New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-13
RESCUED FROM DEATH.
TERROR IN AN APARTMENT HOUSE.
SEVENTEEN FAMILIES BADLY FRIGHTENEu3
THREE PER.oNs INJURED.


THREE PER?oNs INJURED.
Seventeen families were brought face TO fao6
with death BY burning, last night. at fire which
broke oat in the rear Of the first floor Of tho large
four-story red brick double apartment house No.
81 81. Marks Place. To the unusual coolnese
displayed by most of the seventy people who
were in the house when the fire started is due the
fact that every life was saved and that only three
persons suffered injury.
The house is owned by William Schwendler, OF
No. 81 St Marks Place, and has been managed BY
Mrs Annie Burnet. Mrs. Burnet has daughter,
Minnie, who assisted her in the house.
work She has also husband, Kooert
Burnet, who, when he worked, was tailor pue
for some years he has been. partly dementeo
and has been entirely dependent on MS WIG
One of his eccentroities is weakness for throw
in9 lighted matches and burning paper among
infammabe material.
The building takes up five floors, including tho
basement On either side of the main hallway
which divides the eastern and western wings OF the
building, are six rooms, each a separate
apartment comprising three rooms front and rear.
There are thus four families in each floor. Mrs.
Burnet. her husband and daughter occupied tho
three rear rooms on the western wing OF tho hrsS
floor
It. was twenty-five minutes after ten last night
when Robert Burnet. who hal been seated
on the front stoop with his daughter
walked into the house TO get light for his pipe.
He went TO his daughters bedroom, which looks
ont upon the rear yard and in moment came OUT
again smoking minute afterward great g'ish
of smoke shot through the hall. Minnie BurneS
sran to her room, but when she opened the door
she was driven back by tho flames which shot
through the doorway into the hall. Immediately
lolr tlQ
and up this the flames flushed, and in less than
half a minute lad possession of the house.
Some one in the street rushed to the frebox and
sent out an alarm, and when the fremen arrived
they found the four upper floors blazing fercely.
| The Railways and starways were choked with q
| crowd OF men, women and children, many of whom
had been awakened from their sleep by the cry
Of fire. The house provided with fire escapes.
in both front and rear, and when the people In
the house had recovered from their first shock OK
fright they made for the escape in the front of the
building and ia a moment the iron balconies were
hopclessly blocked up by the crowds trying TO geu
10 the ground each others bodies Inc
police and the firemen, however. quickly quieted
them, and In few minutes had taken nearly
everybody safely to the pavement.
Three women the third floor stood by an
open window moaning with fright and apparently
unable TO move Policeman Neelis, of the Four
| tccnth Precinct, saw them and clamberlng up the
csocpc three times through smoke and flame, car
-i,d each Of the women to the ground. Jacon
Stark. of No lO5 l-2 Eighth-st; was passing tho
house when the fire broke out, and running up
stairs through the building, he saw two chiiaren
standing at the top of TIE stairs on
tho third floor Taking child In eacn
arm he carried item downstairs. and although
| almost unconscious from the smoke, he succeeded
| in reaching the street.
Mrs. Sarah Filler and her two little boys, Joseph
and Amin, occupied three rooms on the rear OF
| the third floor They were asleep when tho hre
broke out, and awakened by the cries from below,
| they blindly rushed into the hallway. AS the
two bays opened the door tongue OF flame eaped
at them and momentarily cnveloped their bodies
| Cholcd and blinded and dazed with
| the smoke, and screaming with the
| agory of their burns, the two bJya
rooms As they neared the window they STUN
bled over form lying on the ground. III was
| their mothe- who had sunk down in an effort TO
| reach the escape. Lifting the unconscious body
of their mother in their arms the boys opened me
window and screamed for help.
Their cries heard by Fireman FINK. OF
Hook and Ladder Company No. 0. He ran up
tne escape and. taking Mrs Eler from her sons.
carried her TO the ground Then the boys were
half led, half lifted down the escape. by other
All three were taken TO Bellevue Hospital, and
will probably recover. The rear part OF the four
upper tocrs was burned, and the tenants are home:
lbs The damage 20 the building will not exceed
$1,000.