New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-26
MANY LIVES IN PERIL.
AN ATTEMPT TO BURN TENE,IENT-HoUsE.
THE STAIRS SOAKED WITH KEROSENE AND
THE BUILDING SET ON FIRE-THE
MISCREANT NOT FOUND


Few inmates of the five-story house No. i20
Eldridge-st. had been awake long enough TO dress
themselves at a. m. yesterday when flames began
to run up stairs from the cellar Some OF them.
scared by the smoke and by a suspicious smell Of
Kerosene, left their rooms in time TO escape down
stairs to the street. They found the way slippery
with the dangerous oil which had been poured
out freely by somebody from the top to the bottom
OF the house. As soon as the fire got a start in
the lower hail. it ran up the oily starways at
hgntnlng speed, cutting off that way Of escape
ehtreY. The stairs. arranged in crooked fights,
were IN the middle Of the house. which was so
SWALLOW that there were only four rooms on each
uoor' Most of the rooms were sublet furnished to
unmarried women
THE ESCAPE OF THE INMATES.
Louis Ehrlloh, who lately held lease of the
mouse and owned most Of the furniture in IT, took
nus wlfe and baby from the rooms on the second
noor and saved most of the family clothing They
were In the street. fully dressed, before the other
inmates of the house had time TO escape Francis
Miller and his wife, who also lived on the second
moor, climbed out of front window and walked
on the cornice over Wah Songs laundry to the
house next door Elizabeth Wright and her room
mate, Elizabeth Devine escaped down stairs from
Emma Casey Mary Casey and Catharine Wood
ran down from the top floor and out OF the front
door Just as the flames got into the hall from the
cellar. John Bergman and his wife. from the
fourth floor, were just behind them and were the
last persons TO escape that way. Emma Casey
slipped in little pool Of kerosene on the third
story landing. and fell down one flight of stairs.
Iessle fannon jumped from rear window OF the
third story and struck her forehead against the
stone tagging of the yard where she fell. She
was lnSensible when she was picked up and carried
10 the GouVerneur Hospital, and il was believed
That her skull was fractured. Charles McNally,
who dd not live in the house, let himself down
part OF the way from rear window 20 the ground
and hung at the end OF a rope yelling for helm
when the firemen arrived with ladder The fire
men rescued the remaining women in the house by
the ladders. as there were no fire-escapcs on the
house.
After the flremen had got TO work. Foreman
George Cusick and his men, of Engine No. 25.
fought the flames out OF the hall and up the
stairs At the third floor Cusck missed his
iooting, AMI fell back down two flights. He was
hurt so seriously that the police sent him 20 the
hospital The house was badly damaged before
the flames were under control. George KOcher,
the owner Of the house, lives next door. He
said his loss probably was So, 600, and the house
was insured for $1,000.
INVESTIGATIONS BY THE POLICE
The police called Fire Marshal Mitchell 10 the
house when the talk OF arson filed the neiehhor-
hood. Emma Casey. Elizabeth Wright and the
Millers went TO the police station in the next
block, and were questioned closely by Mr. Mii-
chell. The young women told about tbcir eX-
periencc with kerosene on the stairs, and there
was plenty OF evidence about the rapid spread
Of the fire. Miller and his wife said they had
bought the lease and the furniture in the house
from Ebrlich for $3.50, paying $500 down and
promising 10 pay the remaining $50 on March 1.
They understood that Ehrlich had the furniture
insured for 81 200, but he had not transferred
the insurance 10 them. Other inmates OF tho
house said that Ehrlich had talked OF taking
ms family 20 Europe soon. Ehrlich refused 20
mDt about his insurance 20 the Insurance ntro-
man at the house after the fire. lie and Miller
had quarrel about the insurance In o neghbor-
ing beer shop, and Ehriich said he had not sold
the insurance % Miller.
Wnh Song, the Clinaman who kept the laundry
on the first floor, lost about 81 90, nnd nobody
could tell II he was insured The Office OF the
Penny Provident Fund on the same floor was
damaged 10 the same extent. Michael Mullen,
a plumber, who had shop in the ceag lost
about s50 by the fire The flames started in q
wash-room adjoining Mullens shop The young
women who occupied rooms In the house lost
nearly oil tier clothing, and had no insurance.
NO arrest had been made last evening