New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-07
THE MOTHER WAS FRANTIC.
SHE COULD NOT REACH HER TWO LITTLE
BOYS WHO HAD FALLEN FIVE STORIES.

THEIR BODIES LAY IN PLAIN VIEW. But a
CELLAR FILLED WITH SEWAGE BARRED
THE wAY-THE woMAN's DESPERATE
STRUGGLES IN THE WATER
BOTH CHILDREN ARE DEAD.
The fatal fall of two LITTLE children from the
fifth story to the rear yard of the tenement-houSe
No 204 West SiXty-first-st. yesterday morhih5
caused a commotion in the house. EXclteneh1
among the tenants was increased by the frantic
but vain efforts of the children's mother 10 reach
their bodies and much indignation was expressed
because the owners of the house had neglected to
keep it in a safe condition.
Water from the street sewer has leaked INTO
the cenar recently, and it was three Ieee III ucPon
and extremely foul yesterday. There was 1orher-
" way OF reaching the yard in the rear OF the
house by going through the cellar ana cllmoihS
from an area up wooden stairway. After the
cellar became impossible on account OF the water'
the stairs leading to the rear area were remover.
The yard is about six feet above the bottom OIL
the area, which is four feet wide. There are no
iirc-escapcs on the rear wan of the house
Patrick Crimmns, an engineer employed at the
steani-hcatng works at MadisOn-ave. and Fifty
cighth-st., has lived in rear rooms on the top
floor of the house with his wife, Margaret, ana
three sons, Patrick, ten years old Bartholomew
four and Thomas, two. The living room OF the
family has two windows overlooking the yard,
and those windows were covered with wire netting
TO prevent the children from falling out. Inc
window Of a bedroom was not thus guarded,
but Mrs Crimmns had tied the closed shutters
together with string.
When Crimmns went TO his work yesterday
morning he told his wife that he would he home
and TAX
boys to n photograph gallery at Third-ave. and
Fifty-nfth-st TO have their pictures taken. AT
10 q. m. little Patrick Crimmins was playing
with other BOYS in the street. His two younger
brothers had been playing in the family living
room I'D stairs, and Mrs. Crmmins had been
talking in the room of n ncighbor. Mrs. Crimmlns
went back 10 her rooms and missed little Barthoh'-
new and Thomas. She called their names several
times but cot no answer At hrst she thou9"o
they were hiding from her in sport, and she 'oohe'
under the beds, expecting TO eaten glimpse oi
their laughing faces. Going into the little rear
BEDROOM she noticed with alarm that the shutters
wcrc wide omen. She looked out to the yard
forty feet below her and horror stricken at
the SIGHT Of tho bodies of the two Little boys lying
on the hard pavement of the yard
Not knowing what else 10 do, and forgetting
,bopt the condition of the cellar the unhappy
woman ran down stairs, intending 10 reach thc
ward by the old way. Her screams iilled the
house as she ran. Some of the tenants IN 'he
Iover hall saw her fling open the door to the
cellar and plunge down the stairs into the darK-
moss and filth. Then they heard her splashing
about in the foul wafer and screaming. lhclr
first thought was that sh" had become insane.
They shouted at her to return and asked what
was the matter.
IL. oh Irpp
answer.
Where are they? some asked.
"In the ward help me- came like an ccho from
the cellar.
The griof-stricllcn mother was plunging about
in the muddy water, trying to make her way 70
the rear area hut becoming exhausted Some ot
thc men who lived in the house went into the
cellar and carried her back To the first floor she
WAS wet and muddy from head 10 foot, and was
hystcrical In the hall she tainted and the men
carried her up stairs 70 her own bed Women
attended her while some of the men climbed to
rho ward from "A window in the rear of T. j.
Callahans liQuor store on the first floor
The two little boys =, Gcntly ha pushed against
,bo sbutt.rs of th, bedroom window with force
cnoueh 10 break the string and let the shutters
ny open Then they had fallen headlonS to the
ward No one had seen them fall ana their
bodies had LAID InOtlonl'N> WH'I' 'i'y c'lu' N
th. hard Ground Little Bartholomew had been
killed instantly by the AL Ills sxalI ira EecI II
LaJ hcrn fractured also, but the men ,aw th't
there was stu lii" in Ihomas's lody One man
ran t, the Roosevelt Hospital for an ambulance,
but the hospital authorities refused 20
send the ambulance until policeman
c,IlcJ for IL later. After Il delay OF hall an
hour the unconscious form of the youngest child
was carried through the lluor store 10 the am
bnlancc. Iarthoomcw's body was left lying IN
thc ward for half an hour longer. Then II was
taken upstairs ny the father. VINO had been sum
mourd from his work. Little Thomas died in the
Roosevelt Hospital half an hour after noon
Callahan and other occupants of the tenement, {,
house said that il was wonder that cholera hdu
not appeared there. because the cellar mad oeen
in such filthy state. The house belongs 10 JONI
and ,corge ZehEder, bakers at Ienth-aye. ana
Fifticth-st Frequent complaints had been inaue
To them without avail II was SAID, put no com
nlart had been made 20 the Health 'oars.
Mrs Crimmins was in bed yesterday afternoon
and her husband seemed to be- broken hearted by
tLe Loss of the two little boys Many neighhors
were in the rooms of the family TO express their
sympathy and offer aid