New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-16
THREE GIRLS SUFFOCATED,
FATAL FIRE IN A CIGAR-Box FACTORY.
FIREMEN WERE QUICKLY ON THE GROUND AND
SAVED SEVERAL. LIYEs-WHo is TO RI.AMEi

| FIREMEN WERE QUICKLY ON THE GROUND AND
| SAVED SEVERAL LIvEs-wHo is TO BLAMEi
Three lives were destroyed by a midday fire
| yesterday in the factory No. IT'S rlfth-st east
OF Avenue c.. because the building had been
converted into death trap. Brave firemen
who were auartered in the same block and barely
ZOO feet from the factory, promptly answered
call Tor help and made determined efforts to pre-
vent loss Of life The fire ladders easily reached
to the roof of the building. which was only
three stories high. and the inmates OF the factory
had warning of danger before the fremen ar
rived. yet three young women were penned up
and suifocated on the top floor.
Nichoas Althaus manufacturer of cigar
boxes has occupied the three stories above the
basement OF the building. and in his factory
were employed fifteen men and seven young
women The women worked in q front room on
the top floor and the only way to and from
that room was by flight of wooden stairs which
lea from the middle of the second story. An
outside stairway led to the rear portion of the
top story, but strong board partition, without
any opening, shut oil the front workroom from
the rear room. The building of the partition
mode The room IN which the young women worked
q dangerous place.
few minutes after IL q. m. yesterday an
overheated Journal started fire in the repair
shop Of Henry Haas wagonmaker in the base
ment of the factory. The flames spread rapidly
and quickly drove Althaus and his men out of
the first and second stories. When the alarm of
lire was given some Of the men shouted to the
young women in the top story to run for their
lives. Smoke had begun to roll up into their
worluoom through the opening in the floor. 1t
scared four Of the young women and they rushed
to the front windows instead of promptly run
ning down stairs Kate Farenkopf, Magge May
and Maggie Armstrtng. the youngest IN the group
lost no time in going down stairs and two Of
them went throu gh the smoke and out OF the
front door in safety Katie was choked so much
by the smoke on the second floor that she ran
TO front window and prepared TO jump out
by that time Hook and Ladder Company no. IL,
down the street. had heard OF the fire aud Fore
man Sullivan and his men were raising ladder
in front OF the factory. Sullivan. who is a
veteran life saver quickly ran up the ladder,
seized Katie in his arms and carried her down to
the sidewalk.
Meanwhile Lena Schmidt had made rush down
the stairway from the top floor after she had
cut her hands seriously in an attempt 10 get
out of n front window. The smoke blinded her
and she fell from the second story down the re-
manning stairway. Charles Althaus. son OF the
manufacturer had fingered IN the first story to
lock some books in the safe. and Lena fell sense
less at his feet lie dragged her TO the door
way and fremen carried her TO the street. She
revived in the open air, and after her wounds
had been bandaged In a neighborln6 Daroef-shop
she was takcn 20 ST Francis Hospital
Soon after Lena bad been rescued the fremen
knew that three other young women were IN
the burning factory, but the tames had spread
10 the top story and no man could live minute
inside the walls second alarm had Deen
sounded and frcmen were pouring streams ot
water into the building from the iront anu fear s
In less than half an hour the fire was OUT ano
Chief Shay lei some OF the hremen into the
ton story 20 search for bodies. The hrcmen soon
found the bodies OF three young women huddieu
toqrfhcr on the top iioOr near one OF the VIII
dow Fire had touched them lightly, as their
dresses had not been burned, and, aithougn
their faces and hands had been Redeemed by the
heat there was no dieqlIy IN laeas,yi"s '"e"
The nreuen placed the bodies on % long taDle
In the worluoom hole was cut througn .nc
board partition. and when he , Sear stair M
rived the bodies were carried down the re"r S'"'i
way 10 the courtyard. ,.. r..o,
One OF the dead women was Josephine Fhryn- t.
kOpi age twenty, sister OF Katie rarehkoPl rny g
was rescued by the hrenen. Inc sisters nau a
worked side by side pasting cigar boxes IN Ihe
factory They lived with the- parents at NO
0s Willcttst. Josephine's companions IN deitn
were Barbra Appel, and Lena Strauo' M Daluls ,..o
Anpei was eighteen years old and her home was
In the tenement house No. l n Ludlow.st Lena
Straub was uwenty.four years old ana nvea Win
her sister az No. Sic Fifth-st. News OF the iire
sent her sister 10 the factory before the bodies
were removed The sister was led away weeping
when She learned OF Lena's death.
A crowd followed The dead wagon to the
Union Market Police Station, where the
bodies were kept TO await ORDERS
from coroner and 90 he claimed by the relatives
An official investigation probably will fix the re-
sponsibity for the loss OF life. IL was SAID yes
tcrday that Coroner IIaney would hold the Inquest
in few days lie gave an order for the removal r.s
of the bodies 10 the homes OF the young womens
relatives One Of the girls who escaped from the
burning factory said that she heard Of fire IN
the building only few days ago
The loss of nroperty in the factory was not
great. Aithans's stock was damaged about $4,000
and Haas lost about $1,000 by, the fire. The h
building can be repaired by F. a. Sleghardt ., snc
was insured.