New-York tribune., 1886-07-30
A WOMAN BURNED TO DEATH
RESULT OF AN OIL-sTOvE EXPLOSION.

SoIp WOMAN rERIsHEs IN SIGHT OF MANY rEo-
PIE d FORE THE FIRrMEN CAN REACH HER
II looked for little while yesterday afternoon as if
Harlem was going to have repetition OF the biz fire
xbich occurred the Fourth OF July. when the much
talked of three skies alarm ont By Cl ief
McCabe. Shortly before o'clock there was an expo-
.ion in the apartments occupied by George Mtcherng
On the third story Of the fiat house No. 020 Third
ave Mrs. Mitcherling his mother, had Just lighted
an ol.stove in the kitchen and gone into the front
room when the stove exploded She started back and
saw that the kitchen covered with burning oil
She tried to put the fire by throwing water on it,
but this spread the burning oil and the whole
was quickly in a blaze. The fire spread with remark
nlle rapdity, and as it III the room etween Mrs.
Mncherhng and the stairway abe could not escape.
The fire was under good hradway before an aarm
was sent out and when the engines the flames
had spread to the upper sorry Screams for help
eonld be heard by the people in the street puff of
smoke came through the front window. In a moment
n gray-hared woman leaned out of the window and
cried pcously the people in the street to her.
She waved her arms wildly and several times seemed
10 be on the point Of jumping out The frcmen were
busy getting ladder up the window hut ii seemed
an age before anything done. The woman leaned
far out gaspng for breath through the thick smoke
which poured out around her. She deahy pale
and her ewes bulged out of ber head with pain and
fright.
The smoke was fast getting too dense for her to
breathe but she seemed glued the spot and although
there we're loud shouts for her 10 jump she did not
,ecin to hear anything and after few weak attempts
10 raj herself the sill she stood still waiting for
her doom. 1t came quickly as the flames were close
behind the smoke and when the iremen broke i'll the
windows the of the building draft created
and the fire rapidly carried to the front window
The old seemed unmindful of her fate and
when the flames wrapped around her body she raised
her hand above her head and sank into the bed of fire
without sound. The crowd were horrifed at the
sight and one woman overcome and tainted. The
fremen did get the ladder up the window where the
woman stood, but it 100 late to save her.
Cries for help also coming from the rear OF the
building and while the crowd watching the front
seemingly paralyzed with horror. one brave fellow
dashed up the reescape to the second story whence
the sounds seemed TO He was James Owens,
clerk in the gas Office at No. 205S IhiId-ave The
window of the room was open and he jumped without
n moments hesitation into the su1ocatlne smoke lilo
was in the right place and the screams were near by
but he could see nothing. lie got down Oh the floor
where he could breathe more easily and CROP along
in the direction OF the voices. lie shouted TO the
people to stand still and he would find them NJ last
he felt woman's skirt She Tad fallen to the oor and
was nearly suffocated. lie picked her up in his arms
and rushed 10 the window tiaspeu uguIy 'h ueI
crying child, who dd mol seem 10 De ihuc
affected by the smoke. IL WAS ulnlcult hatfI y" E"
the and her child through the WINDOWS, as sue
not able 10 help herself But AT iast oWens
landed her and precious burden sale on the hIe
escape where there were willing hands ready 10 hEe
her TO the stree. Owens had hardly got out OF the
window when the flames came leaplng through oehihd
him. One moment later and be. the woman an" m the
child would have been lost The woman saved was
the wife OF Mr. Micherllng, and she was asleep whti
the fire broke out. The smoke and confusion a"oRe
her aud She seized up her little dane hief Aehes a1
tied to escape She was dazed with flight ana
blinded bv the smoke and could not md her way ont
When She recovered sufficiently 10 speak she asked
for her mother and became frantic when told o the
Old lady no had been burned. Ii not her mother,
but Barbara Mitcherlng, sixty the mother OF
her husband Mrs. Mitcherling said. ,,a.. ,.,.o
The house was fouI-story brick. double nat house,
al One-hundred and -eleventh-st and Ihnd-ave lhe
first floor was occupied by Davoren kerwck. as
liquor store. Mr. Davoren's family lived IN the
second story and the family Of Joseph Dayton lived
in the adjoining rooms Mrs Dayoren started 10 20
down the back stairway with her children but me
flames got there before her aud size hsstened TO the
front of the house got out OF the window and walked
along sign TO the adjoining house. Mrs DAYTON
w Ii Genet of No l. 1897 Tbird-ave. She.is little
woman and Genet VITO large. held her III his arms
and prevented her from striking the Sidewalk. dne
William IIenniou aud the fourth floor by Frederick
Kress The families of Mr. KIess and Mr. HeDnion
not in the building.
As the fire making rapid headway, third alarm
sent ont by Chief Reilly and this was followed by
special alarms. The engines IN Harlem seemed
seemed as the whole block OF fats But when
the special engines arrived short work was made o the
fire which was confined 10 the house In which siarte
The first. second and third stories acre Cleaned ont
The occupants lose about $500 each The liquor store
was damaged $500 by waier; insured III the Liverpool
aud London and Globe Conn any
After the fire put out frcmen vent into the thrd
story to get the womans body. II was found burned TO
crisp, close by the window where she fell 1t was
station Coroner JidInsn viewed the boGy ana gave "a
permit for burial II reported To the coroner th9t
wrapped 10 paper her dress and that these bonds were
des,rO.ed with her.