The San Francisco call., 1896-06-21
BURNED TO A CRISP.
Mrs. Henry Johnson Burned to
Death In a Tenem PENTHOUSE
on Ohio Street.

OIi OfiiO ~>1I OOAH
A few minutes before l o'clock yester-
day morning the people living on Ohio
street, between Broadway and Pacific,
near Sansome, were aroused by the shrill
cry of fire. followed by the changing of the
alarm bell from box 1S When the engines
reached the place the widest excitement
prevailed, for it was known that near Y
dozen people lived in the tall, narrow
wooden tenement-house which was in
flames, and only a few of that number
were to be found on the street. The situ-
alton was horrifying to even the stout
hearts of the fire-fghters. The ground
floor was occupied by Joseph Figoni as q
stable. Leading to the small apartments
above was steep, narrow stairway. The
second story was occupied by Angelo FL
goni and his wife and son. Above them
was the Johnson family, and the top floor
was the dwelling of Lerdo Lureaes, with
his wife and two children.
The hesitation was but a second, and
the firemen dashed up the stairway with
their hose and in the flame and smoke
they began the search for the occupants.
The first found was Angelo Figoni. He
was almost unconscious and frightfuliy
burned about the head, face, hands and
lower part of his body. He was sent to
the hospital.
Up the flaming stairs the men fought
their way against the heat and smoke and
reached next landing. Johnson, who is a
ing for his wife. After the flames were
partly extinguished the body of Mrs.
Johnson, burned to crisp was found near
the kitchen window, which opened out
upon a roof yard on the second story. The
body was removed to the Morgue. The
top story was empty. The building was
completely Quilted.
The experience of those in the house was
thrilling in the extreme. 1t was Mrs.
Figoni who discovered the fire in the hall
wav of the second landing, and, after call
ing her husband, she fed, screaming, down
TO Pacific street to give the alarm at the
engine-house. Her husband thought to
stay the progress of the hre by throwing
water on the burning walls, all the time
CRYING Fire" to the TOP of his voice. 1t
was his cry that aroused the Johnsons.
When Figoni started to escape he found
that he could not pass down the naming
stairway so he started for the front WIN
dow of his bedroom. There he was over
come by the heat and smoke, and when the
firemen found him he was lying on the
bed. which was on fire, while overhead was
a canopy Of flame.
A search was made for Figonps 15-year-
old son, who was believed to have per-
ished He was nowhere to be found, but
later it was learned that he was safe. He
was aroused by his mothers cry and
escaped by making a flying leap from
window into a yard on the east, and was
only slightly scorched and bruised.
Mr.. and Mrs. Johnson had in the mean
time started downstairs TO escape, john
son in the lead. When he reached the
first landing he turned to speak to his
wife. but she had turned back evidently
to secure something that she priced. He
ran up the two flights of stairs again. but
found the upper doors shut. He opened
one and the fire drove him down the stairs
again. 1t was evident from the position
i'm which Mrs. Johnson's body was found
that she endeavored to make her final
escape through the back window. but