The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-11-08
IN ENTTRK F4MTLY KILLED.

BY Smoke at a Fire in Brooklyn Yesterday
Seven Other People Barely Escape a
Similar Fate.
New York, Nov. An entire family
father, mother and four girls-were
overcome by smoke while trying to es-
cape from fire which broke out in
the house where they lived at S11 Van
Brunt street, South Brooklyn, at 1850
O'Clock this morning, and their dead
bodies were found lying upon the floor
of the apartment an hour later.
The dead are:
Charles Ryan, forty-nine years old.
Ellen Ryan, forty-five years old.
Johanna Ryan, twenty years old.
Sarah Ryan, seventeen years old.
Maggie Ryan, fourteen years old.
Lizzie Ryan, twelve years old.
The Ryans lived on the top floor of
the house, which is a four-story brick
structure. Johanna and Sarah slept to-
gether in one bedroom, Maggie and Liz
zie in another, and their parents oc-
cupied front room
The building was a death trap. The
only staircase was at the rear, and led
up ON the outside of the rear wall be-
tween that and the building next door,
which faced on King street. There
were no fire escapes and only one mode
of egress-the back stairway. Mar
garet Walsh and her six children were
rescued, but with great difficulty. Mrs.
Walsh was awakened from her sleep
by the smoke. She tried to go down
the staircase, but found her escape cut
off by flames and smoke
Nearly choked and in a great state
of excitement she aroused her children,
and then fell to the floor crying for
help. Her shrieks We're heard by the
1.-TWO policemen, Peacock and Thompson.
They rushed up the stairs Of the build
ing next door, 313 Van Brunt street, and
climbed along the cornice over the win
dows of Finnegan's saloon to Mrs.
Walsh's apartments. They entered by
the windows and with great difficulty
rescued the entire Walsh family. The
policemen first carried Mrs Walsh out
She was taken along the cornice by
the two men and left in the, apartment
next door She was nearer dead than
alive, as were also her six children, who
were carried out by the same way BY
the time the Walsns We're rescued there
was great excitement in the neighbor-
hood. The flames shot high up in the
air and there were a half dozen streams
of water playing on the burning build
ing.
During the excitement the Ryans were
forgotten.
After the flames were extinguished
search was made and on the top floor
were found the dead bodies of the
Ryans. Their positions showed plainly
how they had struggled for their lives.
Johanna and Sarah were found in the
rear room, near the fatal staircase.
Their bodies were lying together
Maggie's body was found lying within
a few feet of the window on the King
street side of the house The others,
Ryan, his wife and Lizzie, the young
est girl, were found in the front room.
Ryan had stopped to slip on his
trousers. The others were in their
night gowns.
Two ambulalnces were sent for and
the surgeons worked over the bodies in
a vain endeavor to resuscitate them.
1t did not take them long to ascertain
that each of the six victims was beyond
human aid.
The bodies We're gathered together
and left lying in the front room. None
Of the bodies were even scored. All
these unfortunate people had been suf-
focated.
| The building in which the fire &C.
Cured was owned by James Walsh of
Seventy second street and Second ave-
nue., Brooklyn. The damage to the
building was $4,000.
| The damage to the furniture of the
tenants was about $1,000 more, making
a total loss of $4,000.