New-York tribune., 1894-10-31
SEVEN DEATHS AT A FIRE.
styFFocATED IN A WEST SIDE TENEMENT
HOUSE

st early yesterday morning. Smoke hlled the
entire house, and seven of the tenants were
suffocated in their rooms In Roosevelt Hos
pital an eighth victim OF the fire. woman VINO
tried IN vain 10 save her life by jumping from a
third-story window, Is lying fatally lnJure1. Inc
names of the dead are;
APPLEBLATT. Annie twenty-five years old
FRIEDMANN. George four years old
FRIEDMAN. Levy. three years old.
KIILIAN. Mrs. Margaret. seventy years old
KILLIAN Jacob forty years old son OF Mrs Margaret
LoyEY. George twenty years Old grandson of Mrs
MITCHELL. Miss Lena twenty-four years old: cousin
Of Mrs Lena friedman.
INJURED.
FRIEDMANN Mrs Lena twenty-eight years ola. leaped
from a window horribly burned about me iace hecN'
arms and body and covered with contusions.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE UNKNOWN
lust what caused the fire to start up so suddenly
at a time when the tenants of the house were all
asleep is not known. and Fire Marshal Mitchell Is
trying to penetrate this mystery. The only thing
definitely known at present is that the hre started
in the portion of the cellar at $50 O'CLOCK ana
that 1t shot up the stairways with startling speed
The house contained seven families two on each
floor, except the top story. where the Janitress Mrs
Eberwein, lived alone. The house stands on the
south side of West Thrty-second-st.. midway be-
tween Seventh and Eighth and the usual
grocery store occupied the ground floor The pro"
prietor, Hermann Foudlller his wife and five of
their children slept the second floor. 1t was on
the second floor rear, in apartments back of the
Foudillers, that the unfortunate Friedman family
lived On the third floor the Killians.
In all there probably forty persons asleep
IN the house when the fire started in the cellar,
and prompt rescue alone saved them from death
Just who first discovered the fire IS not exactly
known, although two young men. Joseph Rankin.
of No 3ol West Thirty-third-st.. and Alexander
rDx,l1 ofuh,1,-c flax
flames at 800 o'clock Policeman Powers sent
in an alarm. and then, with Policeman Donovan, he
hurried to the burning building.
They were not a moment too soon, for the hall
ways were enveoped in flames and dense couIs
Of smoke were pouring out. There was no chance
for the policemen to rouse the tenants except by
shouting. for the burning stairways shut off all
fngress we'll egress. The smoke penetrated
the rooms on every floor. and in two minutes
the little narrow ire-escape that ran like slender
trellis up the front of the house was swarmns with
haf-cad and in many cases almost naked men.
women and children who were crazed with fear.
FLEEING THE ADVANCING FLAMES.
Policeman Powers and the fremen shouted TO the
people on the lre-escapes not to jump, while Fire
Patrol No. spread net 10 catch any who should
attempt it. TIL smoke simply sitting. stand
ing a dry goods box Policeman Powers received
the frightened tenants and passed them down from
the first floor escape to Policemen Hahn and Dono-
van. The escape OF the Foudiller family from
death was extremely narrow. Other families in the
front OF the building were aroused by the smoke
or the shouting OF the people in the street Al OF
those in the front Of the house escaped, but while
they were being rescued Nathan Friedman.
poor furrier the second floor, was making a
hard fight to save himself and his family from
death.
He awoke 10 find his bedroom full of smoke and
behKng ha g up I Esther the yo9nses Of his children
tne nau COOr. Inc flames had reached tnat moor
ard the fire drove him biStered and faintmg from
the intense heat TO the kitchen he aroused his wife
and bade her follow him. but the woman became
hysterica and did not obey. Friedmann made his
ladder ran from the yars TO the roof; He rapidly
& s but afa bary sS b S S H' ga
when ne heard her scream Ine poor man turned
downward from the kitchen window. Mrs. Fried
struck the bottom OF the cellar area. Just out
SIDE Of the point wners the 5e is supposed to nave We
broken n 1onys 5 and M she r2n qD the area stairs to the
and before it could be put out the poor woman
probably fatally burned
HAD TO BE LEFT TO THEIR FATE.
As to Friedman. he handed his infant daughter,
the only one OF the family except himself who
escaped unscratched, through the window Of an ad-
jacent house and then started back 10 get his two
other children IT too late the dense smoke
would permit II. and in agony Of spirit the haif-
crased husband helpe5 his suffering wife Into
nearby house. where oil was applied 10 her burns
Her cries for her children were pitfu, for through
all her suffering she thought only Of them.
In an hours time the last spark mad been put out
and the house was clear Of smoke. Then Chief Plr-
roy and Captain Farrell Of Hook and lAdder NO
O. made tour OF the rooms The two Frledmann
children, George and Levy, were found lying dead
side by side in their little trundie bed Just as they
had fallen asleep the night before Not hair hair Of Of
their heads had been singedthe firemen had WORKED
too quick for that. In bedroom in the Fr.edmann
apartments the bodies OF Mrs Lena M!tche.L
a cousin Of Mrs. Friedman. and of Annie Apple
blatt who boarded with the family Neither of them
had moved apparently. and their faces looked peace
ful enough Death had evidently come to them pain
lessly.
HE HAD TRIED HARD TO GET OUT.
On the floor above Jacob Kian was lying doubled
up alongside Of his bed II he had made an effort
to crawl TO d window and had been overcome in the
act. George Lovey had also managed to get out
Of bed and his body found the floor. oid
Mrs. killian had died just as she slept ana peace
fu smile rested on the turrowed race. .
The damage to the building estimated at not
more than 5000 The loss 10 the tenants. however