Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-02-21
KING FIRES VICTIMS.
Several People Burned to a Crisp
i'm a Boston Tenement.
Noble Work of Rescue By Citi-
zens and Firemen.

Nine strokes Of the fire bells thrice repeated
at eight minutes after midnight were the
death knell OF eleven human baings in Boston.
The sound OF the be.ls died away quickly,
leaving the city in silence, and almost in less
zine than it takes tc tell it the tragedy was
over.
The victims were residents OF the Italian
quarter Their abode was O three story
brick building at $50 and 2GI North street
The lower floor front of the house was
occupied by Morris RUBEN a dealer in
second hand clothing, and the fire started IN
this store.
The flames were bursting from the front Of
the building when they were discovered, and
while the apparatus was hurrying through
the narrow streets en- route to the scene
Policemen Wise, Sullivan and O Brien made
gallant efforts TO arouse the forty sleeping
inmates of the upper floors.
Wise sprang up the stairs shouting, Fire
Fire" at the top OF his voice. Every door
that he could see in the binding smoke he
struck and kicked, continuing all the time to
shout his warning cry, He reached the
third floor and traVersed that, but could go
no further. His escape was almost cut of.
He was compelled TO run down two flights OF
stairs grabbing, on his way, a child who
stood in the entry. When he reached the
his face was blistered and his hair and mus
tache singed. There he met the other pO-
Icernen, who had been doing their share OF
the work.
There was no other warming to the poor
creatures huddled like sheep in those small
rooms and men and women ran out into the
streets half clad.
The firemen's ladders rescued two men and
q woman from q third story window, and
Protective Department Man Eugene Cum
mings got on the roof and carried woman
across to the adjoining building in safety.
Of tn
the second floor and removed four badly
burned persons to the street. Others were
rescued while the work Of extinguishing the
fire was in progress. A few others jumped
in their frenzy from the windows. escaping
n most cases without serious HARM and run
ming away without intimatng that others
were yet within the burning building, SO
that it was not until after one o'clock that
the horrible truth was known.
The firemen who, with lanterns and a
chemical stream assembled the charred stair
way, knee deep in water, searching for any
remaining vestiges Of fame, came upon an
appalling spectacle in the large attic room.
Under one of the windows crouched
human form, burned to g. crisp almost, the
cinder-covered face bearing the evidences Of
the last agony and with the hands clasped as
it in prayer. In other parts Of that top
floor were seven more human forms,
recognizable only by their shape covered
with cinders and ashes, naked and disclosing
limbs. Seeing their escape from the floor
below cut off, these fated beings had rushed
blindly up to the large room and succunbed
in vain efforts to climb out through the sky
light
The spectacle appalled, even tho stout
hearted firemen, and the undertakers shud-
dered before beginning the work to which
they were at once summoned. The burned
bodies were taken to dance hall near by for
identification, and then occurred another
heartrending scene.
While it was in progress the bodies Of two
little children were found in the burned
building. One was hidden under bed and
was fearfully charred blackened and dis
torted by the flames.
The owner of the building is Lorenz Blargo.
AS to the origin of the fire there are various
stories, all of an ugly character. It was said
by citizens who were early at the scene that
odor of kerosene was very perceptible on the
stairway.
Another theory as to the cause Of the fire
is that it resulted from a kerosene lamp
thrown in a drunken row. Albert Smith,
who lived just in the rear Of the burned
building says that just before midnight
he heard a row in the back room Of the burned
house, and looking out saw three men quar-
reling. One man threw a lighted lamp at
another; the flames followed, and Smith
made haste to escape with his family. Partly
enptied rum bottles and broken packs Of
cards were found about the ruins.