Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1898-03-19
A FEARFUL HOLOCAUST.
Eleven Persons Burned to Death
in the Bowery Mission.
The Cause of the Fire Unknown Tho
Saved, Many OF Them Nude and
Badly Burned, Cared for
by willing Hands.

NEW York, March 14.-The Bowery
Mission lodging house, los Bowcry,
was destroyed by fire at an early hour
yesterday morning, and at least II
lives were lost. The property loss is
$4,000. There were $50 dodgers in the
building when the fire started and SO
rapidly did the flames spread that
many of them were unable to escape.
At 2:45 IA. m. Chief Croker announced
lives lost.
A search of the rains, however, re-
suited in the discovery OF il bodies
and it is believed that several more are
still in the debris. The cause of the
fire is unknown.
Number lo5 Bowcry is one of the
best known lodging houses on that
thoroughfarc. 1t is called the Bowery
Mission lodging house, and is conducted
by the Christian Herald. In the base
mcnt of the building there is IA cheap
restaurant, while the ground floor is
used exclusively for mission purposes,
gospel services having been held there
| daily for several years. The four
upper floors were fitted up as IA cheap
| lodging house, with accommodation
for $50 males, who paid 15, 20 or %
cents each according to the location of
| the rooms.
Saturday night almost every bed was
occupied. At 1880 o'clock yesterday
morning one of the dodgers discovered
flames coming from washroom on the
| third floor, but before he had time to
alarm the house, the fire was seen by
passers-by 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 the inmates aroused, wild scene
of excitement ensued. Many of the
lodgers became panic-stricken. They
rushed into the Railways and fell over
each other in their efforts to reach the
street.
Those on the lower floors got to the
street safely by the stairways, while
those on the upper floors CROPPED their
way through the binding smoke to
the metal fire escape in the front Of the
building.
Those who made their way to the
street by the fire escapes were super
fcially 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 few minutes
the fremen were busy deluging the
building with torrcntsof water. They
finally succeeded in keeping the fire
within the limits of the three upper
stories of the structure. A large de-
tail of police were quickly summoned
Cross and the reserves were called
from the downtown precincts. This
force of officers had difficult work to
keep the vast crowd in check as we'll
as to help the unfortunate dodgers.
Many naked and injured were cared
for by people in the Vicinity, and about
80 of them were accommodated at the
Eldridge police station some three
blocks away. Several of the most des-
titute were brought to the station
house in patrol wagons and on their
arrival they were partially clothed by
members of the force and kind-heartcd
neighbors.
After the fire had been eXtinguished
sufficiently that Il search Of the place
was possible, the police and hremen
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 some
estimated that over 40 persons must
have been killed. However, the Off
GERS fortunately overcstimatcd the loss
of life, and II bodies in all We're found.
Some of these We're discovered in the
small rooms they had occupied. while
others were under 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 be-
yond recognition.
. 1t is thought by the police that only
one of these bodies will be eventually
identified. This one is designated a,
No. 10. 1t was found in room on tn,
fifth floor. In the same room thcr,
was satchel, and it is thought that it:
contents may lead to the Identification
of the body.
AS soon as the bodies were carried t,
the street they We're transferred to tn,
police station, and by half-past foul
, o'clock in the morning the police rclin
quished their search.
Coroner yucca. after looking at tn,
bodies at the station, gave permit fo
their removal to the hospitals.
Manager Sardonscn, of the Christian
Herald who has direct charge of tn
mission and the lodging house. callet
at the Eldridge station later and tolt
the officer in charge that he woul'
/ bury the dead. The loss on the build
ing by fire is estimated at $1,000 ant
the contents are damaged to the ex
, tent of 5000. Loss entirely covered
by insurance. The building, which be
: longs to the Chester estate, is leased b,
the Bowery mission.