The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1898-03-19
FORTY Persisted IN FLAMES
FIRE IN THE BowERY MISSION.
In the Dead OF Night Many of the
Inmates Were Awakened to Die
Gallant Rescucs by Ftremeu-
some Jumped From on High.

New York, March l3.-Just before ,
o'clock this morning fire was discovered
in the Bowery Mission at No. los Bowery.
The building, which is a five-story struct-
ure, contained between l75 and 200 lodg-
ers, and while the majority of them e--
capped, it is positively known that at least
40 of the men who had gone to sleep there
for the night lost their lives in the con
Migration. There were many hairbreadth
escapes, some of the occupants jumping
from upper floors. Several of those who
jumped were badly injured, while others
escaped without scratch.
Origin of the Fire.
1t is supposed one of the dodgers acct
dentally set fire to some paper in closet
OH the third floor. Someone shouted
Fire." from a window and several po-
lieemen 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 night clothes panic
stricken. An alarm was turned in by
pedestrian who saw smoke coming from
the third floor, when ledger had thrown
open window to escape being suffocated
and was hanging half way out to avoid
inhaling the smoke.
Those Inside Were Helpless.
BY this time the men who had gone to
sleep in the mission, and been so sudden
! ly awakened to battle for their lives in
the flames, were in such condition that
neither the police nor the firemen could
cope with them. They were mad in their
efforts to escape, and in many instances
the fremen had to struggle desperately
with the dodgers to bring them TO the
street in safety.
Jumped Three Stories.
While the firemen and police were fight
ing with those in the Railways, a man
made his appearance at u window on the
third floor. He threw his feet 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 hold on.
But the flames came out of the window
and so singed his hands that he was forced
TO LET go. .-,
a cry of horror went up from the crowd
below. The man, before letting go
threw himself outward, and as he fell the
crowd separated. He landed Just beyond
the sidewalk. For Il moment he seemed
, stunned. Then he arose to his feet, felt
himself all over, and hobbled away, dis
I appearing in the midst of the crowd.
Firemen Worked Inside.
The fremen worked inside the building
e until the heat and smoke forced them oui
; one by one. The scaling ladders and tbs
life nets were then resorted to. Water wa
poured into the building in torrents anC
t the flames seemed to increase in fury
/ however, and it looked as if the entir,
0 building would be wreck. Many of thu
2 dodgers were carried down on the ladders
n These were almost in every instance res
: cued just as they We're about to jump Il
q the street from the windows on the uppe
floor,
= Forty Dead Bodies.
t At o'clock, when the flames We're un
e der control, one of the firemen who ha'
T made tour of the entire building emery
T ed and reported to Chief Bonner that h
n had seen at, least 40 dead bodies. Hi
g report was that he had discovered tw
d bodies on the first floor, five on the sec
t ond. eight ON the third, IL on the fourt
and Is on the fifth floor.