New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-10

nothing wrong about the premises at that hour
At 4 o'clock yesterday morning the lower por-
ton Of the building was in flames. and an alarm
was quickly turned in. The engine companies
In Bay Ridge and Fort Hamilton. as well as
the company located at Fourth-ave. and FIFTY
secOnd-st.. South Brooklyn, responded the
last-named body of firemen did not re- ch the
scene of the confiagration owing to the fact
that the engine became embedded In nud nat
in Fourth-ave near Bay Ridge. The members
of the remaining companies did excellent work.
but the house owned by O'Donnell was soon in
ashes and only two chimneys. each forty-fve
feet in height remained standing.
When the fremen were about to retire from
the scene an effort was made 10 RAE the front
one OF these chimneys to the ground the et-
forts were futile, and the foremen ordered their
subordinates to take their places on the nose
carts and engines. In this manner, what APP
reared to be a 5000 blaze came and went, ana
the fremen were unconscious that their nrst
piece of work in that district, to which they had
been recently assigned was TO be marked by
the death Of two little children.
When the rain ceased to fall shortly after
noon Yesterday, Minnie Specht. who had been
begging her mother during the earlier hours OF
the morning to permit her to go and see the
ruins of the fire. was finally permitted to go.
Minnie was only nine years old and the pet of
family Of eight children.
A number of other children. including Harry
Botzen, years old. of Fort Hamilton-aVe'
and Eighty-eghth-st. greeted Minnie as she
came running up to where her playmates were
standing Several small boys who were in the
crowd OF youngsters started 10 look for pieces
of copper lead and other metals and were be-
ing watched by the Specht girl and young
Rotzen when the big chimney on the Fort
t,fn
and suddenly careened toward the west, and
then fell Minnie Specht and young Bo'Zen
were standing directly in the line Of the chin
nev when it fell and were buried beneath the
heavy mass of falling bricks and mortar. Ed
ward Hill, al eighteen year-old boy. was also
standing nearby when the accident occurred
He was hurled face downward TO the SAND n
few minutes elapsed, and one Of the boys ran
N the Fort Hamilton Police Station in Elghty-
sixth-st and told Roundsman Allen VINO was
In charge Of the desk, OF what mad occurred.
The officer Immediately summoned the reserves
ard with Roundsman Gallagher in charge. they
started for the spot where the two chldreh ana
hin were lying Before they arrived there
robnnia SDecht the ten-year-od brother OF
Minnie had already begun the work OF eAtii-
Gazing his sister. With the assistance Oh d
youngster named Linen, no nag so,,S o. ,, 10, in
the work that the head OF the gin cOuiu D
Mainly seen by the approaching squad Oh pouce-
men II took only few minutes. anu ., '''
Minnie was lifted out ana ,urnnscjous and was
also quickly removed. An ambulance an an ""
sent TO the Seney Hospital, when n - rnrnisb
% half miles from Fort Hamilton Dr' No i iA ~;
" &in,ws.cond-st was also summoned put
Minnie died ten minutes later .,o, ,ber IN
The physician turned MS a tttnI crnsninc
nm who was breathing heavl! an - 80 a. > >
,rha doctor made a careful examination anu e.
covered that the youths sKulI hau D,,,nber ~
tured and that he had also receiE Vac,nre Of the
to
ripht thigh He was taken to the hotne "a ,.h t'o
fsther who IS "A well-known plumber rh ai,L ava
i,vas IN Eighty-eighth- near M mn o., -
LIZ 80 a,.o rnin,,es later little boy came ln'o
the station house and sai1 10 i'ou''u ,e T., tho
lagher: IL think there is a BOY otei NV" w., ." cal
bricks Won't you 60 anu s and went again to
III ruins They searched only 'e" in MIN,
and then Gallagher saw niue manu- ~ Harry
omt 81 the pile of bricks. 1t was that Oh nua1
gu, -, '',v Who had in all probability been kiileu
Instantly His body was taken 10 tic 900 ner
and there remained untll the |'i'"'
When the news Of the death Of the cnn n'1'
reached the homes OF their paieH.1h o;r bodies
ments were made for the caring o., no rotten
hv an undertaken The father or the porN
how was formerly an officer in the Dutch ann ILL.,
Although in reduced circumstances ne ~ ,,,,
Of refinement and able TO conveiS ra al aght chill
languages In his family there are tisnt s,,r, h
dren ana the one who was killed was the ioui i.
one Of these In order Of birth the la'hsi b No
Minnie Specht was desee n , % v" ~ New
Utrecht He was several times eiecleo , sa''' a
constable In that township ana was a. a,e1 !
figure in the politics Of the place. He diea d
year ago last october leaving wife ana '"e
family Of children mentioned ,
Michael O'Donnell who owned the destroyed
building when seen by Tribune reporter yes
terday afternoon said he had no knowledge -, ~
how the fire could possibly have started ne
could not say anything about the falling OF tht
chimney. ,,, ,t,l
After the accident. Roundsman GailaRnei' VI.
the assistance of several men, ana WIN ~, ~
exertion on their part pulled the remaining one
to the ground. ,,o
II was said late yesterday afternoon that youht
All, was not I,kev 10 die He is one Of the sew