Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-08-10
A FriqhtfuI Holocaust in New York.

One of the most heart-rending scenes
ever witnessed in the city OF New York
occurred last Friday, when, by the
burning of a six-story tenement house,
more than twenty persons lost their
| lives. The building was used as
| factory and as u dwelling. There
were about a hundred persons In 1t
when a coal-oil stove on the second
floor exploded and set the whole place
afire. In a minute, almost, the stair
way was burned down. Then the I'M
fortunate creatures in the upper stories
were seized with wild panic. Some
dashed down through the flames,
some jumped from the windows, while
Others were paralyzed with fear and
were burned to death where they
stood. The building was veritable
death-trap. and escape after the first
few minutes was almost impossible.
In short time the inside OF the
building had been Quilted by the
flames. and then came the sickening
work of removing the dead and dying.
Those who saw the suffering people
who were carried out helpless and III
the agony of dreadful death, and
the blackened and charred bodies
dug out of the ruins, unrecognlZable
nv their nearest and dearest friends,
shuddered at the revolving sight, made
more heart-rending by the means and
shrieks of relatives and friends look
ing for the missing ones.
Many were the heroic acts of fire
men and citizens, and rescues were
made by scores of people from build
ings on all sides of the burning tene-
ment, and in all manner of ways.
Some jumped to adjoining roofs, and
Others driven by the flames, plunged
headforemost out into the courtyards
and were injured so that they cannot
recover. Ten minutes after the fire
was discovered the scene about the
burning district was one of dire con
fusion. Woman ran, children screamed
and strong men ran to and fro, ming
ling their shouts of despair with the
cries of the panic-stricken women.
Perhaps the most awful episode OF
the fire was the death of the wife and
children of Herman Grupf. He had
three children. and Selling the young
est, he started down two flights of
stairs and out to the street. When he
got out he turned, and to his intense
grief. saw that his wife had not fol-
lowed. He made frantic dash for
the stairway again, but the police
barred hisway, as the stairway by this
time was mass of flames. He fought
with the strength of desperation, wept
and implored by turns, and then made
wild attempts TO free himself from
the grasp of the men who We're hold
ing him back from what would have
been certain death.
NNhnn tho hnIias of his wife and
children were discovered it was found
that they were not only burned to a
crisp. but the poor woman had actu-
ally given premature birth to "a child
in her death agony. She was found
kneeling by the side Of bed. The
men who were removing the dead,
hardened as they were to such scenes,
turned pale as they looked, and stall
wart firemen shed tears.
The people below grew frantic when
they heard this and rushed wildly for
ward The police had to resolutely
fight them back. Scores of them who
had possible relatives or dear friends
in the place who might have been
burned to death grew desperate.
Every time body was found
hoarse shout was heard. That makes
seven, lldU llldheS tlSut' CIlcu
some of those below. The count was
taken up by hundreds Of spectators
and passed along. When twelve and
thirteen were announced some of
those surrounding the building seemed
to have absolutely lost their senses.
They surged and swayed round the
burning tenement and those immedi-
ately by it fought tiercely TO get in,
till the policemen had to use every
means short of drawing their clubs.
Among the crowds in the street the
scene beggars description. Women
on every side shrieked with grief and
fear, others fell fainting and had to
be removed to adjoining houses. a
kind of frenzy seemed to have taken
possession of every one, and they in
sanely rushed forward against the
Gordon of police, not knowing what
they were doing They seemed to be
possessed of one instinct, and that was
to get into the burning tenement.
When the fire was over and the
bodies were being taken out the
! shrieks were redoubled, and women
| fell into Mysteries.
Many people till a late hour sur
rounded the scene of the fire.