The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-08
FOUR PERISH.
Thrilling Scenes at New York Tene'
ment House Fire.

menC f1OuSC fIrc.
Terrible scenes were enacted on recsnt
morning in the Hebrew district of New
York City. In fire that consumed the five
story tenement on the southwest corner OF
Allen and Hester streets, three of family
of six, father and two daughters, psrished
miserably.
OF the fifty-one persons in the house, seven
lie dead or MANNED. This is the list of ths
dead:
Barnett Tartar, fifty-six years old, Polish
Jew, tailor by trade, burned to death. Sarah
his oldest daughter. nineteen years Old,
burned to death. Betsy, the youngest dau yh-
ter, aged thirteen years, burned to death.
Philip Elschisky, aged thirty-four sufocatei.
The tenants, Hebrew tailors, with their
families, reused suddenly to confront death
in its most terrible form, swarmsd down the
fire escapes on both sides OF the building,
shrie.Sins AMI wailiny as they called their
lost ones
Ladders were thrown up hastily to hslp
them down, but soma, in the confusion and
smoke, missed both wool and iron lad.
ders.
The iron run5s of the fire escapes were
turning white with heat when Max Gold
stein reached for them from the third floor
and recoiled in despair.
He stool in window holding his tarss
little children in his arms.
From the street the police YELLED to him to
throw them down. He threw first one.
Moses. aged five years. and Policeman Reyer
caught the boy Rose, the baby, 115 years
old, was caught next in the arms Of Police
man Weiss.
Abraham, three years old, followed 50
quickly that though the policemen broke
&c Fon Ia 70 tch Ha
fell heavily ON the pavement, and was picked
up senseleSs, injured internally. The fa3her
himself jumped after and escaped unhurt.
The building was Quilted, and the tenants
lost their all. In the fifth story, next to the
roof, the firemen found Barnett Tartar aud
his two daughters dead.
They found him kneeling at the window
overlooking Allen street. with both hands on
the SILL as though he had fallen, over.
whelnled by the flames, on the very threshold
Of escape
His venerable beard was burned off, Under
him, where shs had crept up close, in the
hour Of death, was the body Of his youngest
daughter and pet child, little Bessie.
Over by the bed at the other side Of the
room they found the body Of Sarah wrapped
in blanket All had been burned and
smothered to death.
Harry, the oldest son, was already on the
steps hastily arrayed in such clothing as
came to hand, when be thought Of his mother
and ran back in the house.
He seized her and bore her down all tho
the way to the bottom, the little brother
Abraham clinging to his coat tails
and the mothers skirt. Flames
leaped from the windows as be
passed story after story, scorching his hair
and hands, and catching in his mothers
clothing and in the boy's but he bore her on
until be stood upon the sidewalk with his
burden saved, but almost at the cost Of his
life
Toe arm that held his mother was terribly
burned, and his mother scorched almost
from head to foot She was carried away in
the ambulance with all speed, but tho sur
geons had no hope of saving her.
Upon the fourth floor lived the family of
Mariana Riviello, Italians. AL others in the
house were Hebrews. The firemen had gained
the windows on their ladders and helped the
man and his little daughter Bessie out, when
tho girl suddenly stopped and stepped back
into the smoke. In there was death. The
firemen on the ladder knew it, and, stepping
over the sill, climbed after.
Come back" he shouted. "Come back,
this wayn and groped his way across the
room in the direction the child had gone.
Half way across he came upon her, gasping,
nearly smothcred, dragging dolls trunk
over the floor.
II could not leave it." she said to the fire.
man, thrusting it at him as he seized her.
'My mother"
The fireman flung the box through tho
window as he took the girl down. 1t fell
crashing on the sidewalk, and busting open
revealed no doll or finery, but the deed for
her dead mothers grave. Little Bessie had
not FORGOTTEN it. despite her thirteen years.