The evening world., 1891-07-15
Sixteen Families Penntd In In q Burn
INK Brooklyn Tenement.
Two Children Burned to Death and
Many People Hurt.
Panic-Stricken People Fall from
Windows and Escapes.

Two little girls were roasted TO death in q
tenement-house fire-trap In Brooklyn during
the first hour OF this morning. Four grown
people sustained very serious injuries In the
same fire. The scene was In the house num-
bered 2es and 27O state street.
The injured persons were hurt In jumping
from windows and in falling from the fire
escape while fleeing from the fire, which
caused a panic among the sixteen families
living in the tenements.
Following is a list of the casualties:
THE DEAD.
MAGGIE F. BISHOP, three years old. daughter of
the janitor of No 2Gs Burned to a crisp.
MAGGIE MCCARTHY, three years aud seven
months old. sufocAted.
THE INJURED.
MRs MARY A. BISHOP. sixty years old, JSnitor
Bishops mother. Contusions Of limbs
Mrs. BERTHA FOLEY, thirty-one years old. Frao-
tured shoulder. Brooklyn Hospital.
BRIDGET BnoHALL, sixty years old. LacerAted
wound of scalp and serious internal Injuries. St.
Peters Hospital.
Mrs. Bertha Foley, who is thirty-one years
old, was in a delicate condition, and was
dropped from the second story to the ground.
She was removed to the hospital In an ambu-
lance.
How the FIRE originated is mystery. The
police are busily Investigating, on the theory
that 1t was OF incendiary origin.
OUTBREAK oF THR PIRR.
1t was just midnight when Policeman
Tuomey, OF the Adams street station, discov-
cred the tenements to be on fire.
He Immediately turned in an alarm from
Z the box on the corner OF Court street, and
then ran to the house.
The fire was in the cellar of No. 26s, and
the smoke had poured up the air-shaft, NIL.
ing the halls. The tenants were awakene
nearly sufIocated by the smoke, and panic
ensued.
Almost before the people were awake the
flames had eaten their way up through the
airshaft, and were making headway into the
apartments on the upper floors.
PANIC-sTRICKEN TENANTS.
There were sixteen families, comprising
more than eighty men, women and children
In the buildings, and only few had time to
put on any OF their clothing.
The terrified people rushed to the Railways
in an effort to reach the stairs, but were
driven back by the flames and smoke.
There are no fire-escapes on the front Of the
house, and there was mad rush for the rear
windows, from which could be reached the
little iron ladders attached TO the rear OF the
building.
The scene was one OF utter confusion. The
tenants swarmed out on the nre-escapes II
their night clothing. Those on the lower
floors were trembling and terror-stricken ant
consequently made slow progress in getting
to the ground.
Those who were imprisoned above called
piteously for help. Men swore womeI
screamed, and the cries OF children added u
the general excitement.
LEAPED FROM A WINDOW.
Mrs. Bridget Birchall, who is sixty year,
old, lived with her daughter and son-in-laN
on the second floor OF No. 270. She cried II
her son-in-law to save her.
The young man caught her about the waist
intending TO pass her out OF the window: bu
she was half crazed, and breaking away from
him she jumped through the window TO thu
ground. Her head was badly injured.
PRSNED IN ON THE TOP FLOOR.
The story OF the experience OF Janito
Bishop, whose family was imprisoned on tht
top floor is dramatic.
81 was asleep In the bedroom in the middle
OF the fat" he says, "when was awakened
by a choking sensation.
al awakened my wife. One OF the children
o. the one who was burned TO death--wa
screaming, and shouted to my mother anC
the other child.
"Then ] rushed to the front OF the hous
and saw that the flames had already reached
the window.
"A window was open IN the air-shaft, and
tried to close II. ! was gaSping for breath
and inadvertently took IN n mOuthful OF no
air ] lost consciousness for a few seconds
and when / came to / found myself on tn
floor.
~ then went back to the front room, but 1
was like a seGthing furnace.
COULD NOT FIND THE BABY.
al gropcd around for the baby, but coul
not find her.
"I went into the bedroom again, but coul
not hear the little one. The bed was on tn
moor and was ablaze.
al felt underneath It, but did not ind her
, al could not stand It any longer and wen
TO the roof and escaped by dropping TO tn
roof OF the next house.
AGED MRS. BISHOPS DESPERATE JUMP.
"Meantime my mother had gone down tn
flre-escape"
Mrs Bishop went down as far as the seconr
floor, and then became so excited that sh
jumped TO the ground. She was badl,
bruised.
The terrified peoples screams for help wer
heard several blocks away, and large crow
had gathered In front OF the blazing building
when the hremen arrived.
william Foley lived with his wife and tw
children on the upper side OF the second moo
OF No. 26s.
He was awakened by the cries OF the peOpl
outside, and after rousing his wife he went L
the alr-shatt. The glass window was at tina
moment broken by pun OF fiame
bertha, are you coming7 " he asked hi
wife.
"No; l am powerless," she replied, stand
ing In the doorway, overcome by fear Fole
carried her 10 the hallway and attempted I
mass down the stairway.
HUSBAND AND WIFE FRLL TOGETHER.
Smoke and flame drove them back. The
he went TO the rear window and, calling 10
man who stood below passed his two childre
down IN safety.
Foley got out OF the window and hung I
the sill by his hands. His wife climbed ou
and attempted TO pass over him, but tn
weight was too heavy ana they both fe