The morning times., 1896-12-21
FAMILY BURNED TO Death
Disastrous Fire in a Residence
in New York City.
SERVANT SAVED BY JUMPING
Immense Piano Lamp Exploded and
Spread Flames in Every Direc-
tion-Two Little Girls Had just
Been Prepared for Bed, But
Went to Their Fate.

New York, Dec. 20.-A family OF five
persons were burned to death in their
home, 5l4 East Fifty-eighth street, to-
night The dead are:
AARON GOLDSMITH, forty-five years
old.
MRS. KATILDA GOLDSMITH, thirty
three years.
BERTHA GOLDSMITH, ten years.
HATTIE GOLDSMITH, eight years.
FRANK GOLDSMITH, six years.
The only other person in the house at
the time OF the fire beside those burned
to death was Mary Roska, twenty years
old, the servant of the family. She es
capped by jumping out OF second-floor
window to the rear yard and running
through the basement hall to the street
in front of the house.
Shortly after 7:30 o'clock tonight
Policeman McDaniels saw flames COM
ing from a house on East Fifty-eighth
street overlooking the river, and turned
in an alarm Flames were issuing from
all the windows and the fire, which must
have spread with great rapidity, had
gained enough headway to reach all Of
the upper floors.
PIANO LAMP EXPLODED.
The building was a three-story and
basement structure Of brown stone and was
the home of Aaron Goldsmith, of the firm
of Hartman Goldsmith, wholesale liquor
dealers, OF 45 Ware n street. Mr.. Gold
smiths family consisted Of Mrs. Gold
smith nd their three children all of whom
were burned to a crisp and beyond recog-
milton.
In the front parlor was an immense piano
lamp. This lamp undoubtedly exploded,
throwing the oil about and spreading the
| fire in every direction. The flames quick
| ly reached the two upper floors. From the
| locations OF the bodies when found Mr.. ana
Mrs. Goldsmith, with their six year-old son
| must have been in the parlor, while the
| two little girls had Just been prepared for
| bed by the servant on the second floor.
Mary Roska was taken to the Flower
| Hospital, where it was found that she
| was suffering only from n few bruises
| and shock. She was seen soon after the
! fire, but was too hystcrcal TO give a clear
account of what had happened.
BODIES FOUND.
| When the fircmen arrived they lmme-
diately ran Il ladder up to the third floor,
! but were driven back by the flames, which
| shot far out of the windows, AT first
| they did not know that any one was in
! the house.
Water was soon playing upon the flames
which were quickly under control, but the
house was practically gutted Then they
entered the house. On the second floor
rear, near the bed they found the bodies
OF the two little girls, Bertha and Hattie.
They had a few burning remnants OF their
night clothes clinging to them. Their
little bodies were burned to a crisp and
| beyond recognition.
| Then the firemen made hasty search
through the rest of the house. In the
parlor, on the first floor, they found the
| bodies Of Mr.. and Mrs Goldsmith and their
| little son Frank They had evidently been
| fully dressed, bat most OF their clothing
| had been burned from their bodies. which
| were also burned beyond recognit ion
| A portion ofMr. Goldsmith 5 shirt bosom was
found on his body in which was Il diamond
| tuI