The evening world., 1889-12-31
Thirty Harlem Homes
Fall Prey to a Day
break Fire.
RESCUED IN NIGHT CLOTHES.
Fat In a Bakers Fire Causes Over
$4,000 Damage.

Tearing through the street ut day
break this morning, his garments
scorched. smoking and hanging in shreds.
ran n bareheaded man, crying Fire." at
the top of his voice. and making for the
fire-alarm box at One Hundredth and
Eleventh street and Fourth avenue.
In thirty minutes thereafter thirty fami-
lies, reused by the b~lood-curdling cry,
were shivering on Madison avenue watch
ing the swift destruction of all their pos
sessions by the fire fiend.
By good fortune, almost tantamount to
a miracle, every one escaped the seething
flames. but saved nothing but the scanty
garments, hastily snatched by the half
awakened thoroughly dazed men. women
and children. who clambered down the
slender fre-escapes in the rear of the
apartment-house. 1868 Madison n
Had the fire broken out even an hour
earlier there is no doubt a terrible catas-
trophe woul,. have resulted, as it would
have been an imp~ossibility to arouse the
inmates of the block in season to effect
their escape.
Adam Grok, employed by Baker John
Williams, whose shop is i'll the basement
of 1868 Madison avenue, placed q large
fore 6 o'clock. Then lie dumped a big
pile of crullers into the fat, and turned
TO attend to some other work.
lie had hardly turned his back when in
some unaccountable way the big pan of
fat overturned. aud in an instant the
whole basement was ablaze.
Grok saw there was no chance to
e,,nfhar fhn Han,ng ca no nNuHa a HnCh for
the cellar stairs. He cleared them with
one hound. aud a minute later WAS rush
ing through the house yelling Fire !" at
the top of his voice.
Having aroused the sleeping tenants ON
the four floors of the house. Grok rushed
opened the cellar door q binding fash of
flame struck him and he fell headlong to
the bottom of the cellar.
He scrambled back again and sue
ceeded in escaping. His arms and breast
were badly burned and II big blister was
raised on his nose. His shirt was scorched
and burning as he fed to the street and
ran to the tire-alarm box ut One Hundred
and Eleventh street and Fourth avenue
to give the alarm.
The flames rushed through the cellar
door with the rapidity of n whIrlwind.
They.gained entrance TO the air-shait and
mounted to the roof in a solid column.
Inc Jtuhulb. WIN "tlc utSCOIuiuB lut
stairs, were driven back by the fire and
smoke into their apartments.
They ran TO the rear fire escapes. There
were no ladders to descend from, aud
entrance was forced into No. 1861, next
door.
Meantime DR.. A. j. Fitzgerald, of No.
1868, Just across the street, had opened
his window and was yelling fire" at
the top of his voice. A quickly gathered
crowd of citizens echoed the alarm. They
were powerless to aid. however, and. by
the time the tiremen arrived the building
wal a roaring mass OF flames.
The fire quickly communicated to No.
1861, and the occupants of that house
were sent scurrvirg out in double quick
time. Carl Heintz, an old man and an
invalid. was carried out by his son and u
citizen.
Mrs. solomon, who lives opposite Mr..
Heiutz on the second floor of No. 1861,
was left behind in the rush, and was
almost forgotten.
Roundsman Charles S. Baker, of the
T~wenty-nlnth Precinct. learning that she
was still in her apartments, rushed in,
and a moment later carried the woman
ont in his arms. She was nearly sutfo-
Gated. She is seventy-two years old.
Or. Fitzgerald took her in and attended
her.
All the tenants of the two houses we're
out by that time, and not one of them
succeeded in saving more han the few
bits of clothing which were hurriedly
They were taken into n~eighboriug
houses and cared for by kindly citizens.
Many had narrow escapes from al
awful death. Mrs. Williams, wife of the
baker, who lives on the second floor Just
over the store, was awake and dressed
when she heard Grok yell Fire" She
seized a blanket and rushed downs airs
lust in time to see Grok emerging from
the fiery cellar.
He yelled to her TO get out. and she
went out the front door, the only person
In the house who did SO.
fat on the third floor, WAS awakened by
the plaintiye cries of n pct mocking-hird.
He saw flames coming through the mir
shaft, and hurried his wife and children
back to the tire-escRpe. He believes the
mocking- bird saved his life.
Mrs. Louisa Shears, who occupied the
top floor of No. 1861, with her daughter,
woke To find the flames breaking into her
rooms from the next house. She became
dazed aud frightened, and remembers
staggering ont into the hall. where some
one pushed her downstairs.
Then she tainted. Hnh her brother-in-
law, William Carr, came along aud helped
Mrs. j. Stewart. who occupies the other
half Of tho top floor of No. 1861, with her
husband. her sister. Mrs Mcmahon, and
baby daughter, was awakened 10y the heat
OF the flames, which were coming IN
through the air-shAft and licking tho head
Of her oed. She screamed and. threw 2
blanket over her baby. Her husband