New-York tribune., 1885-02-22
A HOME LAID IN RUINS.
D,sAsrROUs FIRE IN PHILADELPHIA.


was duc TO the fact that the engines which shouiu
have responded to the alarm were already engaged
at the fire in Market-st. 1he Market-st' hie oo-
Cured shortly after a. H.. ana Inc alarm loI Vna'
in Market-st. was sounded about ociock' hoio
is a hook and ladder truck III the neighporhoou'
and had that been able to respond immediately Inc
+err,ble scenes which ensued could not have hap
nened. No. 1885 Pine-st was the home OF John
King and at ten minutes after Mr. Ingram re-
siding at Sixteenth and Pine SITS. saw smoke iSsu-
ing from the cellar of Mr.. Kings house obtaining
the assistance of a policeman he a"aAeho" wa
King and. as was supposed, put out the
fire. They went away and Mr. hlng retuineu
IN he'd At half-past 4. the neghborhood was
o,o,sed bv the frantic screams of women, and
s.,o,,e was seen coming out OF the lower part OF
Mr. Kings house. The upper windows were occu-
pied by the different members OF the 1ahlIy anu
servants. crying piteously for relief linen the IRE
alarm was sounded but there had been three
alarms for the Mar et-s fle, all the engines, with
the exception Of those in the suburban wards,were
engaged there.
Three servant girls were hanging from windows
on the feurth story in the back part of the bulldihg
and filling the air with their cries. They were toid
10 60 10 the roof and 1t is supposed If this advice
had been followed the lives of all OF them mleht
have been saved But first one and then
another iumped from the window and both
were instantly killed. The third girl also
;umped and died after several hours OF
sutferpg at the Pennsylvania Hospital In
Pine-st. 1t was even more awful. Mrs. kng
was at thIrd-story window carrying
her baby in her arms, with boy ~ seven lI hcr
side Some young men from a anelghDorihg mouse
brought a mattress, upon which were dropped
first the baby and then the boy. 1hen MIS-. Ming
jumped The bov so hurt that he died at 9:lo
A. M. and il Is doubtful if the bapy, girl, VIII
recover Mr. King. whe assisted his wife and chill
drer. went into another room to attempt the rescne
of Jennie Hamilton age twenty his sisterin-law
He brought her TO the window and she jumped, but
missing the mattrass was instantly killed. Mr.. King
himself was snfocated by the smoke. Mrs King Is
not seriously injured. but 1t is feared that the
shock of the death of her husband, sister and chid
may prove fatal to her.
Three houses were damaged. The neighborhood
is one of the most fashionable III the city. and the
King family among the best known All day ne
fire ground has been thronged among the croWd
appearing many WE'LL faces. and the car
riage. of promInent people are standing along the
curb of the side streets.
Another reuort of the Pne-st. fire is that 1t was
MIR. King himself who went to the sta'ion-house
and brought the policemen. AZ er extngulshlng
the fire. as they supposed. the policemen desired to
remain. but Mr.. King declared that there was no
necessi ".
Another report of the manner of death of Miss
Hamilton is that she suspended herself from the
window and held on to the sill until the flames
burned her fingers to The knuckle, when she fell.
The fire is supposed to have been caused by de-
fectlve lue, or some accident to the furnace Inc
weather was so intensely cold that when
the engines dld arrive they were covered
with ice The hose was frozen stiff and the hre-
men numb. They had hardly time to get the
apparatus in condition after the Second ana nest
nut sts fire. and il is thought 1t was fully nan an
hour after the alarm was rung that a stream was
got upon the flames. and then it was weak one'
reaching not hi CHER than the transom of the front
door Apain the supply of water was insufficient.
Mrs King is in a hysterical state. DR.. Hamilton
her brother, and Dr. Harris are III attendance upon
her and the servants of the honse are busy an
swering inquiries as to her condition. , H..
John A. King was thirty five years old lie was
n son of Dr. King, of Iaresdale, was proiniheIt
member o. the First Guy Troop and Phliaaeiphla
Club. lie was at one time actlveIy eagWapeu W IN III 'il9
lumber business beng memIer OF thG pdaIn nIm "a
LLOYD & King, at the Delaware end OF opiai-Si pIi
He retired not longago WI ior hne' MISS NE 'IhI
Hamilton was the daughter OF Dr' Haih-
IltOn of seventeenth aud summer sth.
The two dead servants were known as
Margaret and Cathaine. Their bcdies were re-
moved TO the Morgus. On finger OF one OF them
was a ring bearing the name Mary Murphy. Mrs.
King with her wounded baby ana the bOay OF hti
Ger No $40 Delancey-place Mr. Kings house
was ruined. The house OF Nh. lngbain at the
No 537. the house of EdwardR Warrington, was
putted and its effects ruined by wafer no
1884, occupied by Charles Chaunrey, was damaged
nv water All of these houses were elegantly 1uf'
nisbeu and the loss will be a large sum-
When the first engine reached the ground II was
discovered that the nearest plug was iIozeh, nc a
uen were OBJ igeA to work for twenty minutes
thawlng il out with steam before the water wOulo
flow. ., . , o,
killed was a French woman, eanof Grape. Sht
was the governess of Mr.. Kings children: Sht
formerly lived 1911 Grcen-st When Paui hini
was dropped II ON the window, he struck the mat
ress with such force that the men were compelled
to plant them elves firmly in order TO prevent II
being torn iron their grasp Alter ne strnch s u,
bounded into the and was caught IN the arms o
a police officer. The shock produced interna
hemorrhage, which caused his death. Mt. KING
house valued at $4,000 ana the furniture
At ii:4O a. IN there was another alarm from SIX
feminist. and Columbia-ave. which added consld
erably to the confusion Already prevailing. II was
the honse Of p. X. Oter but was extlngulsned with
out much damage. - -o. =. i,
store of uth Bennett IL Co. dealers III china an'
glass II or ginated in the cellar. The haines
forcing their way through the four stories OF th'
bujldInp thoroL ghy DESTROYED everything. i Ia
paper warehouse of +. A. Rudolph, Son & Co., al
ioining the upper part of In building was burnet
away and about $4,000 worth OF paper run ed
No BOZ Market st. is uuOccupicd aud was badl,
damaged by water. The loss by this lire IS esti
mated at $4,000. The insuranccs on the Market
Ct fire. as far as reported are: =,
Ruth, Bennett Il Co.. loss S4O.OUO; Mechanics
Phlladel phia, $4,000; GeTmaD,. OF Philadelphia
$1,000; Continental, of NeM-York, 5000: sprin,
Garden of Philadelphia. $4,000; Pennsylvania
$1,000; Western, of Toronto Canada, $4,000; an'
PhpuIx of England $1,000.
L. A. Rudolph Son q Co. estimate their losses
from $40 600 to $50 900. on which there is lnsuT
apce to the amount OF $50 900. This is distribute
among the following conpanies scottish l,nl9n
of Scotland $4,000: Guardian, OF New-f0fS
So 300: Home. of New-York. - 1000; Westchestei
of New-York. $2, 800; Union. of Philadelphia
50 500; Guardian, of London, $4,000; Niagara, o
New-York, $4,000, and German, OF Phiiadeiphla
$1,000. ~ . a..
Joseph J. Meany, OF No. 5O4, estimates tn
damages 10 his stock at about $4,000, when
. covered by insurance
In Nn h0S LinplnOntt Son q Co will lose abOn