New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-20
DEATH IN A FIERY TRAP.
PLAYHOUSE BURNED UP LIKE TINDER.
IhE ESCAPE OF WHOLE FAMILY CUT oTT-A
WOMAN sUFFoCATED, THE REST FORCED TO
JUMP FROM TnE wINDows-A DARING
FIREMAN RADIy INJrRFD

at Madison-ave. and Eghty-1fth-st were driven
out OF their rooms by fire yesterday morning
Inc house. although new and fnc-loOking. was
death-trap which had been erected by speculative
builders There were no ire-escapcs to prevent
loss OF life in an emergency and the elevator shaft
mad been constructed in such himsy manner as
TO conduct the flames rapidly from one story to
all the others. -Four persons the top floor
were barred in by the flames One was killed and
the rest were hurt while escaping. Three other
inmates Of the house were injured, and a brave
fireman. who was trying to save others lives,
nearly lost his own.
The names of the dead and injured are as
follows
| WESTLAKE Mrs. FRANCES, age foIty.nye, a widow,
who occupied the top fiat with her daughter and
sols. She sunocatcd while Trying " get out Of
fIont window
INJURED.
MoLNER SARAH, age twenty three a servant employed
on the third noor burned severely face and
hands at the outbreak of the lire, which said 10
have been caused by her cselcssness.
oUIKK. WILLIAM, thirty four years old assistant
man Of Engine Company No -, left broken
and spine injured 10y falling from into which he
had jumped after trying rescue u member Of tho
Wes'lakc family.
| sEiDENBEKG, JOSEPH, living the second ioor
hands and face Injured while escaping
IhNBEG, MIS-. JOHN A. forty eight suffering from
shock due to a fall the while escaping from
the third floor.
WEsrLAkE ADELAIDE, age twcnty-four, back injured
severely by jumping from nltn-story window into
net held 10y the hrcmcn.
WISTLAKE CHRISTOPHER, age nineteen, scvero con-
fusion of night hip. received in the same manner.
WESILAkE FREDERICK, axe twenty-five. spine IN
Iu.ed seriously hy similar jump from the fourth
story after he hid received assistance from Assistant
Foreman Dunk l. escaping fom tne NTH stony.
THE CAUSE or THE FIRE UNCERTAIN.
The flames started in the kitchen Of the Tyn-
berg family, on the third floor, II few minutes
before n. m 1t said later that Sarah
Molncr, the German servant had caused the
fire by accident in the careless Use of kerosene
oil in the kitchen range. but Assistant FireNar>hal
Frank said I'm the afternoon that the ca,sc of
the fire was in doubt The servants cries alarmed
Mr. Iynbcrs and his wife, and they managed 10
escape with difficulty Mrs 1ynbcrg fell on the
way out, and was much prost rated by shock
~ 10 be unable TO walk after reaching the street.
Joseph Scidcnbrr4 OCCUPIED tine second ioor
with his wife and young child. The family
coored servant got out soon after the fire started.
Awakened by the smoke a little later. Mr.. Scid-
enbcrg got his wife and child into the private
hall Of the fiat and tried to lead them down
stairs. The main hall was fall OF smoke and
seemingly muassabl' lie placed his wife aud
chd IN the dumbwaitcr leading TO the basement
ana lowered them down safely Then he
slId down the rop~ lis hand, were skinned
aud his face was burned slightly in the descent !
dhe upper part Of rhe elevator shaft was on
fire and sparks fell down into the dumhwait,r !
Mrs. Scidcnhcrgs hair was siuecd, bat She was |
not injured.
THE DRATH-rRAP on THr Tor FLOOR.
The fourth story Of the house, Ike tho first /
floor. was vacant In The top story v,ie the family /
Of Mrs WoStal,c Harriet KIM. tho old col /
ored servant Of tho family wns NJ wor, in the
kitchen when tho fire started. hnt Mrs Wcstlakc .
and her children wcrc fast asleep in their rooms,
with the exception ~ Frederick who had begun |
70 dress himself Harriet King smclled smoke
and went about the fat. knocking ~ the doors
81 the rooms 70 inquire whore 'he smell cnmc
his room md snid he couldn't smell smoke lie
thought III" old colorcd woman must hn," boon
mistaken She oncnrd The door ~ thc elevator
door of tho main ha oncnc1 and moro smoke
was se"n Fr"d ric,- and Tie servant aroused
The ofh"r rouhcrs of tlo family.
