Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-29
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Fatal Fire in New York This Morn
d. ing. a., r
FLAMES In AN EAST side TENEMENT
A Fireman Knocked From a Ladder
aud Mortaily Injured.
TWO MEN BURNED TO DEATH

NEW YORK, August 29.-Fire did awful
work in the tenement house district Of the
East Side this morning. One was discov-
cred in a six-story sweat shop at 22G
Rivington street. In that fire three men
lost their lives and a fourth. a fireman. is
dying.
At 81 Goerck street q six-story tenement
was burned. a dozen families were driven
out panic-stricken and $4,000 damage was
done.
The Rivington street house was occupied
almost solely by sweat shops. The second
| floor was used as a synagogue and a por-
ton of the third floor as Hebrew school
for boys.
1t is claimed that nobody lives in the
house, but there were at least eight men in
the building when the fire broke out. II
they were watchmen. as 1t Is claimed. they
did their work badly, for three Of their
number are dead, and fourth cannot De
found. He ran away when the alarm was
sounded. 800
The names Of the dead are not known.
One was known only as Hermann. the other
tw o wers his sons. The fireman Is Timothy
Collins. He is internally injured.
The Rivington street fire occurred at
o'clock. Its origin Is unknown. As the
flames burst from the building q man was
seen to rush from 1t and run In the oppo-
site direction Several persons called after
him. but he paid no heed. and was lost
sight Of.
The flames started in the tailor shop Of
Long before the first engine, reached the
place the building was wrapped in flames
from the ground floor to the, roof. The
the center of the Hebrew tenement district.
with the all crowded tenants on either side
Three alarms were sounded. Ladders
were set up against the burning building,
t<.,k t~.l Ia a. hH~l
1t was supposed that everybody was out
of the building, but youth of about
eighteen years appeared on Came-en-
veloped fire escape Of the fifth 0oor. The
lad, but aid could not reach him and the
crowd below watched as the boy seemed
to be roasting alive. Fireman Timothy Col
Inns attempted to rescue him. He hal gone
up the ladder but few rounds. when the
boy climbed over the escape and dropped.
Twice he turned in the air before he fell
squarely on the shoulders of Collins. Down
both, went to the pavement. The boy was
conscious and injured internally. He will
probably die. 49,, -.
The firemcn worked from the roofs Of the
buildings on all sides and succeeded In con-
timing the flames to the one building, but
this vas Quilted compietelyyr'.= s.4-' - 90,
After three hours work the firemen en-
tered the building by the roof. In the shop
OF Joseph Schackman, the room from which
the lad had jumped to death, the sflremen
found the bodies of two men: they were
lying side by side on a little tailor's bench,
and had evidently been asleep when over
come by smoke. They were father and son,
and the boy who jumped was another son.
me man was about forty-five years old,
the boy about sixteen. Both bodies had
been scorched by the flames, but the faces
were recognizable. The three always slept
| In the shop. They had no other homes
Schackman. their employer. knew the
elder man as Hermann. but did not know
| his last name. nor that of the boys He
was much excited and said he could think
| only of his ruined business. The damage
| to the building was about $1,000 The ten
ants each lose about $780,
The fire marshal will investigate the
origin Of the fire. as its cause seems
shrouded in mystery. -'''.' '''-'i" =
While this fire was In progress three
| alarms were sounded for another in q five
| story "double-decker" tenement on Goerick
street
The fire was decidedly suspicious. 1t orig
| irated in the hallway beside the door OF
| Josephine Keane. a boarder in the janitor's
| family, on the first floor. The entire build
| ing was soon envelOped in flames. All the
| ter ants were aroused and panic stricken.
| All escaped uninjured. The loss will not
| exceed $1,000. and about 5000 of this
| amount is contributed by the tenaRts.
There Is talk Of incendiarism and an in
vestigation will be had in this case also.