The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1898-03-16

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Are Naked, and None saves All His
Ciothes-Gatheripg the Dead.
New York. March 14-The Bowery
Mission lodging house. los Bowery, was
destroyed by fire at an early hour yes
terday morning and eleven lives were
lost. The property loss is SIS 1000. There
were $50 dodgers in the building when
the fire started, and so rapidly did the
names spread that many of them were
unable TO escape. At 245 a, m. Fire
Chief Croker announced that the fire
was under control and that no lives had
been lost. A later search of the ruins,
however, resulted in the discovery of
eleven bodies. At first ii was rumored
that the loss of life was much greater.
but after searching the ruins very care
iully the police and firemen could dis
cover but eleven charred bodies. Num-
b los Bowery is one of the best known
lodging houses on that thoroughfare. 1t
is called the Bowery Mission lodging
house, and is conducted by the Chris
tian Herald. In the basement of the
building there is a cheap restaurant,
while the ground floor is used exclu-
sively for mission purposes, gospel SER
vices having been held there daily for
several years.
Bad 1ime for a Fire TO Occur.
The four upper floors were fitted up
as cheap lodging house with accom-
modations for $50 males, who paid Is, 20
or 20 cents each. according to the loca-
ton of the rooms. Saturday night al
most every bed was occupied. At 1870
O'Clock yesterday morning one of the
dodgers discovered flames coming from
a wash room on the third floor, but
before he had time to alarm the house
the fire was noticed by passers-by on
the street. BY this time the flames had
eaten their way to the top of the build
ing, and were bursting through the roof.
When the alarm was given and the in
mates aroused a wild scene of excite
ment ensued. Many OF the dodgers be-
came panic-stricken. They rushed into
the Railways and fell over each other in
their efforts to reach the street Those
on the upper floors CROPPED their way
through the binding smoke to the
metal fire escape in front OF the build
ing.
Fire Escapes Become Red Hot.
The majority Of them only saved por-
tions of their clothing, while several
were naked. Many who made their way
to the street by the fire escapes were
severely burned by the excessive heat
of the iron ladders. which in many
places had become red hot from the
flames within. In the meantime three
alarms Of fire had been sent in, and in
a few minutes the firemen were busy
deluging the building with torrents OF
tinguished sufficiently that a search OF
the place was possible, the police and
firemen entered the building and the
work of searching for the victims was
begun.
But One Body May BE Identified.
Several bodies were found near the
windows on the two upper floors, where
they had been stricken down while at
tempting to make their way to the fire
escapes. Some were discovered in the
small rooms they had occupied, while
others were found in the Railways and
on the stairs of the fourth and fifth
floors. All OF them were naked and
most OF them were burned and charred
beyond recognition. 1t is thought by
the police that only one Of these bodies
will be eventually identified. This one
is designated as No. 10 IT was found in
a room on the fifth floor In the same
room there was a satchel, and ii is
thought that it's contents may lead to
the Identification of the body.
Caused by a Cigarette.
OF the fires origin John n. wy
burn, superintendent of the mission,
said: II found to my satisfaction that
1t originated in the lavatory on the third
floor and probably was caused by a
lighted cigarette thrown carelessly
among a lot of papers. The night clerk
is supposed to inspect the lavatory ev-
cry hour, and he made an inspection
shortly before the fire was discovered"
Some Possible Identifc tions.
Later.-Although ii is said in the fore
going that none of the dead except one
is likely to be identified, five OF them are
supposed to be the following: Elias
Cuddah, address not known John For
an, Stapleton. Staten Island - Nc
Dermott, address unknown; James
O'Rourke. Philadelphia; William Sedan.