Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-10-07
BARRED IN BY FLA ES.
Fifty Persons Face Death in "a EIazi
Tananenf.

Fifty PERSONS Face Death in Eiazing
Tenement.
New YORK, Oct. 5.-Four persons
were burned TO death early this morn
ing in a fire in fve-story brick tene
ment house at the corner of Hudson
and Dominick streets, and one other
was SO badly burned that his re-
covery is not expected. The dead are !:
Mrs. ANNIE MURPHY, 50 years Old, Of
262 Hudson Street.
Miss KATIE DUNN, 90 years Old, dress.
maker who boarded with Mrs. Murphy.
JOSEPHINE RYAN, years old, OF Wash
ington, d. c., Mrs. Murphy's niece.
JOHNNY ID. TooHEY, II years DID, Mrs
Murphy's son by her first husband; died
this morning.
Injured:
JOHN TooIEY, years old, Mrs. Muir
phys second son; injuries perhaps fatal.
Three policemen discovered the fire,
and Immediately broke in the doors of
the main entrance to the house, on the
Dominick Street side. Flames and
smoke rushed out and drove the fire.
men back. The stairway leading to the
upper floors was q winding one, the
center forming Il shalt that was filled
with a column of fame. Il was evident
that it would be impossible for the
Der, to escape by the stairs. The
policemen FASTENED TO the fire escape
on the front of the building and shout
ed to the panic-stricke occupants not
to attempt to descend by the stairs.
Then they climbed up the fire escape
and aided the men, women and chill
dren to descend. IN this they were as
sisted by the tremen, who had quickly
answered the alarm. Fireman Lucas,
on reaching the fifth floor, found in the
rear rooms Matthew Ryan, box
maker, w ho is widower, and his three
young children, almost overpowered by
smoke and unable to help themselves.
He dragged them to the window, and
with the aid of his comrades, succeeded
in getting them down the tire escape
safely.
Hook and ladder truck No. drove
up and one of it's fremen, Matthew
Murphy, sprang to the ground, shout
ing: "Great God It's my house !
Where are my wife and children ?"
Before anyone could stop him he
rushed through the flames aud smoke
and fought his way up the stairs to the
fifth floor. There be found the body of
his wife, burned almost beyond recog-
milton, lying IN the hallway Just outside
her apartment. A little further away
was the burned form of little Josephine
Ryan, the dead woman's niece. She
was still living, but died soon after.
The body of Miss Kate Dunn was
found at the foot of It short ladder lead
ing 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, Murphy's steps ons, 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. Nincent's Hos
pital. Martin Toohey was terribly
burned all over his body and cannot
survive. His brother, John, was not SO
badly burned, but was fatally injured
by inhaling smoke. Mrs. Murphy was
married to Fireman Murphy only one
month ago.
Nine families resided IN the house,
and each family had an average of three
boarders The fire broke out i'll an un-
occupied wood house in the cellar, and
the police said this morning that it was
Of incendiary origin, but they would not
say on what this opinion was based.
The actual damage to the building will
not exceed 81 800