New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-14
DEATH IN THE FLA MES.
FATAL PLAYHOUSE FIRE IN BROOKLYN

| two remaining children of the family are in
critical condition. Scvera! Of the other tenants
were also badly scorched by the flames before
| they could escape
The dead are Mrs. Mary Ainsworth. thirty
| seven years old; Harry Ainsworth. seven years
| old, and Annie Answorth two and onc-half
| years old. Josie. four years old, is lying IN ST
| GATHERINGS Hospital, and her death is expected
at almost any minute. fourth child, WILLIE
nine months OLD. who was badly burned about
the face and hands, is being cared for by relatives
| Of the dead woman
Mrs. Ainsworth is the wife of William Aims
| WORTH electrician employed Ivy smith, tray
| & Co.. cothers at their Flatbush-avc. store
| II was few minutes before o'clock when {. Fur
| rcr, jr.. who owns quor-storc on the ground
| floor Of the building, told by some one 'hat
| the place was on fire. The building was four
story frame structure. Furrer occupied the rlgh'
hand Nat on tho second floor with his vile. lie
ran upstairs and found the hall filling with smoke
which was pouring from the rooms occupied pv
Mrs. Catherine Addams. in the "rpo-it" nat. Fur
rcr found Mrs Adams throwing water on the
blaze.
Rushing into lis own apartments hc assisted
his wife 10 the street and then ran hack into tho
house and with several other men, trie To ASSIST
| in putting out the fire While the mon Were
| thus engaged the entire room suddenly h'''
with flames, and It was with difficulty that thos"
in the room escaped.
All escape was at once cut of for those on the
floors above. II was a death trap and mere
shell of a building, which Burned like finder.
Furrtr in escaping graspcd Mrs Adams and
dragged her from the room. Her hair was burn
Ing but was quickly eNtnguishcd ny her r>cncr,
who shouted 10 the families tho upper floors
| 10 run for their lives
Women and children soon began TO appear AT
| the upper windows. and their cries for help
| were heartrcnding The crowd shouted 10 them
10 try and reach the street by the sisirways
| They seemed to pay no attention to TN" crowd
! but waved their hands in frantic manner
On the third floor the Answorths lived. They
occupied the right-hand fiat and In the oppo-
| site fiat lived Mrs. Hattie Book and her nus
| band John. The fourth and top floor was nc
| cupicd by John Kcnncr and his wife and three
children John Koch and his wife Eva occupied
| the opposite fiat the sam" floor Mrs Noon
was the anitor of the house. Sh" was alon" IN
| her APARTMENTS when she heard Furrrrs shouts
| ~ WARNING and hgstcncd 10 the front windows
| When the crowd called 10 her to come down
| tho stairway she quickly took their warn
| ing. and, closing the window, ran to the starr
| wav. As she reached the second iioor names
| were pouring from the windows Of Mrs. AddlfhSs
| apartments At this point the STAIRS ha"" a
] sharp turn Mrs. Koch managed 10 get fhrous"
| tho flames and reached the lower floor IN an
] exhausted condition. The woman staggcre" o"'
| into the street and fell to the sidewalk Then she
| was pickcd up and carried 10 IN" mouse vi
ncighbor. 90,
| Mrs Peck and Mrs Kcnncr. finding escape c"'
of by the stairway, ran 10 IN" rear oi ''l'" 'p'
mcnts, and with their children reached tue s'o""'
| by the iirc-cscape
| Whom tho first alarm was sent in George Wang
lcr. sixteen years old. OF No $50 l'nshwicN-aN'"
entered the house and ran up TO the third moor.
| In the thick smoke he came upon small @hild
| crvinc and coughing violently. II was IN" h'-
montLs-old baby Of Mrs. Ain-worth. In" poY
nickod the child up in his arms and started do"h-
stairs through the binding smoke. On the way
down the hoy met Policeman Quinn. OF the Ihir'
| tccnth Precinct who coming upstairs ionhe
Wanqlcr was completely exhausted when he met
! the officer, and dropped the child into his arms
The officer hurried with the little one 10 IN" s'fee'
and c,vc il 70 some relatives Of Mrs. Ain-wor'h.
| The child was burned about the face and hands
Young Wangcr ran back upstairs ana mdhase"
to reach the top floor, but Their" was conpeiied
TO take TO the lirc-c.cape. Before reaching the
ward he was severely burned about IN" Ia" Ill"
| hands.
|
with the infant Mrs Ainsworh appeared at the
rear window Of her apartments shrl"klhg ior heip.
She climbed out on the small PLATFORM Wh'ic Sr
| stood for several minutes Several people called
| 10 her to climb down tn" iirc-cscapc. II" woman
seemed completely bewildcr"d, and aitcr gazing
at the people for few seconds. III" shrickcd
| Ny God, my children, who Will save them
| The woman then went back into IN" Durnihs
| building to join her children That WAS the last
seen of her alive
! BY this time the ircmcn had reached 'he sc'n";
They were told Of the Imprisoned inmates an"
| ladders were hastily placed in front Of Tin" BURN
| Ing building When the ircmcn reached Mrs
Ainsworth's apartments they @rop" around IN
the smoke aLd found Mrs. Ainsw orth ard three
remaining children The woman WIS dead aud
so was Annie. the two and half year 2ld cha
| The boy Harry and Josie still alive, but
| Harry died before reaching the street.
| IL is supposed that when Mrs Ainsworth re-
turned 10 her apartments she AT once over
come with the smoke and died from sullocltion
When the bodies were taken out they were com
The bodies Of Mrs Ainsworth and the remaining
child were taken from III" building and carried
to the Office Of Mofat Il Kramer, lawyers near
the house.
The husband OF Mrs. Ainsworth. who was alb
sent from her home at the time. was summoned.
md it is feared that the shock has unhalanc'h iS
mind. The other tenants burned werc Mrs. Ad-
dams, about the head, face and hands MI. urrr'
scorchcd about the face and hands. ana :, ,eorge
Wangler about the fac" and hands All wer"
attended BY an ambu 'ancc surgeon. but were not
| removed 10 the hospital The iremcn found SONG
| difficulty in getting TO work on account oi INC
| elevated railway structure, AMI numerous telegraph
and telephone wires running along in front oi the
| building. The hamcs however. were kept con-
fined TO the three floors. The second lloor AMI
| lilmor store were completely Quilted.
| Mrs. Addams, in whose apartments inc IRE
started, could give no idc1 now II orl,lh1t"i'
She said there fire in The stove wren VIE, -i"
| went TO bed early in the afternoon Nj" WAS
| aroused by the smoke which filled the room In"
total damage will reach about $1,000
CANAL MEN To INVESTIGATE HANANS ORDER.
Buffalo. April - lSprcaD.-Canal men mere are
ind grant nj Canal Superintendent lianan's letter
Announcing that the canal cannot he opened on May
! l. and ncrlccting to say when u can m opened