New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-06
TWO CHILDREN DIE BY FIRE
BRAVE REsCUEs AT AN EAST HOUSTON
ST. BLAZE.

A LoCKsMITIrs PRESENCE OF MIND SAVES THE
LIVES OF FOURTEEN PEoPLE-PoIIcBMEN
AND NE1GHBoRs Do. VALIANT WORK.
The four-story rear tenement-house at No.
100 East Houston-st. practically destroyed
by fire last night Seven families lost every
thing they owned. and two children were burned
to death.
rcsp1cvciy Children Of frppo spoineln boot
black.
INJURED.
SANDERS Mrs Rose; internal injuries from jumping
from third floor window.
Daring bravery shown by several police
men and tenants of adjoining houses.
The house which was burned is in one Of the
most congested districts Of the city. The situa-
tion in the rear Of the other houses made the
rescues all the more perilous
The flames are believed to have been started
from a curtain catching fire from a lamp in the
fiat of Isaac Cohen on the second floor. The
father and mother both out at the time
and only the two little Cohen children were at
home 1t Is thought they grew careless and
perhaps upset the lamp. Mrs. Cohen, who was
in the yard. first to see the blaze. She
gave the alarm. and her cries brought the ten
There was wild scramble for the open air,
but so quickly did the house burn that within
five minutes the stairs were closed The only
avenue of escape was the roof and several pec-
pie ran UP there.
IN PERIL ON THE ROOF.
Five women three men and six children man
aged to get up to the roof, but they found on
their arrival that they had no possible means
Of escape. They surrounded on three sides
by the walls of buildings higher than the one
on which they stood. and on the fourth SIDE
was the opening into the small square yard
or court The women grew hysterical. and the
three men had all they could do to prevent
them from hurting themselves into the yard
below The smoke was rolling up around them
in great clouds and the cracking of the names
beneath grew louder and louder
The women were almost desperate when they
heard shout and a man stuck his head out Of
the window across the yard calling that he
would save them. 1t was Remoth, the lock-
smith. With his wife he lived on the fourth
floor Of No. 81 First-st. in the rear. and his
kitchen faced on one side OF the court. He
asleep at the time the fire broke out and was
called by his wife.
Remoth grabbed a new cothesline and ran to
the roof Here he found his house. No 81. in
a gorge between Nos. 81 and 30. Both were
story higher and two bare brick walls rose ff-
teen feet on either side Of him. He thought he
was baked and about to give up in despair
when the shrieks OF the woman and the groans
OF the men gave him strength. He noticed that
clothesline extended from wall to wall con-
Meeting Nos 81 and 80 and just within reach.
lie made jump and caught one Of the hooks.
With the strength born OF desperation. ne
drew himself up Just above him was another
hook. and ne managed to get to the roof Of No.
80 This house has extension running back
to the house on fire and It took Remoth only an
instant to get above the endangered people and
lower his rope.
a boy was the first to be drawn up Then
came the children, the boy giving valuable help
to Remoth now almost exhausted from his
severe efforts After the children OF the
men was taken up and ne helped draw UP the
women. The flames had by this time made great
progress and the red tongues were leaping about
on every side. The roof hot and the remain
ing ones were badly burned about the feet.
While this Intensely dramatic rescue was In
progress in the rear an equally brave work Was
going in front
Policemen Rrickwedel Jones and Van Twisten
arrived in a few minutes after the alarm was
given Brckwedel and Van Twisten dashed mp
the stairs through blinling smoke and carried
out several children. Brickwedel got the two
Cohen children. and was almost sufocated IN
stricken and jumped from her room on the thlrd
floor to the yard in the rear. A snOwbank saved
her life Bicycle Policeman Rouse found her
there and carried her to the street She was
taken to Bellevue Hospital with dangerous IN
ternal injuries
CHILDRENS BODIES FOUND.
Mrs Spoinelli the mother OF the two chill
dren who were burned. alone with them
and her older child. Joseph, eleven years Old on
the top floor Joseph got out and easily climbed
down 10 safety. His mother grabbed the two
little ones and made a desperate attempt to get
them to the ground At the door she was driven
back by the smoke and in her fear dropped
the little ones. Policeman Brickwedel found the
woman in the hall and carried her down the fire.
escape He did not know Of the children. or he
would have saved them. 1t was not until the
fire was exingushed and the two little bodies.
burned and eackened were found that the po-
lice or nremen knew Of the Chidrens peril
The policemen all more or less singed by
the fire and their clothing was ruined. The
injured tenants were taken into the neighbor
ing houses. The loss is estimated at $4,000.