Evening journal., 1889-08-20
BURNED AND SMOTHERED
A Tenement House Horror in
New York.
NINE PERSONS TAKEN OUT DEAD.

John j. snyder Under Arrest.
NEW YORK, Aug. 2O.-The most frightful
fire, entailing loss of life, which New York
has known in a year, occurred at No. 305
Seventh avenue, just above Twenty
street. The fire was Of brief duration but
at its close nine charred and blackened
bodies were carried from the death trap
Five other victims whose injuries may prove
fatal lie at the New York hospital. A list
Of the killed and injured is given below;
The Killed and Injured.
Glennon, William, 90 years old, burned to
death
McGeoghegan, Nellie, 20 years old, smoth.
cred.
Wales Mary, 81 years, smothered.
Wales Jane, years smothered.
Wales, Thomas, ? years, smothered.
Lustig, Bertha, 40 years. burned TO death.
McKie, William. A years. burned to death. |
Jeffreys Jane, e5 years, smothered.
Lyons, Annie, 40 years, burned.
Glennon, William, Jr., terribly burned
about the face and chest
Glennon, John, burned about the body
There were several others who were burned
quite severely, but not sufficiently to need
hospital treatment.
The Fire Escapes Were Fire Traps.
The house burned was one of dozen
brown stone Ave story buildings. The lower
floors of these buildings were used as stores
and the apartments overhead as tenements.
They are all double tenements, and contain
from twelve to fourteen families in each
The fire originated ON the first floor of 305,
which is an all night restaurant kept by
John J. Snyder. 1t started in Snyders
kitchen at the rear of the restaurant, and it
looks now very much as if it were the work
of an incendiary although possibly it may
have been the result of culpable carelessness.
| So far as the police have investigated they
seem satisfied it was not an accidental fire.
The building has ON both front and rear
what were supposed to be fire escapes on
every floor but which now prove to have
been fire traps They were not connected
with ladders as the law requires while the
frail iron balconies which took the place Of
fire escapes had wooden 1oorings, which were
burned away before the tenants in the rear
of the house were fairly awake.
The Scenes Were Heartrending.
BY the time the fire alarm was sounded the
building was afame. The scenes were heart
rending in the extreme All the inmates
were in their night clothing and rushed
frantioally about trying to escape from a
frightful death. Many were successful by
fleeing TO the attic and escaping through the
skylight and roof to adjoining buildings,
where they were taken in and cared for.
Young William Glennon, Jr, and his brother
John succeeded in rescuing their mother and
saving themselves but the husband and
father pelished The boys tried hard to save
both parents, but the old man soon became
unconscious from the sitting smoke. They
then dragged, pushed, lifted and carried
their mother up the stairway on to the roof
and to a neighboring house Both were ter
ribly burned and William, it is thought, will
die
She Died with Her Children.
Frank Wales and his family, cons isting Of
his wife and four children, lived on the sec
ond floor above the restaurant. Mary, the
wife; Jenny and Tommy, aged and re-
spectively, persisted, and their charred bodies
are now in the station house. Wales seized
two other of his children and got out Of the
burning building; how he does not know.
The youngsters were almost naked and ran
: about the streets crying bitterly for their
mother Wales was considerably burned
and was wild with grief He said he sup
posed his wife and the two little ones would
: follow him, he showing the way. When a
place of safety was reached he turned round,
expecting to see her and the babes, 1t was
then impossible to go back into the building,
which was burning like a furnace When
: Mrs. Mary Wales's body was found later
on the body Of the brave woman was in a
crouching posture in a corner, the little
ones in front Of her, and she bending over
as if to shield them. She had succeeded to a
certain extent, for her body had protected
them from burning to a crisp.
other Narrow Escapes.
An occupant Of the first floor was French
family named Cloder, which consisted of hi'
wife and four small children. They escaped
with their lives, but it was close cali They
got out on their window ledge, but could moi
. reach the ground because there was no lad
1 der connected with it. In the adjoining tene
ment, on the same door, lives Thomas Nc
Dermott, who has a grocery store on th'
u floor below. He was awakened by a blazl
caused from his awning catching fire. H.
} jumped to the window, saw the Cloder fami
ly helpless and acted promptly. Stretching
out his hands the little ones We're passed {
= him, then the wife stepped, and finally th
husband escaped. They lost all their posses
sions, save the night clothes worn, but were
thankful to escape with their lives The.
were slightly burned.
! A Brave Surgeons Deed.
!, Mrs Jane Jeffery lived on the third foo
2 with Nellie McGeoghan. The old lady wa
rs horribly mutilated, but Miss McGeoghan no
g so badly. As soon as an ambulance arrive
W from the New York hospital the pluck
Vt young surgeon darted up stairs He foun
W the young woman and thought he detecte
Is faint signs of life. He lifted her up tenderly
carried her down TO the street and worke
4 hard and faithfully over her for some time
His efforts were fruitless and her lifeles
body, with that of her companion, Mrs Je
, ferry, were sent to the station.
Fortunately there were several suites @
Z rooms in the rear Of the building unoccupiec
n for if they had been the loss of life woul
% have been much greater. When Capt Croke
arrived with his firemen and Engine No.
+ they found it impossible TO attach hose
hydrant in front of the building, althoug
y they were there within five minutes after IL
=, - fire broke out.
n Agonized Faces at the Windows.
Smoke poured from every window bot
- front and rear of the building. At first M
a face could be seen, but as soon as the wat,
~ was poured on several agonized faces a
peared for a moment, only to disappear fro
view forever. The fire was confined to n
sos and was under control in fifteen minute
Although it smoked and slnouldered for son
time after that, it did not deter the frems
and policemen from entering to remove Il
, bodies of the victims. The building was e
tirely Quilted and the occupants rescued 10
mn.