New-York tribune., 1891-02-22
SIX WERE BURNED TO DEATH
MANY NOPE RESCUED FROM A BLAZING
BUILDING.
BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN STARTED

BY ANINCENDIARY.

in the death of six persons. The house was the
five-story double brick iat-house Nos. l29 and l3l
Sands-st The building occupied by thirty.
two families who are left destitute by the de-
struction of their homes. The fire started about
Z 80 D. M from some unknown cause in the cellar
of No 100. Before the flames were discovered
they had reached the dumb-water shaft in tho
middle of No. 1919 and almost Immediately rose to
the roof
Three alarms of fire were at once sent out bus
before an entrance could be made to the building
the fire had cut off all escape to the ground by
means OF the staircase. The whole front oil the
building was covered with fire-escapes and most
of the tenants came out upon them and were
taken down on the ladders which the hremen
raised TO the iron balconies.
The fire did not extend to the second building
until the upper floors were reached, and none OF
the tenants in that haa,i of the double Hat lost
anything more than ,heir goods. Each half
had eight apartments on each hoof, Desiues INC
stores on the ground floor.
Among the tenants on the fourth floor was
John +. Dorney, printer. With him lived his
wife Margaret Dorney their four children.
his wife's sister, Julia Griffin, and her aunt Miss
Margaret Griffin, sixty year Old Dorney was away,
but all the rest of the family were at home
When they found that they could not make
their escape down the stairs they rushed to the
roof of No. l29, in spite of tie fact that the
flames were coming up all around them.
On the way up Miss Griffin said to Julia Grihin,
who had two of the children, that she would turn
back to help Mrs. Dorney, who, with the two
others was behind. She did 50 and was not seen
again until her dead body was found, together
with that of Mrs. Dorney and one of the children
at the foot of the staircase leading to the rooi.
.Iulia Griffin and the two other children reached
! the Roof in safety, and by Crossing over they "eho
down through tie scuttlc Of No. l3l. Ohc OF tho
| children that was with Mrs Dorney escaped to
the roof. but was 50 badly burned that his Dttie
liecless body was found stretched on the sKyllgns
on the roof
On tle third fpoi lived Carl Benedict, and his
wife an eightccn-m0nths-Old child, ard JACOB
Tcnedjct. the father Of Carl They. too. attempted
to os.apc by the roof. bat the grandfather ana
his little grandson were overcome at the ioot OIL
the fatal stairway and were found beside 'hs
two women and the cild -,
The names Of the killed are as foi-
lows: Jacob Benedict. seventy years old; Edward
Benedict, his grandson. eighteen months od' Aiiss
NIarraret Gnillhi SIXTY years old; Mrs Margaret
Dorrey. twenty-five years old; Daniel
Dorrey. eight years old, lthe boy iouhd
On the roof. and Minnie Dorney, four
years old.
All the bodies were taken to the morgue af'er
being identified Some of them were burned al
most beyond recognition. DIR. +. III. Ross. who
,ived directly across the street, had several
natients in the building He went In, and WIN
tho helm Of the neighbors took several of them I'd
! his house where he cared for them. All oil ths
! inmates. except those mentioned were gotten ous
| in safety. rs soon as tie hremeh ar
, rived. Truck No. 3 was put up, ana
Charles Ricket, John Silk and Robert McNiernan
climbed the ladder aud brought down many oil inc
tenants. who had crowded to the hfe-escapes a'
the front of the building. II Is probable thae
there were more than 200 people III the Two
houses Several of the tenants were lhVahds'
Robert King who lived on the iourlh noori
was among those who were unable to move ana
had to be carried out. T. }. McAleer, consump-
rive. was also taken down the ladder with greas
difficulty.
The building was a tenemcnt-hOuse better than
the average in that part of TIE city. II belon!ed
to Ernest Won Au, the confectioncr of Henry and
| Niddayh Sis The roof of both buildings was
entirely burned away, ana the upper three floors
of No. l.9 were completely ruined The loss
is estimated a; abdit $4,000. The people VINO
were turncd ont ot their homes wcIr provided ior
| Is best they conld be by the neighbors, who did
All in their power t. relieve their distress
The fire Was under control in about an hour
but il was a long time before the hremen were
able to effect an entrance to the upper
floors to recover the bodies. Il is not thought
that there can have been any one else injured
SERIOUSLY though some of tie tenants who are
now scattered must have suffered somewhat.
Following is the list of the tenants OF No. l29
50 far as could be leArneI: Israel Graber, bar'
ber. and Mr. Palliel, a grocer. occupied the hrss
floor stores. On the next Moor were
Mr. Swanson Jacob Banker, the JanltJr; MI.
Griffin and Mrs keSsler and their families Mr.
Griffin. brother OF the one living on the hoor
below: Mr. Crawford, and Carl Benedict were on
the third floor Ihc fourth floor was occupied
by the Downcy family .nd those of Mr. Aaoacn
and Mr. Chcyerett two families named KING ana
llosAins occupied the front OF the top lloof, ana
the rear empty
The ire was probably an incendiary one ana
brloncs in the same category a tile numerous
small cellar fires that have given the brooklyn
Giemrn So much trouble of late IN the lower
wards Of the city. There have been TWO ceuar
irrs i'm the same house within the last SIX or
ci,ht weeks, which could not be accounted tor'
They were easily put out before gaining heidw"y.
The object this time could hardly nave oech
robbery, as the tenants were all poor people