The evening world., 1894-06-04
SHE LEAPED 70 HER DEATH.
Rachael PaSSner Seemed Crazed, with
Help at Hand, In a Tenement-HOuSe
Fire In GOerCk Street.
A PAINTERS SCAFFOLD SAVED MANY.
Ths Firemon Soon Extinguished tho Blaze,
but Thoee Burned Out Were Poor
and Arc Now Homeless.

a fire last night in the hve-story brick
tenement at No 3s Guerck str 'et caused
"A serious panic among the occupants.
Rachel FaHsncr. eighteen years old. was
killed; Ralph Beckman was badly hurt.
and many people were rescued by the
ready use which the policemen made OF
= painters scanoid that had been left
hanging from the building
The first floor Of the tenement IL occu-
pied by the butcher shop OF Jacob liuit-
ger and the grocery store OF Jacob New
man. Newman, Jacob Green and their
families live on the second floor; Jacob
Klein and benjamin Krcwcr and their
families on the third floor, and Morris
IIubcrman, Ralph Ecekman and Norris
SPITE and their families on the fourth
floor. Louis Polansky and Otto Kitzlcr
and their families occupied the firth floor.
Th" fire, which began at G.Ij u. NJ, was
caused by the ovcrturning of m oil stove
In the rooms Of Jacob Klein. on the third
floor. The flames ilarcd up and iGnited
the walls. Kleins wife and children
screamed and ran out of the rooms. In
n few moments nearly all the furniture
in Klcin's rooms was in blaze, and the
fire soon spread to Krewcr's part OF the
third floor.
officer Scott turned in an alarm, and
was jOinel by Officer Fallon. The two
policemen then began the task OF rcsCu-
ing the persons from the burning build
ing All the tenants from the third floor
down escaped by the stairs. but those
above the third floor were frightened by
the smoke which pufred up the narrow
passages. The families on the two upper
floors rushed up through n grating to the
roof. Rachel Bertha and Lena Fassncr,
three sisters. who lived at No. l0l Willett
street with their parents were visiting
the Kitzler family. on the NTH floor. and
ran with them to the roof.
These five families, with the Fassner
girls. numbering about fifteen persons,
ran to the edge of the roof and looked
over into the street below for help.
The smoke was putting out of the win
dows but the flames were still confined
to the interior OF the building. A great
| crowd had collected In the street and
the people on the roof shouted to them
for aid.
at the base OF the second floor. The
ropes which are used in drawing 1t up
and down hung from it. Officers Scott
and Fallon, assisted by other police
and pulled the scaffold up to the roof.
Ralph Hickman, Instead of waiting for
the scaffold, jumped from the roof OF
| the tenement tc the roof of the three
story frame building adjoining, at No.
| 36 Goerck street. and hurt his leg so
badly that he was not able to rise ne
| was afterwards rescued from this roof
by the nremen and sent to Gouverneur
When the scafrold was drawn up, to
the roof the people who We're perched
l..I II
was among the first. She jumped from
the roof to the middle of the scaffold.
II was evident that she was greatly
ateiy ieaped again, and this time from
the safety of the scaffold out Into the
air beyond 1t.
as il shot downward. and the crowd
| ppspcd in horror as II struck upon the
stones. A dozen persons ran Forward 10
pick her UP. but her skull was crushed.
br. cronk, OF GouVerneur Hospital, VINO
examined the body, said that the girl
had been killed instantly.
Her death frightened some of those on
the roof so badly that they would not
go on the scnrrold. but nine We're drawn
down In safety In that manner: The
others were carried down the frees
caE,ss by the & tremsn. ,o,o, 90 u,o ,o,,o,
station at Attorney and Delaney
streets. Her father went there with, an
undertaken last night and prepared II
pital II was said that Beckman. who Is
thirty-two years old, was born in Rus
sa and is n shirtmaker would recover
a double alarm was turned In for the
iire, and II was confined to the interior
OF the building. The damage to the
tenement Is about 5000. Most OF the
furniture on the third floor was burned
and that on the fourth and nth floors
was damaged by both fire and water
The building belongs to Morris Ros.
settle. OF No. 1877 Stanton street, and was
insured.
Among those who assisted In the es
cape OF the tenants was Alderman
clancy. He helped to bring n woman
down nre-escape. All those living ir
the tenement were very poor, and thos.
: who lived on the burned out floors are
I homeless.
Henry Schconmacher. twenty-five year
old of No. 1877 Lewis street, ran into tn
burning house and pounded on the door
t to alarm all the tenants. When h.
reached the I'll! !rd floor he found that h
could not get back. So he continued t
: the roof. Then he ran to. the rear an,
. tenement which Is In the rear of No. q
9 GoerCk street. n distance of about ter
\ feet and sprained his ankle He was
= Joined by Robert MCClGren, who lives IL
that house, and they got n ladder anC
, stretched it from that roof to the roo
| OF the burning building. Two wome
{ and one man We're able to escape in thi
\ way.
$ Among the spectators was James Hcr
L. man OF No. u Cannon street. Somebod,
n In the crowd jcrksd his gold watch on
. of his pocket and snapped 1t from tn
: chain. Herman caught Valentine Stech
n shoemaker, nineteen years old, OF NJ
l0} SUFFOLK street, and accused him c
the theft. The watch vas not found o
Stecht, but h. was locked up. lie Stout