New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-09
FOUR DEATHS IN A FIRE.
A FAMILY BURNED IN A FLAT HOUSE.
OTHER OCCUPANTS ESCAPED UNnAEMEp-LossEs

OTHER OCCUPANTS ESCAPED UNHAEMEp-LosSH'
AND ASSURANCES.
-Four lives were destroyed by fire In inc n~'
house No. 102o Avenue-A early yeraerday mori'iAs'
The victims belonged TO one family iheS "o
custave F. W. Berg foreman in schmtt d schwahen'
nucgers beer garden at the foot OF East
his wife Laura their daughter Lizzie twelve years VI
age, and Mrs Berg's mother, Mrs. krause Inc!
lived on the top floor of tlree-story ana oaso"0"
building which was thought safer than nine 'e'hs Vi
the fat houses In the city. six other ianioS ~
from the house unhurt. Ways OF escape "cio HAN'S "
the doomed family had been warned OF It's uansef "a
time but sleep kept the victims IN 'nc'r oc"s "'
the smoke was thick and ovcrpowerng IN Their rooms
Undoubtedly the four persons were su"o'"'o" 0'i''0
they could make much effort to escape
Tho fat house is on the southeast corner OF
Avenue-A and Fifty-sixth-st. and has front en-
trance on the avenue Part OF the oasemeh' was
occupied by Mrs Ollie L.ztor, the )anitress, VINO y
widow with four children. and in the other haii oi
the basement were the coal bins and woodhouseS ior
the use of the families upstairs At the top story, III
the rear. was fre-escape balcony with a ladder
which reached nearly down 10 the roof of the adlon-
ing stable in Fifty sixthsi. The flames started III
the basement before q. IN. Mrs. Lztor, "ho eo'
her four children of the house before the oher
occupants were awake declared afterward hat Inc
fire did not begin in her rooms.
Peter Block the owner of the house, was IN inc
north fiat on the first floor with his wife and two
children They were not awakened until policeman
had discovered the fire and aisrm had been Seh'
out Block escaped through side door INTO fliy.
sixth-st His wife and children were hclpeo ou' Vi
q front window John Rubine. an empIoyo !"
neghboring brewery, absent from MS ha' oh 'h0
same floor Mrs Rubine ran to the hon' "inNo"
and was pulled out by the police and nremeh'
Samuel Stern and his wife, who occupied the Inside
fat ON tho second floor, also got out OF 4 ROM
window They stepped on the cornice over the dooi
of the adjoining grocery and climbed into room
the grocery.
The only person in the other second story nat wa
Mrs Fitzgerald Mrs. Blocks mother ana she eScapco
through rear window TO the roof Of the stable JONI
y Maher. who had the outside fat on the top floor
helped his wife and daughter and young woman VINO
was visiting them down the Hre-escape In the rear
They had TO lump part of the 10 the stable lool
AIaber said later that he knocked loudly at the door
of Bergs room and shouted Fire. before ne let u
house. but he did not hear his neighDorS moving.
When the fremen got into the top story
they soon found the body of Berg near IRON
window lying partly on a half burned chair Hls
body had been charred almost beyond recognition
Evidently Berg had staggered out of his bedroom 10
ward the parlor window and had been suocated Delor
he could reach the air. Mrs. Bergs body, also niue
burned. was found the floor OF the bedroom. a. ~
the next bed-chambcr, nearer to the kcheh III uI
rear were the bodies of Mrs Krause ana of lttl
Lizzie Berg Mrs KFanse had evidently been over
cone By ess, s% aaS eE Geo e repair the house
Block had II insured for $1,000 in the Gieehwch to
pany and his furniture which was fuihvu' Nas "a
ssured Tor 81 900 in the North American company o
Philadelphia Rublne's fulnnre was Insurer dCI s1o
in the liverpool and London and Globe COMPANY
and there was $500 Insurance on sterns furniture i
the WestGheseF C0mpay Dsurca S sad that ' hs sna
carried in HIS pockets some damonds Wno a , rsS ef
be found D in the hsa T%n dc NIX ho T four yOa
children 10 provide for, had no insurance.