Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-04-11
FRIGHTFUL CALAMITY.
Nine Lives Lost in a Burning Tene-
nent House
At Rochester, Pa,-An Chances Cut or F"r
tho Escape of the Inmates, and They
Perish In tho Flames-Par-
ticulars of the Fire.

ROCHESTER,, Pa, April 1.-THE most
frightful calamity that has ever befallen
this place occurred early yesterday
morning and as result nine lives were
lost Between the Rose building cor
ner Brighton and New York streets, and
the railroad crossing, were a row Of
cheap frame tenement houses the first
floors of which were occupied as busi-
ness houses. Shortly after midnight
fire was discovered in the lower build
ing and an alarm was given. The fire
gradually spread to the second and third
houses and in very few minutes all
were in flames But few of the citizens
were on the scene until the fire was we'll
under headway and efforts were made
to save property, but with poor effect as
the buildings being of highly inhamable
material burned rapidly. In the midst
of the hottest part of the fire an Italian
girl, about 16 years of age, appeared at
the window of one of the burning build
ings and leaped toward the ground, two
of the firemen catching her before she
struck the ground. Between her sobs
she stated that all her fathers family
were yet in the burning house but as
the flames now had full control of the
building it was impossible to save them
and seven persons perished in the Itaii-
| an family.
The rooms occupied by the Italians
were in the center of the building and
when it was found that lives had been
lost careful inquiry was made regard
ing the occupants of the first buildingto
take fire. 1t was inhabited by shoe
maker named Edward j. Keene, with
family consisting of wife and three
children. None of the family could be
found for q time, but during the height
of the excitement Mrs Keene with two
of her children arrived from Pittsburgh
on train No. Q. 1t was then feared that
Mr.. Keene and the eldest son, Walter,
boy 8 years of age, was lost. Brave
men at once went to work among the
burning timbers and soon discovered the
: charred rema MS of father and son close
: together, but burned to an unrecogniza-
BILE mass. The corpses. with those of
2 the Italians that have been reccveted,
D are lying in stall at Hayes livery
stable.
1t is thought that the Italians became
] SO confused that they could not find the
stairway, which was narrow one and
s to reach it required the opening of two
doors in the rear of the building, and
n they were burned to death. The Ital-
S ians were very intelligent and worked
e in the Rochester tumbler works.
e The fire originated in Keene's kitchen.
All the household goods, together with
Edwards tea store, Halls millinery and
Keenes shoe shop, are destroyed. There
It is insurance on all the stores. The
q buildings belonged to John F. Smith
and were not insured.
u The names of the victims are: Ed
% ward j. Keene, so years old; his son
y Walter, years. Buttito Ceapio As years
u wife Anna, 35 years; son John, IL years
l. daughter Riasa, years; Victoria Ceapio,
70 a brother, and Joe Romio, ages un-
- known.
70 The nine bodies are so badly burned
q that they are unrecognizable. There
ID has also been $500 in gold found among
y the ruins which belonged to the Itali-
e. ans. The Italian girl, the only one
IS saved, says $500 is still in the ashes.