Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-10-10
PERiSHED BY FIRE.
Flames Destroy n Tenement House II
New York and Five Lives Arc Lost.

F1amcs Destroy Tenement House II |
New York and Five Lives Are Lost.
New YORK, Oct. 6-New York ha, |
been visited by another fire horror. |
Three persons were burned to death
and suffocated and two boys were sc
badly burned that they died after be.
ing removed to the hospital. The dead
are: Mrs, Annie Murphy, 32 years old,
of 262 Hudson street; Miss Katie Dunn,
22 years old, a dressmalker, who boarded
with Mrs. Murphy; Josephine Ryan, .
years old, of Washington, ID. c., Mrs.
Murphy's niece; Martin d. Toohey, II
years old, died at the hospital at
o'clock; John Toohey, years old, Mrs.
Murphy's second son, died at the hospi-
tai
The fire broke out in the five.story
tenement house at Hudson and
DominiclS street early Monday morn
ing William Murphy, his wife and
two children occupied the fifth floor.
Mrs. Murphy climbed through the
| top door to the roof, her clothing
slowly to death. Her charred corpse
was found on the roof by the fire.
men. Josephine Ryan, who was
visiting the Murphy family, was
burned to death in her bed. Katie
Dunn, who boarded with the Murphys
was found in her bed asphyxiated by
smoke. The fire started in woodshed
in the basement and quickly igniting
the gas meters the flames rushed up
the elevator shaft to the top floor.
The 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 police
men back. The stairway leading to
the upper floors was winding one,
the center forming shaft that was
filled with ucolumn of flame. 1t
was evident that it would be
impossible for the inmates of the
house, fifty in number, to escape by
the stairs. The policemen fastened to
the fire escape on the front of the
building and shouted to the panic
stricken occupants not to attempt to
descend by the stairs. Then they
climbed up the fire escape and ordered
the men, women and children to de-
send. In this they were assisted by the
firemen, who had quickly answered the
alarm.
Fireman Lucas on reaching the fifth
, floor found in the rear rooms Matthew
Ryan, q boxmalSer, who 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 fire escape safely. Just then
hook and ladder truck No. 8 drove ur
and one of its firemen, William Muir
ply, sprang to the ground, shouting:
"Great heavens, it's my house
Where are my wife and children?"
Before anyone 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 beyond rec
ognition, lying in the hallway just out
side her apartments.
A little farther 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 Katie Dunn was found at tn,
loot of short ladder leading to tn
e roof. She had evidently been over
g come by the smoke and burned t,
9 death while seeking escape there.
: The two boys, John and Martil
$ Toohey, Murphy's stepsons, were foun
. in the room. They were removed t
/ the rooms of the Monticello club, acros
|, the street, where the half-dressed ter
ants had found refuge Thence tn
q boys We're taken to St. Vincent
), hospital where they died in a shor
u time.
e Mrs. Murphy was married to Fire
u man Murphy only one month age
Is She was then the widow of Policema
l. Toohey.
rs