The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-01-03
A TERRIBLE
HOLOCAUST
six Members of a Family Meet Death in
Jersey City.
FATHER SACRIFICED HIS LIP1 !
Had Escaped From His Burning Home, But
Went Back to Rescue His Loved Ones.
TWO Sons Escapd, One Per
haps Fatally Burned.

Jersey City, Jan. 3.-Six members of
one family were killed by flames and
smoke in a fire that occurred early yes
terday morning in this city. The dead
are Adolph Reich, AZ years old, the
father; Emma Reich, 42 years old, the
mother; Tillie Reich, % years Old; Ida
Reich, 10 years old; Albert Reich Ia
years old; Gustav Reich, 8 years old.
Several others were injured, and it
may be that another member o. the i'll
fated family will die. He is the 19-year-
old son, and his body is covered with
burns.
John Conway, chief Of the Jersey City
fire department, was badly cut and
burned He fell through a burning
floor and was rescued with difficulty.
Henry A Reich, II years old, man
aged to make his escape from the house
with bad burns on the neck, face and
hands, but he is not seriously injured.
Adolph Reich's home was at 81 Ger
mania avenue, near the Hudson county
boulevard, in the Hudson city district.
He was a real estate agent, and well to
do, living in a pleasant house of three
stories. 1t is believed that the fire broke
out from a heater in the basement, and
it worked its way up to the third floor,
where the sleeping apartments of the
family were located.
Henry Reich said 1t was late when
the family retired, the evening having
been spent in entertaining New Years
callers. Early in the morning he was
awakened by shouts. Running into
the hall he saw the smoke and the
/ flames in the lower hall. His father
was there, and they managed to get
/ out of the house together in their night
| clothes. Young Reich then ran down
one Of the streets and gave the alarm
/ When he returned his father was no.
where to he seen, but one of his broth
ers, Sigismund, was there, but badly
burned. He was taken to neighboring
house, where he said that some one
] had awakened him and that he had
/ jumped through the binding smoke
and flame down the staircase and out
into the open air.
Several engine companies responded
promptly to the alarm, and ten minutes
later the fire was out. Then began the
search of the house. The ravs from
the firemens' lanterns disclosed three
charred bodies against the wall at the
foot of the stairs. They were the bodies
of Adolph Reich his daughter Tillie
and little Gustave. They lay on the
remnants Of a burned bicycle. The
father had fallen upon the daughter,
and his son was in his arms. They
were burned almost beyond recognition.
The father had rushed back into the
burning house in a desire to save his
loved ones, and had forfeited his life
In the effort.
In the basement of the house the
searching party stumbled over some
thing at the foot of the stairs. Two
blackened corpscs, with arms entwined
lay there. They We're the remains of
Ida and Albert. Portions of the limbs
had been entirely burned away and
the faces were horribly distorted
They searched then for the mother
Her body was found i'm the dining
room. She was but slightly burned
Her face showed no look Of pain She
undoubtedly died from suffocation.
At dawn the bodies were rolled ir
blankets and sent to the mOrgue.