New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-30
FLAMES IN A HOSPITAL.
CRIPPLED CHILDREN BARELY RESCUED
COOK sMoTHERED--BgDs FOUND FOR THE LITTID
PATIENTS IN ADJOINING HOUSES THE BUILD
ING TWICE SET ON FIRE WITHIN AN HOUR
-cARELEssNEss WITH cIGARETTB
sTUMPs SAID TO RE THE cAusy

fre that imperilled the lives OF 1873 children
all OF whom arc cripples and unable to care Iof
themselves, broke out last evening in the hosDitsl
OF the New-York Society for the Relief OF the
huptured and Crippled the northwest corner
OF forty-second-st. and Lefington-ave. 1t was
only by the greatest good luck that these little
helpless ones were rescued alive, and it so hap
pcned that when the flames first burst from the
building there were a number of brave men close
az hand who did not fee, u e flames, but rushed
into the building and brought the little ones
safely out. The nurses doctors. and servants
oil got out safely. The only one fatally injured
was the cook who had on the top foor
IL is strange that there should oe two fires In
such place as this within few minutes OF each
Other when even slight fire could hardly. take
place without the loss of life, but such is the
case, and as far as it could be discovered last
evening, both fires were due to carelessness.
Assistant Fire Marshal Frank made a personal
investigation of the cause of the fire, and fur
made to-day.
The hospital is OF brick, four stories high with
basement and IS about 90 feet long and IS
feet wide. The lower aoor is used for offices.
kitchen, and dispensary The boys' dormitory
is on the second door and the girls dormitory
is on the third floor. The top floor is used ds =
playground, The building has two wings, one
on each end, and the fire occurred in the west
wing which is occupied principally by the servants
LITTLE HUMP-BACKrD GIRL GIVES TBE ALARM
The children were all in bed, asleep, and each
OF the dormtories in charge OF a single nurse.
The resident surgeons and nurses were at the
evening meal when little hump-bacled girl
came into the dining-room. Her face was deaihly
pale, and she was overcome with excte ment
that she could scarcely lisp the words: There
is a big blaze in DR.. Joscelyn's room7 Everybody
dew to the place and found that the bureau In one
corner corner OF the room was vas burning and the fire had
already extended TO the woodwork near the win
"a ~ IN
out the fire, and the scare was soon over without
the children being alarmed.
At :45 the stiffness in the hospital was again
broken by the cry of fire. Annie Reynolds one Of
the nurses on the third floor, near the servants
wing, saw cloud Of smoke curling up the stair
way from the first floor and gave the alarm.
She cried fire, several times and startled every
adult in the institution, with the exception of
Sarah Donnelly, cook on the top floor, who was
asleep and did not hear the cry.
REsCUING' THE FRIGHTENED CHILDREN.
Two minutes later the fire burst through the
windows. policeman and james Mooney saw
them and made dash for the alarm box. As
sistant Chief Gicquel subsequently sounded second
and third alarms which brought eleven engines
and four truck companies to the rescue
The work of rcsculng the children began as
soon as the fire was discovered Some Of the
nurses got frightened and ran out OF the building,
but most Of them stood by their posts. Those
children who could move crawled out OF he'd and
CROPPED around in the binding smoke, screaming
The nurses behaved nobly and tried to keep all
one arm tied up, carried wee little cripple TO
the stairway and was crawling down when rescued.
H n Wa% r1hT Susdeccfh and CHARLES H sS
fire broke out They were the first ones in The
dormitories where the little cripples were every
little voice cried TO be taken out first and begged
not to be left alone.
APPLAUDING THE BRAVE LIFE-sAVERs.
The three men grabbed up three children each
md faI ofYl1, tla tla
Lexington-ave side, through the smoke. When
they appeared in the street with their arms full
of the helpless ones a great cheer broke out from
the crowd and there were many anxious hands
held out TO receive them. This WIS before the
arrival of the lrcmen. When they came not
nook or a corner Of the building was left un-
searched.
The children all being In their night clothes
IT," otlhs y1nd made them shiver and cry with
opened to receive the children. tn Vanderbilt
Hotel is across the street from the hospital in
Lexngton-ave.. and 100 OF the children were
taken there The guests willingly gave up their
rooms, and the little ones were wrapped IN bed
clothes and placed near the fires. DOctors Gibney
Gibbs, Joscelyn, Warner and Thwlng, and Prssl-
dent Osborn of the hospital staff, rendered eff
cicnt aid in rescuing the children and caring for
them attcrward.
About eighty-fve of the children were taken
to the houses in the neighborhoOd. The frmen
saved the main portion OF the building The
servants wing from the ground hoor to the roof
top floor was searched and the body
of Sarah Donnelly age forty, cook, was found:
She was taken to the operating, room and
a vain effort made to revive her with electricity.
The damage to the building is estimated az $1,000.
Chief Shay said that in his opinion both fires
were caused by lighted G garettes being carclessly
thrown into inllammable material President
Osborn said he could not account for the fire.
At late hour the children reported 10
be resting easily in their new beds. None Of :.
them. il was thought, would be much the worse
for the fright and exposure to the cold.