New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-06
FlREMEN'S FATAL MISTAKE.
FOUR PERSONS PERISH IN TENEMENT HOUSE
FLAMES.
EITHER THE SIGNALS WERE WRONG Or WERE
misunderstood AND THE HOOK AND
LADDER COMPANY STARTED IN
THE WRONG DIRECTION

THE WRONG DIRECTION.
Four persons persisted in a fire early yesterday
morning in the five story brick tenementhouse at
Hudson and Dominick sts. It is asserted that no
lives would have BEEN lost but for the mistake
made at the quarters of Hook aud Ladder No s
In North Moorest. When Officer John McGrath dis
covered the flames, he sent in the alarm from box
No. 1872 but at the Hook and Ladder quarters the
signal was in some unaccounable way understood TO
be box No. So. at Jay and Washington SITS. The
trnck had gone two blocks In the opposite direction
before 1t was stopped and turned about
On arriving at the burning building the hremen
found that the flames had made rapid progress, but
nearly all Of the inmates had made their exit by the
fire escape. -Four never found their way out, and
died from sufocaton. Their names are:
MURPHY, Mrs. Annie, 80 years old wife Of Matthew
Murphy.
RYAN, Josephine, years old Mrs. Murphy's niece.
DUNN, Kate, 23 years old. dressmsker.
IoUHEY, john years old Mrs Murphy's 500 BY a
previous marriage; died in s. Vncents Hospital soon
after being taken from the building
I'D 10 the time Of the arrival Of the tary hook and
ladder truck IT was supposed that ono was out
Of the building and that the flames were confined 70
the lower part Of the house the Dominckst side
When the hook and ladder company arrived Matthew
Murphy. q fireman. jumped from the truck shouting
wildly, Great God, it's my house MY wife ana hy
children Where are they
With one jump he reached the end Of the swinging
ladder and then leaped up ladder after ladder TO a
fifth door. Finding the windows Of the rooms occu-
pied his family closed he smashed in the sash ana
made his way through the sitting smoke to his wie's
bedroom. Another fireman named McLewee followed
few moments later. and found Murphy kneelng over
the dead body OF his WIFE while by were his two
stepsons. John and Martin. Cropping about in the
darkness and the smoke they found the bhckened
form OF little Josephine Ryan. the dead wonans niece
and In the hallway at the foot Of ladder leading TO
the roof was the body OF Kate Dunn Her hands were
clasped about the rng Of the ladder. and she had evil
IDENTIFY been overcome while trying TO pull herself up
TO safety on the roof.
When she started for the ladder she had forgotten
to shut the door to the Murphy 14t. The smoke hot
end scorching had poured IN and overcome the others
before they could reach the Window while the men
boarders in the adjoining room, the door OF which was
| shut, were making their way down the hreescepe
wholly unconscious OF the peril Of the family. The
three eless bodies were carried down the freescape
and the two little boys were placed in the care Oh
| Dr. T. c. Fnnel the only physician who could De
found. Calls had been sent 70 st NiiCents hOspite
| for ambulances but II was than an hour later
when one appeared John, the younger OF the tWo
| The other, Martin, it was thought, would prooaniy
| recover though he was badly burned.
| Murphy had been married less than month. MIS-
Nuruby was the widow OF Policeman Touhey, who died
| SIX years ago. Mr.. and Mrs Murphy were dissatis
fed with their homo IN the Hutsonst tenement, and
| had made arrangements 70 move 10 other rOohis III
| PerTy-st. to-day. $1,000 =,
| The damage By the fire is less than $1,000 II
o-tnated in one OF the EoodroOms IN the cellar, and
| Is believed to have been of incerdiary origin.