New-York tribune., 1896-02-03
PANIC-STRICKEN AT A FIRE.
A FATHER THROWS HIS CHILDREN FROM
ONE ROOF TO ANOTHER

LITTLE GIRLS LEG BROKEN BY THE FALL. OF
ABOUT THIRTY FEET-THE MOTHER AT
TEMPTs TO SLIDE DOWN ROPE
FALLS AND BREAKS BOTH LEGS.
While fire was in progress at No. 80 Rlving-
ton-st early yesterday morning Joseph Kush-
threw his four children from the roof of his
house to the roof Of No 32 fall of about
thirty feet. Bertha. eight years old. cripple
had one OF her legs broken. The others suf-
fered from shock but were otherwise uninjured
Mrs Kushner. who tried to slide down a wire
clothesne. fell when part way down and broke
both legs. The father afterward jumped. but
suffered no injury.
The fire started In the rooms of Maurice Price
a shipping clerk, who ives the fourth floor
OF the house a fve-story brick tenement house
with his wife and two children. They occupy
the front part Of the floor on the left side. All
were out Saturday night until midnight. Upon
their return they did not look into the front
room. which used parlor. Mrs Price
says that the folding doors leading to the
room were not opened oil day. There was no
light in the room. the Prices declare. either
from gas or lamp nor is there stove in the
room.
the baby cried and awoke her father. He
smeled smoke. and. opening the folding doors
saw the front room afire. He shouted Fire"
awakening his own family. and then ran into
the hallway and aroused the other tenants. All
the tenants below the fifth floor ran into the
hallway in their night clothing and rushed
downstairs. The women and children were
taken into the janitors apartments the Sec
mi tha ctr
There was no danger at any time below the
fourth floor. Several times the way down
the tenants became wedged in the narrow
staircases and there was great deal Of ex-
citement for a time but no was hurt who
went out that way
The Kushner and Cotchkle families on the
top floor refused to come down the stairway
past the flames. which were licking the wood
work in the fourth-hoor hallway The Collitch-
kies ran back tc their kitchen and dropped from
a window to the roof of No. %. stable owned
by b. Meyer This Il descent or about
fifteen feet Neither the man nor his wife was
injured
Mrs Kushner cried that she must some
OF the furniture. and. seizlng n mattress. ran
to the roof followed by her husband Joseph
and their four children. Mrs. kushner threw
the mattress TO he roof Of No. 81. ana, loosen
ing y wire clothesline, let II down to the ad-
iojning roof She then told her husband that
when she had got dowh ne would have to drop
the children into her arms. Catching hold OF
the thin but strong wire rope the woman snd
down about halfway but there her strength
gave out and she let go and fell. breaking pD'h
legs She lay on the roof screaming whlle her
husband grew more and more excited ana
frightened Suddenly he seized the deformed
little girl and tried to toss her on tne maj
tress which was on the roof below. her leg
was broken by the fall. and she lay on the
roof unconscious. Kushner hardly noticed wnat
had happened TO her before he seized otnsr
rh,Idren ono by one pi,chinR them down besine
the little girl Kushner himself then jumped
the thirty feet and landed safely.
The woman and the crippled child were taken
TO Gouverneur Hospital and the rest Oh '"e
family were cared for by ncighbors
The dremen kept the flames from spreaulhe
bevond the fifth floor, and the damage VIII not
exceed 81 900.