New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-01
NEW.JERSEY NEWS.
THE FIRES FATAL WORK.
SEVEN PEOPLE LOSE THEIR LIVES IN
HOBOKEN.
ARE sUFFocArEp. AND IN ANOTHER LIT
TIE CIR IS BURNED TO DEATH
MANY FAMILIES MADE
HOMELESS


The people Of Hoboken were startled yesterday by
two disastrous fires which occurred In the morning
one in the lower and the other in the extreme
northern part of the city. In the former mother
and five children smothered to death before II
was known that they were In the building. One
little girl lost in the uptown fire. which made
twentv-seven families. with a total of 1903 persons
homelesa
aiarm for the downtown fire sent In AT
1876 a. m. 1t had broken out IN 4 three-story
frame building at No. 40 Newark-st.. owned by
August Schaefer. a blacksmith. who had n work
shop the first floor and used the second for a
storage-room He lived with his son. Robert, in
rooms the second floor. On the third floor lived
Richard Schroeder. bartender. out Of work: his
wife, Nellie thirty-eight years old. and five chill
dren-Henry eleven years DID, Katie, nine years
old; Maggie, seven years DID, John. three years
old, and Willie, three months old. The family had
three small front rooms. John Banchfeld, his
wife. Nellie. and five children also lived on this
floor.
escaped unhurt, thanks to the GOODNESS OF the
father. who led his wife and children to an extern
sion in the rear and dropped OF the smaller
ones into A snowbank They were unhurt. The
rest Of the family climbed down a clothespole.
The cause of the fire is unknown. 1t started In
the wheelwright's shop and Called rapid
Roadway schaeffer. the owner OF the house, was
playing cards In a saloon. only few doors away,
at the time. and hearing the alarm ran at once
10 the burning building. The ilremen say that be-
fore they began the work OF putting out the blaze
they took pains to inquire whether there was any
In the building. and were told that everybody
had escaped they did not put UP ladder but
confined their efforts mainly to the work Of saving
a four-story tenement No. 4l2. adjoining the burn
Ing building at one end and cottage at the other.
The occupants CT No. 4i2 were driven into the
street, and the house was greatly damaged by fire
and water.
did not appear until fully one hour after the fire
started He met by Policeman Thomas Peters.
who asked where his wife and CHILDREN hta were we're;
men scurrying through the neighborhood In search
OF them sa nd nsr on the Sc facing the
street he found Mrs. Schroeder in bed. With her
apparently been nursing, Another child's body lay
near her, and the bodies of two others were
the bed and the street. window All had died from
suffocation: The bodies were removed to William
The was searched d for h
When told of his loss Schroeder seemed stunned
ments but the rooms OF the schroeders were not
badly burned
David Donohue and his wife boarded with the
sehrOeders occupying one room but they h Were
At 2:iO o'clock the fire bell sounded an alarm
The second fire broke in flve-story brick fat
house at No. 157 Fourteenth-st. opposite the plant
OF the Hudson Electric Light Company The flames
spread TO the fve-story fats Nos. l55 and 159.
either side. The houses separated. The
tenants on the upper floors in bed when the
cry OF Fire and the ringing OF the bells aroused
them to a realiza ton OF their danger. Policemen
entered the houses and went through all their halls,
breaking In doors TO alarm the sleepers
family named Manges. living on the top floor
Of No. l57, consisting Of father, mother and six
managed to climb through the skylight.
flames. Her body had not been recovered las,
night.
Mrs Mangells said that her sixtcen-year-od
daughter Florence. preceded her up the ladder
with two of the children The mother followed
with little Mabel. She told the girl TO put her
hands on the edge Of the skyGht and she did so.
but called out: Mamma | can't; it's too hot"
At that moment the child fell back and down the
ladder. The mother went after her. but un-
able to find her. She said that 1t appeared to her
as II her daughter had fallen down the stairway.
She tried to follow. but smoke and flames drove
her up. and she compelled to fly to save her
own life. Several attempts TO rescue the child
were fruitless and the search was abandoned
Florence Mangells sixteen years old, a sister OF
the girl badly burned about her arms and
was taken to St. Mary's Hospital She was burned
while saving her brothers ard sisters
The origin Of the fire is q mystery, although II Is
thought that II was caused by an explosion of gas
which had escaped and filled the cellar Police Cap
tain Tanning said that several people In the house
told him that they heard dull explosion just be-
fore the alarm given.