The record-union., 1898-03-13
FEARFUL FIRE At NEW YORK
FLAMES BREAK OUT IN THE
BOWERY MISSION.
Positively Known That at Least
Forty Who Were Asleep in the
Building Have Perished.

E! NEW YORK, March 13.-3 a. M
Just before > o'clock this Sunday
morning fire was discovered in the
Bowery Mission at 100 Bowery. The
building. which is a five-story struc-
Eture, contained between 10 and 200
dodgers, and while the majority OF them
escaped, it is positively known that at
least forty of the men who had gone to.
! sleep there for the night. lost their
lives in the conf1agration.
There were many hairbreadth es-
capes. some of the occupants jumping
from upper floors Several of these who
jumped were badly injured. while 9TH
ers. escaped without a scratch
/ 1t is supposed that one of the Iodg-
ers accidentally set fire to some paper
in the closet on the third floor, and
the flames were soon beyond control
Some one shouted fire from a window.
and several policemen rushed up the
stairs to the rescue of the occupants.
BY this time most of the dodgers had
been awakened and were rushing about
in their nightclothes, panic stricken.
| An alarm was turned in by d pedes
trian, who saw the smoke coming from
the third floor. where a ledger had
thrown open a window to escape sulfo-
cation, and was hanging half way ont
to avoid inhaling the smoke.
BY this time the men who had gone to
sic . IN the mission had been so sud
denly awakened to battle for their
lives in the flames were in such a con
dition that neither the police nor the
fremen could cope with them They
We're mad in their efforts to escape,
and in many instances the firemen had
to struggle desperately with the lodg-
ers to bring them to the streets in
safety.
While the firemen and police were
lighting with those in the Railways a
man made his appearance at the win
! dow ON the third floor. He threw his
foot out on the ledge, and hung on for
a few moments TO the coping. A
crowd had gathered in the street. and
they cried to him TO mold on But the
| flames came out OF the window and so
burned his hands that he was forced
to let so.
a cry Of horror went up from the
crowd below. The man. before let
ting go threw himself outward, and as
he fell the crowd separated He land
ed just beyond the sidewalk. For q
moment he seemed stunned Then he
arose to his feet, felt himself all over,
and hobbled away, disappearing in the
| midst of the crowd.
The firemen worked inside the build
ing until the heat and smoke forced
them out one by one. The scaling
ladders and the life nets were then re-
sorted To.
Water was poured into the building
in torrents, but the flames seemed to
increase in fury however. and it looked
! as if the entire building would be 8.
| wreck. Many of the dodgers were car
ried down the ladders. These We're al
most in every instance rescued just as
they We're about to jump to the street
from the windows on the upper floors.
At ) O'Clock, when the flames were
under control. one of the firemen who
had made a tour of the entira building.
emerged and reported to Chief Bonner
that he had seen at least forty deal
bodies. His report was that he had
discovered two bodies on the FIRST floor.
five on the second eight on the third.
twelve on the fourth and thirteen on
the fifth floor.