The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-08-19
NINE BURNED TO DEATH
A Tenement House Horror in
New York City.
THE FATALLY RAPID FLAMES.
Fire Started in a Restaurant on the
Ground Floor.

At quarter of five o'clock this morn
ing nine persons were burned to death
and one badly injured by fire which de-
stroyed the fve-story brown stone tene-
ment house, No. 3o5 Seventh avenue, New
York. The following are those who met
their death:-William Glennon, aged
sixty; Nellie Geotham, aged twenty; Mary
Wales, aged thirty-one; Jane Wales, aged
four; Thomas Wales. aged two; Bertha
Susting, aged four; William Mckee, aged
forty-seven; James Jeffery, aged ffty-five,
and and an unknown woman aged about
forty-five
William Glenon, aged about eighteen,
was badly burned about the face and feet
and was taken to the New York Hos
pital.
The fire is now said to have been first
discovered in the rear of the first floor,
occupied by John Snyder as restau-
rant.
AS result of the calamity the Nine
teenth precinct station on West Thirtieth
street has been converted into temporary
charnel house, and nine charfed and
OAoOhCuCd ftCNtltS I6ll tQG SBOIY OI LILO
frightful disaster
HOW THE FLAMES SPREAD.
When the f1remen reached the building
it was ablaze from ground floor to roof.
In the street outside there was the widest
excitement. A crowd had quickly gath
cred, and many tenants, who had made
their escape previous in their night
clothing, stood among the throng weep
ing bitterly and almost frantic with
despair. The firemen did their work well
and in about fifteen minutes they had the
confiagration in hand, while in half an
hour all danger from further destruction
was over.
FINDING THE VICTIMS.
AT first it was thought that all the
tenants had escaped In safety, but a
rumor was spread that woman was
badly burned in one OF the rooms directly
over the restaurant. One of the ambu-
lance surgeons who had been called. but
whose name could not be learned,
clambered up ladder over the fire
escape and into the window, through
which dense clouds of smoke still poured.
He soon appeared at the window again
with woman in his arms and carried her
| bodily to the sidewalk below. Although
still alive she was unconscious, and died
| almost as she reached the street.
The firemen then began the work Of
| hunting for the dead in earnest. On the
| first floor in addition to the woman Nell
| lie Geoghan, twenty years old, there were
| found William Mckee, forty-nine years
| old, and William Glennon, sixty-five
| years old. They were both smothered in
their beds, and probably were not con-
! seious of the fire. -s>.----
| On the second floor lived the Wells
family, mother thirty-one years old and
her two children, Jane aged four, and
| Thomas, aged two years. They were all
found dead in bed together, the children
| being clasped in each others arms as if
| sleeping peacefully.
| On the third floor were found Bertha
| Lustig forty years old, and James Jefferey
| fifty-five years old. The former was dis
covered but few feet from the window
| in the front of the house and the latter in
bed in rear room. They were both
| dead.
| On the top floor was found the body of
an unknown man about forty-fve years
| old The body was considerably burned
and was blackened from head to foot.
All the bodies were taken in patrol
wagon to the Thirtieth street station
| house.
So far as at present known the only
! persons injured by the fire were two sous
| of William Glenmour. They were badly
| burned about the limbs and body and
| were taken to the New York hospital.
DOUBTFUL CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
The cause of the fire has not yet been
l
ever, it began in the restaurant of John
Snyder, on the ground floor.
| According to Snyder's story he was on
the sidewalk sweeping the fiagstoness
| when he saw blaze in the kitchen in the
rear of his place.
In the kitchen at the time were Walter
Brooks, the colored cook, and Joseph
Plunkitt, waiter. Snyder rushed back
into the restaurant and with the help OF
his employees tried to put out the IRE.
When he found this was impossible he
sent one of the men up stairs to alarm the
tenants The fire, however, had gained
such headway that this alarm did but
little good, and Snyder, becoming fright
ened, rung in an alarm from the box on
the street.
Both Snyder and his two men were ar
rested, and locked up on suspicion.
Brooks, the cook. said that the fire re-
suited from an overheated range, and
that the drum of the range took fire
first, and that it then communicated to
the woodwork about the kitchen.
Snyder's restaurant is said to have been
place of questionable character, and at
the police station this morning it was
openly alleged that Brooks, the cook, was
drunk when he was arrested.
The building is owned by Sire 81 Sons,
No. 1888 West Twenty-eighth street, and ii
is said that So, 600 will cover the loss on
the building, which Is insured.
Many of the tenants lost all they had.
Mr.. Sire, the senior partner of the firm
| which owned the building. said this
morning that he would furnish places for
all the tenants to live in free of charge
until the burned building is repaired and
again ready for occupancy.
| SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES.
Acting Captain Schmittberger, of the
Thirtieth street police station, said
'The circumstances under which the fire
occurred are, to say the least suspicious.
have questioned the three men separ-
ately and there are certain discrepancies
which they should be called upon to ex-
plain. Snyder has kept the place four or
live years and his reputation is none too
good. 1t was opened day and night and
occasionally some very lively scenes have
taken place in it.
"The colored cook, Brooks says that
they have not done much business lately.
Snyder had 81 900 insurance on his fix-
lures which, think, is more than they
are worth. The policy expires ON Septem-
Der "a, and, strange to say, he had the
policy in his pocket when arrested"
The Weather Bulletin.
| xr- .z.~,.-.ror N n Aruucf 10 1900 =