The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-21
THEY ALL ESCAPED.
Fire Causes Excitement in Cheap
Lodging House.
One Man Was Badly Burned About the
Head In Making His Way Out.

There was very little sorrow expressed
when an alarm sounded from box 3i2 to-
day for fire In the cheap loaging house
at the corner of South Main and Craw-
ford streets, run by Rosa Marks, and
for which samuel Marks IL agent. In
deed, some OF the people In the vicinity
would not have been grief stricken II
the building was destroyed, but it was
not. In less than 20 minutes the firemen
had the fire under control. At III 80.
Daniel Hstton, who Is sort OF a foreman
for Marks, saw smoke issuing from the
cellar st iirway and ran to the door, and
found ii locked. He burst II open, and
saw fire around barrel OF kerosene oil,
that stood near the middle of the cellar
floor. Hatton was forced by the flames
up the cellar stairs and into the street.
BY this time the entire building was fill
ed with smoke, and the flames were is
suing from the main entrance of the lodg-
ing room on south Main street. PATROL
man Nahum Willard was on hand and
sent In an alarm, but could not in any way
get into the building TO see whether or
not there were any lodgers there. There
were five al least, four OF whom were
taken from the rooms by the firemen.
Michael Hart, the night man, was asleep
in room "a, which is nothing more than
a box, when he was called by his German
friend, known as Henry. Hart was very
excited when he found the building on
FIRE and at once started for the door. He
rushed through the flames down the
stairs and into the street. His whiskers
and what little hair he had on his head
were singed of and he was
quite badly burned about the head,
face and hands. He was cared for at the
plumbing shop of the Thomas Phillips
Go. next door. Cal Wiggen, a colored
man, was another who narrowly escaped
with his life. lie was on his way from
his room to the sink for a drink OF water,
and before he got what he wanted was
completely surrounded by fire. He was
rescued by the firemen. So excited was
Miggen that he forgot to leave the cup
that he was using. and was last seen run
ming down Custom avenue with the
cup In his hand. Harry Talbot, who acts
as a sort of private secretary to the
Marks, was in room and was sick. He
was removed from his bed by patroiman
Robinson and fireman William III. Buffum
and Howard A. Sherbourne and taken to
a store near by where he was cared for.
Gabriel Weiss was also taken from the
building by the same men. No one seems
TO know just how "Henry" as he was cal
led, escaped, nor has he been seen since
the fire.
20 TAR as known these are all that were
in the building and the iremen made a
thorough search of the rooms, bot found
them unoccupied. Just how the fire
started is something OF mystery, for
according 70 the story OF Mr.. Marks and
others, no one had been down stairs for
some time before the fire was discovered.
The case Is ore that the officials thought
needed attention and Detectives Swan and
Merrill were on hand to learn. II possible,
now the lre originated. The matter will
be thoroughly Investigated.
The building Is owned by Colonel James
j.. Phettepiace and is insured. Captain
Swan of the Protective department says
that the loss to the building will not ex-
ceed 900.
Mrs. Marks claims that they have a
stock OF $40, 600 for besides using the up
per stories OF the building as lodging
house they conduct a second hand store
on the ground floor. 1t is insured for
$500 The damage done to the stock is
mostly by smoke.