Mrs WcNlake was stout woman md sho
elorf soundlv. Tho scrvan' shook hor ara
screamed fro. A. TINT time rhc entire fomlv
roof tl,rauoh H., scu,rl, hu' tr 10 cvc.tcmcnt
4 the moment tho Wa.tlalcs rcg-
'""fcd ~" opportunity Harriet King
went nm ihrourh tho ecut'I, md waited ~ thn
-oof for iime. scream No. f"r holm and cvnc"inq
hc f,rni'v - follow lcr. In the rooms below.
le WoS'lo)"s ran about In tho cTori 10 coloot
h"ir cloihin~ and % frd v.nv ~ cscano Tiral'v
hey op"ncd the windows and shouted for help
TaPrr Ar,rNs s~vr orr
Fircmcn were on the why ~ thc house. man
lad run 10 tho quarters - Enginc Company No
92 In Eichty-hrh-st., ncor 7h'rl-nvc.. and hnd
yivcn the alarm. From The door of tho engine
iouse the frcmcn coul SOC the burning fiat
lousc. thc smoke issuing from tho windows on
very floor. I'm loss than minute nftcr the
larm given the cu cine company went rnnillv D.
through the street. With Assistant Foreman QulrlJ
n command. As the frmcn ncarcd the burning
louse they saw the c0'or'l servant on The roof
nd the members Of tho Wc.ilal,e family at the y
windows Of tho top story Qurl, directed fire r
nan TO send ont third alarm. No truck company
'ith ladders long enough TO rcach the imprisoned 8
+ scrvic" In tho emergency. QuirI took ight )
calling ladder from the t"nlcr and started 10 c
limb up 10 the windows whore tlo family could
% seen making frantic motions Two or three y
ther mcmhcrs of the company followed him as
AR the third floor
lie kept on through the smoke catching hold Of
wlndowsl with the long iron Look Of the A
,dd"r at each story until he managed 10 reach
frederick Wcstlakc The young man got down
curing ont of the fourth-sory window in such L
olumc that Quirl, and Westlakc could not stay St
hc lfesaying not and held Il stretched below tho ii
indow Tn" assistant foreman ard young West N
Ike both jumped into 1t, bat rchoundcd and fell ~
II the sidewalk. From the third story the other -
rcmcn jumped into the net and escaped unhurt. y
THE OTHERS FORCED TO JUMP INTO rnf NET h
Miss Adelaide Wcstakc was seen cnging TO ~
windowsill at the top floor, with her feet dan A
ling In the air The net spread under her, II
nd the men shouted TO her to let herself drop.
laddcr had been set up against the wall undt
ie window. Miss Wcstlakc let go her hold and -,
H. She struck the ladder and injured her back :"
nforc She landed safely I'm the net. Then Chris
,phcr WestlalSc was induced to jump from
fth story window lie was caught by the fire
en- after he made the long lcap but he bounded r,
the sidewalk and hurt his hip. -,
The lower part OF Mrs WestIakc's body was =, u'
inglng out Of window and her head was en- H.
Hoped In hot smoke She hnd met her death nc
ON sunocation. but the lrcmcn did not know it. at,
hen truck company arriN ed with ladders brave by
'cmen climbed up through the smoke and tried
reach her. As they neared the fifth floor her >,
,dy fell from the ndowsill and crushed 'h
the pavement below. II was thought at the yc
oment that she had been killed by the fall. CO
body was carried into the rooms of the Sisters rel
St. Lawrence at No. 1,l3I Madison-ave., nnd ,o'
TO the same rooms were gathered for q time ~
e persons who had been injured. The Sisters U0
all In their power TO ease the suferngs of the ko