The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-11-14
SNOFHERED TO DEATH.
A FATAL TENEMENT FIRE
IN NEW YORK CITY.

Eighth Mortally Burned-The De-
struction Caused by On Incen-
diary-Scores Rescued by Heroes
-Panic-Stricken Tenants.
Seven people were smothered 70 death by
smoke In tenement house fire at PIG West
Thirty-second street, New York City. At
woman jumped from a third-story win
dow and was fatally injured. The
Gre came suddenly and cut of
oil escape oy the stairways. In
the Intense excitement all who were
aroused looked only to their own safety and
plunged down the fire escapes. Those who
were not awakened were smothered as they
slept. The dead are . George Friedman. four
years Loli Friedman. three years Annie
Appleblatt twenty-five years Lena Mitchell,
twenty-four years Mrs. Margaret Klllian,
seventy years Jacob Killian. her aon, forty
years George Lovey, Mrs Killian's grand
son, twenty years.
Lena Friedman, mother OF the dead chill
dren, jumped from the third-storv rear win.
dow. She was badly crushed and mangled,
being fatally injured.
Just what caused the fire to start up 80
suddenly at a time when the tenants OF the
house were all asleep is not positively
known, although Fire Marshal Mitchell's as
sistant declares that It was OF incendiary
origin. The house contained seven families,
two on each floor, except the top story.
where the janitress, Mrs. Eberwein, lived
alone. In all there were probably forty per.
sons asleep In the house when the fire start
ed in the cellar and prompt rescue alone
saved them from death.
The smoke penetrated the rooms on every
IN han rnin foo off ha
flames began to climb roofward. and in two
minutes after Policeman Powers reached the
house the little narrow fire escape, that ran
like slender trellis up the front OF the
house, was swarming with half clad fguree
OF men, women and children, half crazed
with fear. Volumes Of smoke now rolled
from the front windows. and the cries OF the
people anxious for safety combined with the
noise OF arriving fire engines and the shouts
of the people In the street caused confu'
sion of sounds indescribable.
The flames had not gained access to any
OF the front rooms, but the smoke was
simply sitting. Standing on dry goods
box, Policeman Powers received the fear.
stricken tenants and passed them down
from the first floor escape to Policemen
Hahn and Donovan.
All Of those In the front OF the house es.
capped. but while they were being rescued a
tragedy was being enacted In the rear apart.
ments on the second floor, where Nathan
Friedman, poor furrier, was making mad
fight to save his family and himself from
death.
He awoke to find his bed room full oi
est Of tha three children, a babe Of four
months. Friedman made his way to the
hall door. The flames had reached that
floor, and the fire drove him blistered and
fainting from the intense heat to the
kitchen. He aroused his wife and bade
her follow him, but the woman became
hysterical. and did not obey. Friedman
made hts way to corner window, near
which q slender iron ladder ran from the
yard to the roof He rapidly decended this
ladder, expecting that his wife would fol
low, but hardly had he reached the ground
when he heard her screams.
The poor man turned around Just in
time to see the form OF his wife shoot
downward from a window Of tho kitchen
Mrs. Friedman struck the bottom OF the
cellar area, Just outside Of the point
where the fire Is supposed to have started.
Strange to say, she had sustained no
broken bones, and she ran up the area
stairs TO the rear Of the yard. Her clothing:
however, was ablaze, and before 1t could
be e1tinguished the poor woman was fatally
burned. As 10 Friedman, he handed his
infant daughter, the only one OF the family
through the window of an adjacent house,
and then started back to get his two other
children.
1t was too late, the dense smoke would moi
permit It, and In agony of spirit the half
crazed husband helped his suffering wife into
a nearby house, where oil WAS appliedto her
burns. Her heart-rending cries for her chill
dren were pltiful. She was removed tc
Roosevelt Hospital, and there swathed 1r
oil-soaked bandages..
Meantime the engines had been flooding
the house with water under Deputy Chie
Purroy's direction and hook and ladder
trucks had lined the front OF the building
with scaling ladders and in an hours time
the last spark had been extinguished and the
house cleared Of smoke.
The two Friedman children. George and
Levy, were found lying dead side BY side In
their little bed just as they had fallen asleep
the night before. Not hair OF their heads
had been singed, and none OF the bodies had
been touched by the flames. In bedroom
In the Friedman apartment were the bod.
les OF Lena Mitchell, cousin OF Mrs. Fried
man, and OF Annie Appleblatt, who
boarded with the family. Neither OF the
girls had moved apparently, and their faces
looked peaceful enough Death had evil
IDENTIFY come to them painlessly
On the floor above the destroyer had moi
been received 50 quietly. Jacob Killian was
lying doubled up alongside Of his bed, as II
he had made an effort to crawl to a window
and been overcome in the act. George |
Lovey had also managed to get out Of bed. !
and bis body was found on the floor. Aged
Mrs. Killian had died just Us she slept, and
q peaceful smile rested on the furroWed face. |