Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-02-03
ROASTED TO DEATH
Ten Persons Perish by Fire in
q Boston Tenement.
The SCENE A TERRIBLE ONE.
Many Injured by Lsaping from the Win
dows to the Pavement.

Sleeping Lodeers Aroused in Confusion.
Thcy Screamed and Prayed In Turns.
Thor Bodies Burned to q Crisp and
Could Not DO Observation-Disclosures Fire
Destroys the Sears Block.
Boston. Feb. S.-Shortly after mid
night the dwelling house, $50 and POL
North street. occupied by Maurice Ru-
bey's clothing store on the first floor
and by dodgers, chiefly Italian families,
on the three upper floors, was Quilted
by fire, which is supposed to have
originated in the store.
The flames speedily cut off escape by
the stairways. and the inmates Of the
building had no means Of saving their
lives except by jumping from windows.
Nine persons wore burned to death,
three were fatally hurt, and six wore
seriously, If not fatally, injured.
The Inmates BcwIldered.
Before the fire was discovered it had
reached the staircase and was feeding
upon the dry wooden stairs and rapidly
spreading toward the roof. The sleeping
dodgers were aroused in confusion, and
some were bewlldered and at once suoe
cumbed to the deadly smoke; others
attempted to fee down the burning
stairway and fell victims to the flames,
while still others leaped from the win
dows to meet death or mutila ton from
contact with the pavement.
shrieks and Prayers.
When the iremen arrived they
quickly extinguished the fire and res
cued those of the inmates who had
managed, by hanging out of the win
dows or taking refuge on the roof, to
escape the deadly smoke and flames.
The shrieks and prayers of the terrified
people were mingled with the cries and
groans Of the injured, and tho scene
was terrible one. In a few moments
however, tho imprisoned people had
been taken down the ladders, the in
jured removed to hospitals and the dead
to the station house.
Counting the Dead.
It was then found that 10 persons had
been burned to death. All of their
bodies were found huddled together on
the top floor, they having fed from the
lower rooms when they first discovered
the fire, the flames having already cut
off escape by tho stairway to the lower
floor. There appeared to be no means
OF escape from the upper floor, and the
helpless persons were thore overtaken
by the flames and literally roasted to
death.
After the firemen had extinguished
the fire, they made their way to the
scene Of death on the top floor. The
sight that met their eyes there
was a most sickening ono. The
dead bodies were recognizable as hui
man forms only by their shape, all of
them having been burned to crisp
None of them could be identified, and
list of the missing cannot yet be made
up.
Serious suspicious have been raised
that the fire was tn, sork OF incendi ia
ries. 1t is stated that when the treet
door was burst open, there was q strong
odor of kerosene oil. The police have
decided on a thorough investigation
and one Benjamin Simonds has
been arrested on suspicion. The base
ment was occupied in front by the cloth
ing store, and in the rear by Hamilda
Rouse and his son Felix. The second
floor was occupied by Lorenzo Bianco.
owner of three sons. On the third floor
lived Mrs. Philmomena Tunaso and
several dodgers. Mrs. Bella Scanlon
lived on the attic floor; also John Bas-
colt. Charles Bascalt, Nicolas Scholars,
Joseph Chotlaw and Mrs. Chotlaw.