Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-05
A BARRIER OF FIRE.
Vain Efforts to Escape From
Burning Tenement.
FOUR LIVES LOST IN NEW YORK
Kingston Bank Oepositors Anxious
About Their Money.


"
-Four Persons Lose Their Lives In Burning
New York Tenement House.
NEw YoHK. Oct 5-Four persons were
burned to death early this morning in FIRE in
a fve-story brick tenement house at the corner
OF Hudson and Dominick streets, and two
others were very badly burned. one of them 90
seriously that his recovery Is not expected.
THE DEAD.
The dead are: Mrs Annie Murphy. thirty
two years old, Of 262 Hudson street: Miss Katie
Dunn. twenty-five years old. q dressmaker
who boarded with Mrs. Murphy; Josephine
Ryan. five years old, of Washington, DC. Mrs.
Murphy's niece; John Toohey, eleven years
old. Mrs Murphy's son by her first husband.
The injuries Of Martin Toohey, nine years old.
Mrs. Murphys second son, are, perhaps. fatal.
The fire was discovered at go o'clock this
morning, when Policeman McGrath heard a
sound of breaking glass, which he thought was
caused by burglars. Running up to the store
on the ground floor of 262 Hudson. occupied by
j. krstZonstein, furniture and upholstery. be
broke pane of glass in the window. when
there Immediately poured out q heavy volume
OF smoke.
ESCAPE BY STAIRS CUT OFF.
The policeman raped for help and Rounds
man Ryan and Detectives Cox and Gargan
fastened TO his aid. They sent out an alarm
and then broke in the doors of the main en-
trance to the house on the Dominick street
side. Flames and smoke rushed out and
drove the policemen back. The stairway
leading to the upper floors was a winding one,
the center forming a shaft that was filed with
q column of flame. 1t was evident that ii
would be impossible for the inmates of the
house, fifty in number, to escape by the stairs.
The policemen hastened to the fire escape on
the front Of the building and shouted TO the
panic-stricken occupants not to attempt TO de-
scend by the stairs. Then they clmed mp the
fire escape and aided the men, women and
children TO descend. In this they were aided
by the fremen, who quickly answered the
alarm.
Fireman Lucas reaching the fifth foor
found in the rear rooms Matthew Ryan, a box
maker, who is n widower, and his three young
children almost oyerpowered by smoke and I'M
able to help themselves. He dragged them To
the window and with the aid of his comrades
| succeeded In getting them down the fire escape
| safely.
FIREMAN MURPHYs SAD DISCOVERY.
Just then hook and ladder truck No. 8 drove
up and one Of its firemen. Matthew Murphy,
sprang to the ground shouting: Great God,
it's my house! Where are my wife and chill
dren?"
Before any one could stop him he rushed
through the flames and smoke and fought his
way up the stairs TO the fifth floor. There he
found the body of his wife burned almost be-
yond recognition lying in the hallway Just out
SAuc Aef ttneht n llttit away was
the burned form of little Josephine Ryan, the
dead womans niece. She was still
living, but died soon after. The body
Of Miss Kate Dunn was found at the
foot of short ladder leading to the roof. She
had evidently been overcome by the smoke and
burned to death while seeking escape there.
The two boys, John and Martin Toohey, MUIR
phys stepsons, were found in the room. They
were removed to the rooms Of the Monticello
Club across the street. where the half-dressed
tenants had found refuge. Thence the boys
were taken to st. yincents Hospital.
Mrs. Murphy was married to Fireman MUIR
ply only one month ago. She was then the
widow of Policeman Toohey.
INcENDIARIsM SUSPECTED.
Nine families resided in the house and each
family had an average Of three boarders The
fire broke out in an occupied wood house in the
cellar, and the police said this morning that il
was of incendiary origin, but they would not
say on what this opinion was based. The
actual damage to the building will not exceed
IL, 500.
Johnny Toohey died at Q O'Clock in great
agony.