New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-28
MANY LOWERED BY A ROPE.
THE FIRE-ESCAPE OF A BURNING BUILDING
WAS BLOCKADED.
ryo MEN BY THEIR GOODNESS AND DHA'A"'
RESCUE SEVERAL FAMILIES fho"
FLAT.HoUsE-THE Loss 100000


p Gehrng has a bakery at No 1850 Eighth
ave The ovens are in the cellar anu MS s.o'e
,s on the ground floor. Tie bakers nao nhiSheu
their nights work at 40 a. M. yesterday, o"hAcu
The fires closed everything up tlgh' anu 'ecn ou0
of the shop about fifteen minutes wien oHoe-
man McArdle heard slight explosion "hich was
followed by puff of smoke IRON 'u' '""' 'n"P'
r1,o ,,oliccman ran 10 send ont an alarm, and In
The meantime the smoke hew 'uP o'o q" quo =
:, ,ha anar,ments above No. $500 and NO.
so r;abtb.avc are fve-story fats, and there
Is only one entrance, that at No. 2,oos, Tor The
,w,. build;ncs The tenants of No. 1850 are
William Morrison John Grieg, J. NJ. Hovey Daniel
poss,er James McCord, James Prim, Henry
Tbompson and their families, and the tenants OF
No 2.55s are Eli Partridge, George McGuire.
Jobn Reese. Samuel Fisher and Peter Smith and
tbeir families The flames made one great leap
an the air-shaft from the cellar TO the roof, and
before the fire had appeared on the first floor IT
vas raging fiercely in the top story and roof.
The tenants were nearly all panic-stricken, and
rushed wildly through theft rooms, up and down
,he halls. carving their children. seeking place
of safety. The two families living on the top
floor barely had time TO get out on the roof
and escape TO the adjoining buildings. 1hosc
who started TO go. out by. the narrow stairway
were driven back by the flames. There are lire
escapes at the rear of Inc building, and when the
frightened people thought of these, they az
made dash for them at once. The idea OF
sef-preseFvation was uppermost In their mlnos
and they got in one another's way on the narrow
fire escapes SO that one could get down.
There would certainly have been some loss OF
life if il had not been for the coolncss OF MI
Rossler who is conductor OF the SNth-aVe
elevated road He saw long ago that in case OF
FIRE the fre-escapes would be insufficient TO get
the tenants out i'll hurry. and for the safetV
of his own family provided a heavy rope Which
he kept lying under his bed. When he saw the
blockade on the fire-escape. he lowered Ills
wife and two children 10 the yard
and he and Mr. Hovey went to the rescue OF the
others They tied the rope around the children
and women and landed them all safely. Before
thev had got them down the flames had spread
through the entire building. and were close upon
them Rossler who was nearly exhausted hy his
efforts. tied the rope around himself and iiovey
started TO lower him. Rosser had gone but
short distance when the rope broke. ana he fel
Uovey was the last 10 leave the house lie
LEI ont more rope, and the fire followed him out
Of the window a. le came down the rope. The
rome burned away where il was fastened Just as
Hovev landed safely on the ground Nothing
was left of the fiat-hOuses but the walls. ! ne
fire also spread TO No. 2. .562. and burned out the
Ton floor The fremen had hard work 20 Keep
Che fire from spreading through the entire blocN
OF fats and three alarms and several special calls
for engines were sent out.
Edward Weiss who lived on the ton moor oi
No 2.5G2, said that there were TWO 1lsmonu n
rings on a book in his room when he left the
house and when he returned they were gone
Tie buildings are owned bv the New-Nork Build
inc and Improvement Company. and the damage is
$40 ono which is said TO be fully covered by
insurance.