.
Families Made Homeless
by other Fires.
THE WAR CLOUD IN EUROPE.
General Grant Continues
to Improve.
THE WAR CLOUD IN EUROPE.
A TENEMENT HOUSE HORROR.

TENEMENT HOUSE HORROR.
Fire Breaks out at Dead of Night
Eight of the Sleeping Inmates
burned to Death-Many Others Badly
lniured-The Fire Due To Careless
Hess
New YORK, May 3.-The terrible fire and
loss of life which occurred in the double ten
ement house No. 672 First avenue early this
morning caused the greatest excitement
among the residents on the east side of the
city and all day long the scene of the disaster
was visited by thousands of people. The
building in which the fire occurred is five
story double tenement and had only recently
been built. There were ten families in the
building at the time of the outbreak and IN
fortunately there were no fire escapes in the
front of the building, the only escapes being
in the rear, and the inmates residing in front
were on account of the flames and smoke I'M
able to teach them It was rumored this
morning that the fire was the work of an
incendiary, but nothing definite will be
known until the fire marshal has made an
investigation. Numerous complaints were
made to-day of the delay in the fire depart
ment but that is accounted for by the engines
of the district being at another fire in Park
avenue and it was not until second and third
alarms had been sent out that engines from
other districts began to arrive.
The following is a list of dead and injured
The dead-Mrs. Minnie Kritchner, aged
thirty -four; Richard Kritcher, aged eleven;
William Hurley, aged twenty; Elizabeth
Hurley, aged twenty three; Christiana Ker-
ner, aged forty-eight; Joseph Humphrey,
aged thirty Henry Humphrey, aged
four months; and q servant girl named
Kate lam b11rr aera6
twenty-eight; her daughter Kate, aged six
years; Mrs. Ida Enrich, aged forty; George
Hurley, aged forty nine; Elizabeth Hurley,
aged fifty-fve; Albert Kerner, aged four
teen; Christiana Kerner, aged twenty-three;
Kate Kerner, aged twenty; William Flana-
gan, aged sixteen; Kate Lamphul, aged
seven; Sophie Kerner, aged eleven. Coro-
1ier Martin has taken charge of the case
and will commence an investigation early
in the week.
Mr.: Roehich, who with his wife and three
children occupied the top floor, was the only
tenant who escaped without loss. Immedi-
ately after tho fire was discovered he closed
his doors and windows to keep out the
smoke. He then took his wife and children
to tine front window and passed them one by
one down the ladders erected by
the fremen. Mr.. Roehich said tonight:
'tThe fire cut off all egress by the stairs and
the fire escapes. The wood flooring of the
latter and the boxes and washtubs stored
thereon burned like finder and made the
ironwork of the fire escapes SO hot that it
was impossible to get down. If the people
had only shut the doors and gone to the top
of the building none would have been
kIe1: I saw Mrs, Humphrey
in the hospital this morning and
she said Humphrey set the place on fire."
Philip Limbacker was awakened by the
smoke He reused his wife and four chill
dren and dropped them from the third story
into the arms of persons below. They were
not much hurt. The fire had not
got beyond the fourth floor except
in the Railways where the doors and
wainscoting were blackened and cha1red.
The building was erected in 1876 1t is own
ed by the estate of David Jones, the ale
brewer Coroner Martin to-day viewed the
bodies at the morgue and granted a permit
for their removal. He will empanel jury
tomorrow to view the building and will hold
an inquest sometime during the week.
The fire broke out in the kitch-
en- of Humphreys restaurant. The police
think it was due to carelessness on Humph-
rey's part, who often closed his saloon and
left a hot fire in his range. Mrs. Burge,
whose saloon adjoined Humphreys, said she
had often spoken to him about the careless
manner in which he left his fire, but he only
laughed and said: 'i1t is all right. Pm in
sured."