New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-05
LIVES NEEDLESSLY LOST.
TENANTS PROTESTED AGAINST FIRE ES-
CAPES On THE VANDERBILT FLATS.
woMAS's PRESENCE OF MIND AVERIED
GREATER LOSS OF LIFE AT TIE EAST
Ennry ELI rIpE
FORTY-THIRD-sT. FIRE.


FORTY -TH1RD-sT. FIRE.
The Official Investigation made yesterday into me
circumstances attending the fire in the hathouse NO.
l3o East Forty -thrdst., by which five people ioSt
their lives tends to free the owners and agents OF
the building from much OF the blame which nj hrst
seemed TO attach to them. An examination Oh INC
building shows that the construction of the olner''
floors made escape easy to any OF the tenants WHO
had presence OF mind sufficient to realize their danger
and act promptly. True, there were 90 hre-escapes
the front Of the building but this was because
tho tenants themselves had objected to the intro
ducon OF the Iron ladders.
Ex-Mayors Cooper ard Hewitt. who own the prop
ery. at first determined TO comply with the law, put
the tenants fought the question so Bitterly that the
owners were compelled TO give way realizing mat
the Introduction OF an escape would practically de-
populate these severfeen houses.
The houses built about eight years ago. ana
are known the Vanderbilt Flats. Each house mas
five floors, and each floor Is occupied BY only one
family In No 1873, at the southern end o. 'he
row. there lived Saturday night, four families lie
third foor-that in which the fire, II Is believed orsi
natcd-was empty. on the first floor lived william
Dugan. his wife. daughter and brother; on th'
second were the Misses Kate and Mary Riley, dress
makers Bjorigwall and his family OF sons ana
daughters were on the next floor and on the MIN
floor was Wliam Bente and his young wife Louise
With Mr.. and Mrs. Bcnte. saturday night were
his sister Elsie Bente. twenty-five years old, VINO
had come from the Lyons Tapestry Factory. Channcey
n Y. where she was designer. To spend the Wcch
with her brother, and little Helen wetmorr Dietz'
the eighty ear-old daughter Of Charles p. Dieiz,
brother Of Mrs Bente, who lives next door, nj NO
1876 while Henry Pugsey, boafder occupying the
hall bedroom. made up the circle. fuPlhS'
ionrneyman painter. had farm at Nineland, ~ De-
where his wife and baby were lodged for the summer
Bcnte was a stenographer, and earned good salary
~ peobodv Co
The rooms on each floor alike. Fronting inc
street is the parlor, with folding door leading 70
a rear sitting bedroom; baCl of that and leading
into each other are more bedrooms, and in the
rear comes the dining room. y plan OF the hoor
shows that none OF the three inner rooms had any
exit 10 the staircase except by way Of the front
parlor or the dining room. \ door f. the leii OF
The dining g-room led 30 the little kitchen and oU OF
the window Of This Kitchen one reached "A hr" es-
cape The kitchen door led 70 the private hall ana
bathroom. iccboJ ard dumb-waitcr shaft. II" last
being nearest the staircase. The door Of the prVa'"
hail opened right on the stairway Adjoining III"
front parlOr was little han bedroom WIN ""or
leading to the inner hail.
Every one I'm the house except Mrs. Blorkwa had
cone 10 bed and II wanted ten minutes TO midnight
when people passing along the street were stopped
bv a thick gush Of smoke that seemed to rise from
the rear roof OF No. 13s. Policeman Molloy of IN"
Twenty third Precinct, sent out an ahrM from f"rN
third e. and rhird-svc Mrs Bjorkwall. sitting IN
her dining room. smelled smoke. and looking AROUND
saw thin cloud creeping under the bottom oi th'
closed door She rushed into the kitchen through the
private hall opened the door. and Nish ~ smoke
| and fame dashed into her face Bnt her mind ""'
clear and strong The lives Of sleeping people were
in her hands. and she knew IT, She threw open the
waiter and then her shrek. calling on those
below and above 10 ny Tor Their hVe- rang lhrohsh
| the building.
The cry reached the mon and women on the frat
| and second floors hut those above her were deaf
| 10 her call. Then she o her own rooms. Peter
| Burke who with her son Arthur occupied the nrst
OF the three rooms was not asleep. and at the SOUND
OF her voice leapd from the bel. and In AL Instant
was by her side COOL and quiet and r"sOutc.
Old Mr. Ejorkwnll nad STAGGERED cut Of BID. ana
With hands outSirrtcl'd stood bllndy gropne ronni
nd round In circle. Mr.. hlo'kHal seize: o,e
arm. Emrle the other. and hewccu them. calling Er
his children. he was dragssd through "a" ht'., nn
G,e yne smoN snG iame now bursting ou of The dumb
Yaer shaft 10 lind her children. To 70 IN mean,
death. Burke caught her and hall carried. half
| led her I" the Kitchen wn1ow. pu.hci he. ont on
'hc escape, and then followed acr down .,,.,, las
| her III, f,ll on her knees ana monnc1 pronsly Tor
| her children. and In the same n'hni Hshi' 'lrpd'r,
and daughter were Ella. ped IN each Others The
girl had been shaken on Of her ,ep by h"r 'ro'Trs:
except tnat they had taken her between them and
ihar shc was carried bdil, down III" stairs hal
| as il ."cmcd found h r,clf ia" Sidewalk The
| Ensans and the Riley sister wer' n. o sav"h ty
| Mr.. Ejorkwalrs cries. But no one had seen the
| Dcnics \ woman. with eye, Mildly gnring beat
| L.r nnnds mady On M, stones. screaming fpr her
| child II was Mrs. DriI mother of th" httl" elil
VINO had gone to sleep IN Ia" lcnlc rooms. hi'
the fire had eat - way through The ild'i fourth
and mn nonr, before the worker could beat II ont
| Then they wcat slowly up the stairs. .
Wien they reached th" landing they f"nhh ,n'
| hac,cnod form ~ n man crOuchinc In corner "i 'l'
highway Inst on, side the han door. II was Pl9'iH,
| lie alone had been awakened 10y the sh"H'' i,ln ,h
made one blind rush 10 The door that led to III,
roof. had fallen. and 50 died The men iurnr, .so
md groped through the rear parlor ana There " 'n'
ur,t bodrOom ay llttle Helen and her Aunt Elsie
| burned almost tcyond human scmhancc. I"o
stons moro ard the scarcherS stood hcior" Irn' hi
his wife side ly eldc her all hnrned and charrc1
| sim resting on his neck. Tomorrow they VIII p'
taken 20 their graves a.,
| Whon the fir, was NJ rs hclcht gas stove In TN.
r,cbcn exploded and blew ont part OF the roof
TLe damage reaching 600. i covered by Insurance.
| Thcrc 4. hut lils doubt that The nam"s originated
taoc,crc I'm the dumb wnit"r shaft but the precise
| coue. 4 NOT certainly known.