New-York tribune., 1891-02-19
FIVE PERISH IN THE FIRE.
A MOTHER AND FOUR CHILDREN BURNED TO
DEATH
THE ovFRTURNING OF A POT OF FAT STARTS A
BLAZE WHICH DESTROYS \ TENEMENT
HOUSE IL BROOKLYN.

4 whole family lost their lives in fire which
broke ont early yesterday morning in the cellar
Of the bakershop Of Fritz Rothfuhs at HOpkins-st.
and DelmonicO Place, Brooklyn. The fire had
been caused by the carelcssncsS Of one Of Mr.
Rothfuhs's ourncymen, who was at work alone
in the place at the time. and was due TO the over
turning n pan of boiling lard on tie hot stove.
The building was thrcc-story double frame tene-
mcnt house and was occupied by six families.
Mr. Rothtuhs lived with his family in the rear
Of his shop
On Tuesday morning Mr.. Rothfuhss regular
iourneyman left him and Jacob Emnerlch was
substituted in his place. II was Emmerich who
was at work when the fire started He was
boiling crullers in IA cylindrical pot nj thf time.
The pot contained from twelve TO fifteen quarts
of fat When the Fat began tO boil II ran over
and in attempting 10 remove it Emmcrlch over
turned the lard. The next instant the fat was
i'm n blaze. lie tried 10 eXtingulsh the fire, bur
found that the flames had ignitcd the wood
work of the building and was gaining mpid head
way lie then abandoned the fight, and closing
the door behind him, ran upstairs to awake Mr..
Rothtuhs
Ro,hfuhs after telling Emmerich to so out and
send in an alarm, started to arouse the occupants
of the building Emmerich was unable to find
a IL
fore the alarm reached the Fire Department In
the meantime the occupants of the house began
10 run from the building.
All were believed TO have escaped when a cry
for help was heard coming from the open win
dow on the top floor, which was occupied by Mrs.
Mary Henry. widow, with her four children The
woman could he seen by the aid of the glare OF
the flames through the dense volumes of smoke
which poured from every window in the house.
The crowd below were helpless to rescue her
and her children from the terrible fate which
awaited them. They implored her TO jump To
the sidewalk. but she failed to do She was
then soon lost sight of, and when her charrcd
body with those of her children were found they
were lying around the threshold of the bedroom
door leading into the hall
II was the men of Truck No who first found
the dead bodies Mrs Henry was dressed in
wrapper and in her arms nestled her youngest
child, "A babe n few months old Near her lay
Woodsey, four years old Harry eleven years
old and Julia nine years old The boy Harry
and girl julia were both dressed, and Iiarry's
right arm was locked in his sisters. They had
met death while following their mother. The
bodies were badly burned. They were carefully
removed to the old Thirteenth Precinct police
station, where Coroner Lindsey and jury viewed
them.
The flames extended to No. 172 Hopkins-st.
and No. 81 Dclmonco Place before they were
subdued. The property belongs to Henry Loef-
fer, who lives in Stockton-st, and the damage
will reach $4,000.
Had the unfortunate woman attempted to make
her escape as soon she awakened instead
of stopping to dress her children, il is believed
she would have been saved with the other fam
lies When she reached the threshold Of the door
leading into the hall, she must have been over
come with smoke and fallen to the floor, victim
of the flames, while her children remained beside
their mother to share her fate. The charred
bodies of the mother and her four children were
laid side by side on the floor OF the old build i
ing. which has been turned into temporary |
morgue Mrs Henry was twenty eight years old |
and had been widow less than year. She sup |
ported herself and family by doing waGhng.
Jacob Emmerch found To have. been so
badly burned about the face and hands while try |
ing to eXtingush the flames that he was removed
to St Cathcrncs Hospital. Hundreds of people
gathered about the scene Of the fire all day yee-
terday and looked in silence on the ruins.