Connecticut western news., 1895-12-12
FATAL JERSEY FIRE.
ONE PERSON BURNED TO DEATH AND
 THREE OTHERS INJURED.

THREE OTHERS INJURED. The Bodies of . German Family Believed
 to He Under the Debris-An Attempted Suicide Fon ws the Conhagr.tioa-His
 Recovery Doubtful
 RUTHERFoRp. N. J., Dec. a-A severe fire destroyed several buildings In this town carly this morning.
 The fire was discovered at II o'clock. A watchman employed in the four story brick structure known as McMane's build ing. at Depot square and Park avenue, smelled smoke and descended into the eel Lar to ascertain what was wrong. He found a pile of rubbish In flames.
 From MoMane's building the fire e1- tended to Vorwald & Princes shoe store, Noden's stationery store, Hatch's phAr- macy and Myers dry goods store.
 By this time every man in the town was awake and was doing everything in his power to help the firemen in their ef- forts to subdue the flames. Bucket bri- gades were formed, and from hand to hand went the water to fight the fire
 The greatest pains were directed to say ing McMane's building. The officers of the bank were on hand. and with work as we'll as word did all they could
 The other places which were small, one story affairs, went up like 90 much tin der. and their contents were destroyed d. together.
 One member of the volunteer force wal struck by falling beam. and when he was picked up. 1t was found that two ribs had been fractured He was taken to his home, and a physician was called from the scene of the fire to care for him.
 The upper floors of MoMane's building were occupied by 15 families, the mem bers of which were all sound asleep when the alarm was given.
 They had great difficulty in escaping. some of them being forced to rush out in their night clothing. AL however, man. aged to get out of the building without injury, but they lost all their pr6perty.
 The Passaic flremen reached Ruthef- ford shortly hef re o'clock this morning. and soon thereafter the fire was under control.
 The loss Is estimated at fully s15o, o0o. One Dead, Another Dying. Others Missino
 RUTHERFORD N J., Dec 10.-No, merely large amount of property, but probably several lives were lost in the flrs in this place. It Is certain that ono mar was burned to death. Three others 1t ii feared, shared his fate One man is dyine in the Haokensaok hospital, having cut his throat, and young woman is In dan ger of death because of the death of hel father and the shook occasioned by seeine a man attempt suicide.
 Mr. Vorwald Is the man whose body has been taken from the ruins He e. capped from the building with his wife ai the first alarm, but started back to obtain from his room leather trunk which con. tained his insurance policies and oths, valuable papers. The three missing per sons are a German, his wife and theiI child. who occupied the top floor of the building and who have not been seer since the fro broke out IT cir names ars unknown, as they moved into the house only last week.
 The burned building was mere bricl shell, with the interior entirely of wood and plaster It was five stories high and 200 by 100 feet The ground floor was co oupied by stores. The flremen had not reached the scene when the flames wer< eating their way rapidly through the fats. There are water mains In almost every street in the borough but no hydrants ai yet owing to a dispute between tho borough trustees and the Haokensack Wa ter company. The fire department Is [ volunteer one
 Many Narrow Escapes.
 Scarcely one of the tenants saved a sin gle article of clothing except the night robes they wore The flames had broker through the roof within 20 minutes aftel the fire was discovered, and 20 minutei iater the roof caved in, carrying with 1, every floor to the cellar. The scarcity o water and hose caused the flremen to bs badly hampered. and an appeal WAS sen, to Passiac city for aid Two steamers and hose cart responded. Cisterns and any thing else that could be utilized wers pressed into service to furnish water fol the steamera ee
 The last man to leave the building. ss far as could be learned, was William Groof who lived in one of the upper flats. He ii positive that the family which moved ir last week had not me down stairs aheat of him, and that no one left it after he did
 The work of delying into tho ruins wal speedily begun, and the badly charret body of Mir Vorwald was found. Valen tine George, who saw the body haule( out, turned to a bystander and remarked Well, I've nothing to live for nowr Then he walked away. He went directly to the residence of Mir. Prince. on Orien way.
 When he approached the house. Mrs Prince, who is 8 daughter of Mir. Vor wald, and had not yet heard of her fA ther's death, was sitting it one of th' windows in the parlor. She saw Georg, come up the street. The man stoppe< when he reached the gate, took from on of his pockets a shoeknife and drew 1 across his throat. Mrs Prince fell, faint ing, and when she revived a doctor ha< to be summoned to attend her. She wa about to become a mother, and her oondi tion is critical George was sent to th Hackensaok hospital and his recovery i | doubtful.
 It is thought from his attempt on hi l life that he started the fire accidentally and remorse caused his act. He is 8 | years old and unmarried
 After the discovery of the body of Mr Vorwald the work of searching the ruin was continued. Up to this evening D. trace of more bodies had been found, bu | the work will be resumed this morning. This is the fourth big fire that ha broken out in this place on Sunda night between II and l2 o'clock Tn four fires are the only hig ones the boroug has had.
 | Killed by . Railroad Train. \ pprI noc 1n-Mro Elixs