The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-08-14
LIVES SAVED BYACAT.|
Its Mewing Aroused Mrs. Shelter
to Danger from Fire,
She Found Her Brooklyn Store
AbIazs and Sent In an Alarm.
Upstairs Tenants Were Badly Burned
Before Firsmen Could Rescue Them.

Five persons were seriously burned
in q tenement-house fire which broke
out at $50 o'clock this morning at 20
Mil street. South Brooklyn.
Had 1t not been for the pitiful me
owr' of a half-smothered cat, which
awakened one of the tenants. who
aroused the rest. 1t is likely that sexeral
lives would have been lost.
The persons burned are:
Bridget Ryan. twenty-four years old, burned
| about the arms face and legs.
Margaret Ryan. her mother. sixty years old,
| badly burned about the arms and hands.
John Coagiia, thirty years old. burned about
the neck. hands, arms and legs.
John Coaglin, IT,. eight years old, burned about
the hands and face.
Mrs. Kate Coaglin, twenty-eight years DID,
burned about the arms, chest and body.
All the injured persons were removed
to the homes of neighbors.
The house Is three-story double ten
ement, and about forty persons made
their homes in II. The building Is on the
water front of Red Hook.
At $50 o'clock Mrs. Minnie Smeltzer,
widow who keeps grocery on the
ground floor of the tenement, was
awakened from-a sound sleep by the
''me-ow!" of her pet cat in the hall.
She arose and opened the door to let
the hall and heard the cracking Of
burning wood.
Mrs. smeltzer ran into her store to
see where the fire was and was nearly
overcome by smoke.
She staggered out, and then ran up
stairs crying loudly to the other ten
ants that the house was on hre. ..,,
smoke and flame into the street and
caused an alarm to be sent in to Fire
Headquarters.
In the mean time, the Are was spread
stairway shut of.
Some of them climbed across from
The Ryans and the Coaglins, who oe-
cupied the third fioor, tried to ercape
by the roof, but found that It was impos-
Sss to Pusss esSs the e tSs
They were pinned In with apparently
no other chance of escapeing than by
jumping from the windows. a.
Jump, but were forced back BY the
heavy clouds OF smoke rolling up the
front Of the house from the floors be
low. The crowd in the street cried TO
the imprisoned families to walt for the
firemen.
The changing of the fire bells from IRON,
each minute seemed an hour.
They then tried to force their way
| down the burning stairway into the
street. led by the elder Coaglin;
TIE second-story floor gave way and the
| timbers crashed down. The flames
leaped up to the third floor. and the i'm
When the firemen reached up their
ladders they were all more or less burned
and hardly able to stand.
Old Mrs Ryan was carried down the
| In
daughter, Margaret, and Mrs. Kate
Colglin. They were unconscious, and
their hair was almost burned off;
un Ths others climbed down the ladders
A general signal for all the ambulances
in the western part of the city was
Ambulance Surgeons Poole and Butler
attended to the injured at the homes
Of neighbors, where they had been car
rted by the firemen. Several physicians
| In the nighborhood were also In attend
ance.
After. the imprisoned people had been
rescued, District Engineer James Doyle
ment Of Mrs. Coaglin, to get $500 which
| she had in a bureau drawer.
| Doyle CROPPED his way along the floor
and was making his way safely back to
the window when the floor beneath him
began to sway with his weight. ~,
/
As he laid his hands upon the top OF 1t
the floor gave way and everything was
| carried below.
Doyle got down the ladder safely and
presented Mrs. Coughlin. who had re-
lgained consciousness. with her savings.
| At 10 o'clock this morning Ii was said
that all the injured persons were doing
nicely.
The building was completely Quilted,
but the fremen kept the flames from
spreading. 1t was an hour before the
fire was under control.
The fire completely destroyed Mrs.
Smeltzer's stock and fixtures, valued at
s., 900. The Ryans' loss is estimated at
$500, and the Coaglins' $3.50. James Hunt,
who occupied apartments on the second
floor, lost 500 in furniture and clothing.
The building was owned by Mrs. Smelt-
yer.
The origin OF the fire is a mystery.
! Fire Marshal Lewis, of Brooklyn. will
make an investigation.
MANY VILLAGERS POISONED.