New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-23


and totally unmindful OF danger, were carried
through floor and buried under tons OF wreck
age from the five floors above. Four of the men
lie dead but the fifth was not seriously injured
one girl fell from window and received Injuries
from which she died. A dozen other men, women
and girls were hurt or overcome by smoke, and
many were rescued from imminent death. The
property loss to the building at Nos. 2l5 and III
Van Buren-st and Nos. 276 and 27S Franklin-str
and contents is estimated at 100000
The dead are the following:
DEAD.
DOWNS John. pipemen.
LANDGRAF Kate. employed in A. Stern CO.'S garter
factory.
o'DoNNEIL. Patrick J.. lieutenant OF Engine Company
No. 2
PRENDERGAsT. Thomas j.. ppeman.
sHERRECK. Martin. pipcman.
Among the Injured were Daniel McNally, pipe
man. removed to St Lukes Hospital sprained
leg and bruises: Olga Keller. leg and arm in
jured Harry O'Nes arm broken and back In
tured Nellie Turner fell from fourth-story WIN
dow, seriously hurt; John Bruenheimer. badly
injured by falling from fourth story while assist
ing girls to escape. The others who were IN
jured were girls and spectators who saved them'
all being overcome by smoke, but they soon re-
covered after medical treatment at hospitals or
their homes All the dead and injured fremen
were members Of Engine Company No.2 Their
captain Lewis Ficone, escaped the awful plunge
to death only by hanging to the sill Of the window
on the second floor until released from his perilous
position by fremen on ladder.
The fire started at 9:15 o'clock on the fourth
floor of the seyen-story building, In the garter
factory OF stern G. Co.. where many girls were at
work They ran screaming and faintng from
fright to the windows on the Van Buren-st side
fusion in a moment. and the rapidly increasing
crowd OF spectators stood gazing upward at wnat
seemed the impending 6oom Of scores OF working
girls Engines hose carts and ladders came TO
the rescue with brave fremen. who In a twinkling
had scrambled up the fre-escapes or put the eX-
tension ladders in position to bring the panic
stricken people to the ground The frahtc glrls
were determined in their haf-crazed mental con-
diton to hurl themselves to the stone tagging,
but were partly restrained by the shouts OF the
citizens on the street and the quick work OF
firemen.
One small extension ladder was run up under
where the girls were standing in fear Of double
death. A fireman mounted IT, but when his feet
touched the rungs Of the second section either his
weight or some defect in the ladder caused II TO
slip back to it's original position. bringing It's top
fotr mr. five feet below the sill of the fourth-story
W.
,, ~. Ncl;.e Turner, Kate Landsraf and Harry
O'Neill made a wild attempt to lower themselves
so that they could tosch the top rung OF the lad
der In doing this the foohardy ones slipped and
fell headlong to the pavement.
! Cantain Herrnanson tried TO grasp the dress or
| Kate Landgraf as she fell, but he failed and she
struck the sidewalk in sight Of thousands. ie"
seconds elapsed and the same spot upon wnich
Miss Iandgrafs body had struck was covered
| with the unconscious form Of Nellie Turner VINO
| had taken the terrible plunge in the enort 10
| ave herself She was saved from death, now
| eyer bv being momentarily held by tnlee hreleh
| in her descent thus breaking the force ot heE
fall Three other girls. who nad nor prSsehce ,
| Of mind. succeeded IN reaching the I"uuel "S
| dropping from the window sill -
The flames had now taken possession OF the
four upper stories Of the building ana al WIN,
dow stood Olga Keller ana Iia,iS sr,rka
hemmed ia on three sides by hame ana 3', sin2Nr.
| The frightened girl stood on the narrow Wlhd0"
| ledge holding TO the sash with one h",u 81"
| was almost suffOcated by smoke ana hhd oidceu
herself az If to make the leap OF iorioIn mop;
Don't lump climb down to me- shouted
| Captain Hcrmanson from his perch on % tle upPr i
part OF the ladder but me gr,, iaan',S soen ~
| terror did not hear his voice She Wds SEE" i.bt
| drop and fortunately her body came within mn
reaching distance Of the captain lie seNe.i otie t
| of her ankles as she turned In the ar anu tns
| bernic act almost threw him from the swaylng
| ladder Before he was forced to loosen ms ioln
or be carried down himself two nremen pe!2w
m
| ladder amid the plaudits Of thousands VINO were
watching every move In the tragic Scrile' 49,
| ONeill who was still at the WINDOW anu anu en- en-
gaged I'm the brave task OF helping All tne 'iHpl@9
,d ,irls to asoa,e IN the best Of his ability. was
the last one t. be rescued W men ne uiSu :, ~
| crawl from window to ladder he sHpped anu zen;
hut his fall was broken by the grasplhs hailuS "a
| Gren,en on the ladder and ne fell into net Whch
| had just been placed in position a prohe" aim
| and leg constituted his injuries. . -
| Ernest Stern. OF stern CO.. said there We We
| TN for a
street by the stairways and elevators. me Inc jan Jan
itor Of the building spoke To the thlry sHlH I'm
| poved I'm the rooms. telling them 10 ACCOMPANY
| htn, dowr tho main stairway, and many did so.
| Those who rushed to the window lareu pauy.
| The ianitor thinks the fire was OF lncehuiary
ori.,,u and accused one man, whlle o'hel oSCu-
n,nts of the building say the fire originated IN
| little room on the third noor. used In the making
! OF papcrmache forms. ..,
shortly after o'clock came the second uaGeuy
/ of the fire when the flooring fell on the hremen
| at work All the dead fremen were married ana
| leave large families ,,,, - ty,h
| Marian & Fischer. the clothing firm, whose
| factory and warehouse are at Van Buren ana
| Franklin sts opposite the scene OF death ana
The following firms were burned out In the
| L-shaped building, which was one or the lte-
| proof' and ornamental structures In me whole,
/ ssaie business district. D. II. Arnold Enings ana
! cIothers' supplies; s Rosenberg, wholesale tan
! ors trimmings; Stern K BEERS, wholesale cloth
! ing: s Bernhemer, samples. cotton goods; LOUIS
| VI Rarnntt tailor: Arnold Wolf, fancy and gen.
tIemen's furnishing goods W. L. l.oewenbach
manufacturers agents; Branhall Brothers o.
SAMPLES woollens: VI. Klein, samples. clothing
| Phillip Klein matches, c. 5. Mahoney & Co..
| samples. notions; A. Stern, manufacturer OF
| garters. j. Rothschild * Co. wholesale cloth
! ing. stevens Sanford * Handy, samples. cloth
ing; Kletz Veita Il Co. samples, buttons Eel
! lows IL Co. Wholesale linen collars and cuns'
$ ID. Stryker manufacturers agent; kalamazoo
| Pants and Overcoat Company; A. NJ. Lieben-
stein wholesale silk handkerchiefs. f.. Floesch-
| er wholesale cotton goods: Assenheim x Rich
samnles clothing; judah Brothers, samples
| cloaks and suits: +. Butterfeld x Co, samples,
| cloths; A. Robinson & Co. samples. woollens;
! Ieavltt d Mitchell Brothers. samples. cloths;
/ Centcrsville Manufacturing Company, plush
! cloths: : Einstein. agent: Louis Friedman, sam
pies clothing; $ Woerthemer e Co.. samples;
the Dime Lunch Company Narrlng Brothers.
Garnet soap; J. Cralieldt. samples. buttons. Abe