New-York tribune., 1894-01-07
DEATH IN THE FLAMES.
TWO MEN LOSE THEIR LIVES IN A FIRE
AT PEEkSkILL.
THEY WERE IN A BAKERY. EITHER ASLEEP OR
AT wOEK-THEIR BODIES FOUND BADLY
BURNED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE
TO BUILDINGS.

| TO BUILDINGS.
fire which broke out in Pcekskill yesterday
| morning resulted in the loss Of two lives and a
considerable damage to property. The dead men
are Charles Curry. twenty-four years old. and
Henry Penzhaus. forty-eIght years old. both
bakers In T. Vessels &c Sons bakeshop.
The fire alarm sounded at twenty minutes TO
) o'clock quarter OF an hour later. second
alarm was sent in. The fire proved to be in the
stores of Griffin x Lent. and Paul Vessels &
Sons in South-st.. opposite the Postofiice.
The nremen got to work quickly. and six
streams Of water were soon playing on the burn
ing buildings Chief-Engneer James ii. 1laight
and his assistant. ID. G. iIasbrouck with the aid
of the foremen Of the several companies, man
aged the fire with skill The flames. originating
in the bakeshop. went rapidly to the second and
third stories Of the Wessclls building. through
the dumb-waiter shaft. and the rear OF the
house was soon a mass Of flames. The fire then
burst forth in the rear Of the second story OF
Griffin & Ient's drug store and spread 10 Tent e
Herricks law Office. to Dccatur's shoe and hat
store. Although the fronts of the three build
ings in three streets were Of brick. the rcars
adjoining each other at almost n point were Of
frame and furnished ready fuel for the fire.
But the fire. even with its headway. could not
upon 1t. and by o'clock the fire was under. con-
troll An hour later it out.
While James Deamater. fireman OF Washing
ton Engine, Company No. .. conveying a
line Of hose across the roof Of burning build
Ing. he stepped upon n skylight In the rear OF
Samuel a. DeniIe's store. and fell through to
the floor below. cutting and bruising himself.
The stores OF Vessels and Griffin & Lent were
guttcd. and the stock was destroyed. Decaturs
store and stock were badly damaged The
Haight & Pierce building also suffered consiI-
crable damage. The IIaiGht building and Ed
win Briggss brick building adjoining narrowly
escaped
The losses. covered by insurance In most cases.
were az follows Paul Vessels & Son 5000:
Griffin II Lent. 81. 600; J. T. Decatur & Son. 81
900; Len, & Ierrick $1,000; Henry Cell. furn-
turc 800 tanker & Oakley. stock. 5000: \. T.
IIaight $50; Robert Valentine stock $50: s r.
Knapp. $50; Mrs. Isaac Pierce. so
As the only two Witnesses to the fire outbreak
are dead. its true origin may never be known.
Mr. Vessels is of the opinion that 1t broke ont
in his cellar. at the furnace. over which crullers
are fried. This Is probably the correct theory
The hot lard it is believed boiled over upon the
furnace. Many believe that Curry and PenZ
haus were al work and fought tho incipient fire
as long as possible. then started for The door
and were sunocatcd bcfor" reaching H.
Others believe the mon Were both taking nap /
on on" a.. the tables aS b. their custom about that
time Ct.I morning. VIII" waiting 'ur The de- !
livery agons and that they were sunorat"d and |
neVD- awokc. The bodies were both discovered |
a half-hour after the nremrn arrived. and were
both found near the door floating In the water |
which had accumulated ln the cellar. They Were !
both burned badly and the position IN which |
their legs and arms had stinene1 strengthened |
the theory that they mo- death while asleep. II |
was at first supposed they hal lcf, the cellar at
the outbreak II IN" ir"
Word was sent t. Coroner Joseph 4 Apgar. |
who promptly cmpancilcd the following jury. y. |
T. FOshay. foreman. = i. Horton. Hiram Pugs- !
oy. John J.. Snlrck. John Mahr. Robert Nc |
ord Jacob Shipl"y. John II Baxter. T. y. |
Avery and Egbcri B Travis The jury held an /
nqucst yesterday afternoon. listened TO the tos;i- J
nOnv of many witnesses and finally decided that !
he victims cam" To- their deaths accidentally by |
,unOcatiOn. Curry leaves "A ypung child and |
wife Tor whom /. subtcription has been started. |
ponzhorn. who has divorced wife In Germany. |
ras To return to this city to-day had he livcd.