The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-31
Only Women and Children
We're in House at Time.,
When They Rushed TO the Stairway
Escape Was Cut OF.
Bodies of Mrs. Darlington and
Adopted Son Found Early Today.

New York, March 31.--Later develop
ments prove that five, instead Of three
persons wcro suffocated by smoke in the
five-story apartment house 81 West 1O5th
street which was partially destroyed by fro
yesterday afternoon. At an early hour
this morning the bodies of Mrs. Adelina
Darlington and her five-year-old adopted
son, Marcolle were discovered between the
stairway on the fourth floor of the build
ing. IL seems that they Went out an hour
before the fire broke out, telling the jani-
tress that they would not return till even.
ing. The janitress therefore expected
that they were safe and SO reported to the
police. Nothing being heard from Mrs.
Darlington, however, up to late hour
last night the neighbors and the police
became alarmed for their safety and Mt
once instituted search which resulted in
the finding of the bodies this morning.
The dead list now stands as follows:
Darlington, Mrs. AdelinA recently q
Greenwich, Conn.
Darlington, Macolle, five years old,
adopted son of Mrs. Adelina Darlington.
French, Mrs. Elizabeth, 20 Yeas old, Of
Pueblo, Mexico.
French, Fidele, daughter of Mrs. Eliz-
abeth French, 3 months old.
Morrissey, Miss Ellen, i5 years old, OF
Mrs French, whose husband, Albert
French, n bookkeepcr Is a brother of Mrs.
Darlington, had been visiting the Darling
tons in Greenwich. She intended TO join
her husband as soon as their baby could
bear the journey. None of those who were
in the building when the fire started could
explain how it was caused. There is
passageway through the basement to the
rear of the house where the dumb-waiter
shafts communicate with the apartments.
Near this was the air shaft which sucked
the fire up To the roof like smoke stack
of furnace. Doors at the front and back
of the house leading into the passageway
were open and any one might have en-
tered without being seen. As IL usual in
apartment houses boys and men were con-
tinually passing to and from the dumb
waitress TO deliver articles from shops.
The janitress Of tho building, Mrs. Annie
Harrington, said that there had been no
fire in the furnace since Sunday and there
was nothing burning In the basement ex-
cept a gas jet which was some distance
from the air shaft
First Discovered the Fire.
81 came out to go across the hall about
half past one O'Clock to get some moro
clothes said Mrs. Harrington, land saw
a great sheet OF flame from the air shaft.
The boys were outside in the street shak-
basement. / ran up stairs as fast a. l
could to tell the folks that the building
was on fire, but could not get beyond the
fourth floor on account of smoke. I.camc
hack and went out the front door.
Ernest Dixon, who is janitor of another
apartment house few doors away, ran
and turned in an alarm. When he re-
turned he found IL impossible to get into
the house. He hastencd To the roof OF the
next house OH the east and jumped down
To the roof of the burning building. He
could hear the screams of the women be-
low him. There was not man in the
house when the fire started.
The flames roarcd up through the air
shaft TO the roof. Warned by the smoke,
the tenants rushed to tho stairways, to
find escape already cut of. Only those on
the first floor had time TO get out Of the
front door and they were able TO save
nothing. The fire must have made re-
markably rapid hcadway. Chief Joseph
Shea who hastened down from 125th street
and was first TO get there at once turned
in two more alarms, suminoning all the
engines in the district At that time tho
flames were roaring through the upper
floor Of the building and women were
hanging out of the windows screaming
for help. I'm the terror and confusion IL
was impossible TO tell who had escaped.
Those who made their way out were taken
i'm by their neighbors and cared for.
Tho fircmen learned that there was .
woman and baby on the upper floor.
The negro hall boy said that the woman
had como 90 the window and made as IL
she would throw the child into the street
and had disappeared. A desperate attempt
was made to reach the floor over the roof
bub it proved impossible. A sixty-foot
ladder was run up and tho fircmen
climbed it but they were unable to find
any living soul and the smoke and hainos
prevented them from going inside.
Lowered Over ths Roof.
A ropc was tied to the body Of wischus-
sen, one Of the fircmcn on the roof, In the
hoJe that he might he able TO get into
the apartment He was lowered over the
roof, but could not reach the window and
was drawn hack. The crowd which hnd
heard thar "A woman was imprisoned In
tie building. watched the fircmen breath
lcssly as they made their attempt at rcs-