The Portland daily press., 1898-03-14
FIRE IN BOWERY LODGING
HOUSE YESTERDAY.
Que Hundred and Fifty Men In
Building.
INMATES WERE WILDLY EXCITED
WHEN ALARM WAS GIVEN.

|
Fell Over Each Other in Wild Excitement
| to Get to Street-Majority Only Saved
Portion of Their C1othing-Many of
| Victims were Found Near the Windows
AT First 1t was Estimated Over Forty
| Persons Must Have Been Killed-Loss
Only Few Thousand Dollars.
| New York, March ia thorough
search of the premises at 105 Bowery
which was partially destroyed by fire at
an early hour this morning discloses the
fact that eleven persons had been burned
to death. At first it was rumored that
the loss of life was much larger, but after
| searching the ruins very carefully the
police and fremen discovered eleven
charred bodies and removed them to the
morgue.
Number los Bowery was one Of the best
known lodging houses on that thorough
fare. 1t was called the Bowery Mission
| lodging house and was conducted by the
| Christian Herald In the basement of the
building was cheap restaurant, while
on the ground floor gospel services were
held daily for several years. The four
upper floors were fitted up as cheap
lodging house with accommodations for
100 males.
Last night every bed was occupied. At
half past one this 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 building and were
bursting through the roof.
When the alarm was given and inmates
aroused wild scene of excitement en-
sued. Many Of the dodgers became panic
stricken. They rushed into the Railways
and fell over each other in their efforts to
| reach the street. Those on the lower floor
got to the street safely by the stairways,
|
their way through the blind smoke TO the
fire escapes in front. The majority OF
them only saved portions of their cloth
ing.
Those who made their way to the street
by the fire escapes were burned by the ex-
cessive heat of the iron ladders, which in
many places had become red hot from the
| flames within. In the meantime three
alarms of fire has been sent in and In a
few minutes the aremen were burying
the flames with torrents of water They
succeeded in keeping the fire within the
limits of the upper story of the structure.
A large detail of police was quickly sum-
moned to the scene in charge of Inspector
| Cross, and the reserves were called from
the fourteen down town precincts. This
force of officers had difficult work to keep
the vast crowd in check as we'll as helping
to rescue the unfortunates. Many injured
were cared for by people in the vicinity.
At least fifty of them were accommodated
at the Everett street police station three
blocks away.
| Several of the most destitute were
brought to the station house in patrol
wagons and on their arrival they were
partially clothed by members of the force
and kind hearted neighbors.
| After the fire had been extinguished
sufficiently the police and fremen entered
the building and the work Of searching
for the victims was begun. Several bodies
were found near the windows on the two
upper floors where they had been stricken
down while attempting to make their
way to the fire escapes So many bodies
were found in the early stages of the
search that it was estimated over forty
persons must have been killed. However,
the officers overestimated the loss of life
and eleven bodies In all were found
Some of these were discovered in the
small rooms they had occupied, while
Others were found in the Railways and in
the stairs Of the fourth and fifth floors.
All were naked and most of them were
burned and CARED beyond recognition.
1t is thought by the police that only one
of these bodies will be eventually identi-
fed. This one is designated as No. 10,
found in a room ON the fifth floor. In the
same room there was a satchel and it is
thought that its contents may lead to the
Identification of the body. AS soon as the
bodies were carried to the street, they
were transferred to the police station and
by five O'Clock this morning the police re
linquished their search. Coroner yucca
was summoned and after looking at the
bodies in the station gave permit fol
their removal to the Inorgue.
Manager Sardison of the Christian