The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-08-22
IN A DEATH TRAP.
A Fatal Fire in q New York
Tenement House.
Hemmed in by Flames Seventeen
Meet a Horrible Death.

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Meet a Horrible Death.
The most lamentable scene that New York
has beheld in years was that which was en-
icted Friday afternoon in the Bowery. In
broad daylight, in full view Of fully 1000
people, almost within reach Of 100 fremen,
whose hearts ached that they could
rot help them, a score of human beings
ran frantically to and fro in burning death
trap screaming for aid, which it was impos
ible to give. They fought with one another
Tor the last vantage ground, struggling on IN
) vain hope and only finding that their Of
forts but added to the sufferings which must
Inevitably end in death. Those who persisted
early suffered least.
It was the rear tenement at 1877 Bowery,
adjoining the Peoples Theatre on the south
At o'clock in the afternoon sixty people
who lived there or worked there at tailoring
were busy in the crowded rooms Of the six
story building At 4:30 only the dead were
left.
Mrs. Emma Stephenson, the janitress Of
the building, had lighted fire with which
to prepare the evening meal for herself and
! husband She made the fire in kerosene
stove and went for moment into the cellar.
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She hastened up stairs to find her rooms
one sheet of flame. The old rickety build.
Ing, filed as it was with clippings and
thread and cottons, was mere sport for the
flames.
A stairway in the centre of the building
served as a conductor for the fire. The tene-
ment was only twenty-five feet long by If
teen feet wide and was six stories high. Upon
each floor there were small rooms and lofts,
separated from each other by wooden parti-
tions
A fearful volume Of black smoke and fame
rolled up from the burning floor, faint and
smothered cries came from beneath it and
above it, from the three upper windows OF
the tenement hung men, women and chill
dren, stretching their hands out ard implorlng
some one to save them. It was evident that
some Of the people were really crazed.
Some managed to get down by the fire es-
some jumped to the floor of the court yards
in the front and rear, and some, so the sur
vivors say, sat down and abandoned them
selves to their fate.
In twenty minutes the structure was gutted
anG about twenty-five persons were more or
less seriously injured and one was killed, and
when the ruins were explored seventeen
charred bodies of persons Of both sexes and
ofevery age were discovered. Ore man dlea
Those who were at the northern and north
eastern side Of the building sought an escape
on the fire ladder, and cheers rose from the
crowd when an aged man, to whom grim
despair alone gave strength, and two young
girls came out upon the thread Of hops.
The firemen cheered and waved them en-
couragement but to their horror they dis
covered that the ladder led only into an area
or cell surrounded by solid brick walls. The
only escape from it lay through door which
led into the burning mass
A shrek of terror rose from the crowd
when they saw the three doomed ones at
tempt to climb again.
Franticaly, madly moaning, screaming
and shrieking for mercy, up and down that
iron ladder went those poor mortals They
struggled on the ladder for help while brave
men used to hard scenes turned away their
heads, and many fireman dropped tear.
For full five minutes those people in that
cage raced for the life that was soon to be
ended.
They fought with each other for position
they tore their hair-looked piteously for aid
and then sank back into the fiery furnace
that boiled within. The smaller of the girls,
with face an ashen hue, to which the fiery
background added intensely, stood on the
window sill of the third story for moment:
"She will hurl herself to the ground~ p
"She is going to commit suicide!" cried some
in the crowd. The people almost hoped that
she would do so, but she did not. Suddenly
there was curling of the long black tresses
The flames had seized upon them; gleam
shot from her clothing. It was on fire.
'Have mercyl" she shrieked in agony, and
then all was over. She had fallen into the
flames. The old man went next. The other
girl apparently went to her death insane. On
the landing Of the fourth story she turned to
the people who were grouped on the roof OF
the theater, laughed, and then tucklng
her skirts about her, stepped into the flames
that ended her life.
As soon as the fire had been quenched and
the firemen were able to approach the Quilted
building the work Of searching for the poor
wretches who had been seen in the windows
began. -.
burned human flesh and bones. Not one OF
the dead was recognizable. All were burnt
to a crisp, men, women and children. Al
most all semblance to human shape was gone.
A more revolving scene was probably never
presented.
As the bodies were discovered they were
placed in fire nets and carried to the roof OF
the PEOPLES Theatre, and when the available
space there was exhausted, the roof Of the
tenement factory in the rear was used.
After search Of nearly two hours the
bodies of fourteen had been discovered and
laid out in this manner. A call was then
sent out to the Morgue for the dead wagon,
and the bodies were placed in rough pine
boxes and lowered from the roofs to the mar
row alley below.
The body of Mrs. Gruft was in frightful
condition. The unfortunate woman was
about to become mother at the time the
fre broke out, and the intense agony Of see
ing all hope OF escape shut off brought on
The pangs of maternity prematurely and
mother and child were burned together:
And at her side lay the charred corpses OF
her other two children, Joseph and Cecilia.
It was heartrending sight, and that the
poor father and husband who gazed on it
sid not lose his reason on the spot seemed
marvellous. In his arms he held baby boy,
.he only member of his family who was
rescued besides himself. Five more persons.
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