New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-03
SIX PERISH BY FIRE.
JERSEY CITY FAMILY ALMOST OBLIT-
GRATED IN AN EARLY MORN
ING BLAZE.
THREE PERSONS INJURED ONE PROBABLY
FATALLY-THE HOUSE ONLY SLIGHTLY
DAMAGED-FIREMEN ACCUSED OF
CowARDICE BY ONE OF THE


CowARDIcE BY ONE OF THE
SURVIVORS.
fire which broke out early yesterday morn
ing in the house OF Adolph Reich. at No. BIZ
Germana ave. Jersey City. resulted in the
deaths Of six members Of the family and prob |
ably fatal injuries to another. The dead are:
REICH Adolph, the father forty-four years old.
REICH Emma. the mother. forty-two years old.
Mrs. Reich by her hrst husband.
REICH, Ida fifteen years old
REICH, Albert. fourteen years old
REICH. Gustav. eight years old.
The injured are:
TO feet. Taken city Hospital; may
REICH Henry, seventeen years old badly burned about
CONWAY. John: chief Of the Fire Department: cut on
Taken home and viii recover.
Adolph Reich's house was on Germania-ave..
near the Hudson County Boulevard, on the west
side of Jersey City Heights The basement is
below the level of the street. There is a veran-
da, the roof OF which is almost with the
second floor, where the sleeping apartments are
located. The first floor was divided into three
rooms-a front parlor, rear parlor and a sit
ting room. The basement had only two rooms.
a Kitchen and dining-room. The upper floor ha
a storeroom and bedroom in front. which
occupied by Mr.. and Mrs. Reich Back OF this
Wero three bedrooms. in which the other mem
bers OF the family slept. The house was built
for Mr.. Reich five years ago. The owner had
to economic in space TO provide rooms for all
the family, and It was necessary for the sons to
pass through the room occupied by their sisters
in going to or from their rooms The stairs
occupied littlA space and were steep. The space
between the foot Of the stairs and the front
door was less than five feet. It in this
small space that the bodies Of Mr.. Reich and his
sons. Albert and Gustav, were found. The
bodies of Mrs. Reich and her two daughters
were discovered in the basement hail. between
the door and he stairs
Henry and Sgmund. the two surviving sons.
who had been calling. reached home about 1890
o'clock yesterday morning. The family had re-
tired, and were sleeping soundly. Who discov-
cred the fire and gave the alarm is unknown.
The two sons were awakened Henry ran down
stairs, and fell over his father who had been
thrown down by q bicycle. They both got up
and ran out into the street. The flames had
then eaten into the hall, and singed Henry. who
was In his night shirt He ran to the corner and
there met Gustav 10th, OF No. $50 Zabriskle-st
who sounded the alarm Of fire from Box No. 81.
Sgmund. who followed Henry, found his father
in the street at the foot Of the stoop. Mr.. Reich
excltedy asked: where's mamma? Where's
Tillie?" Sigmund. supposing that they had not
been aroused. dashed back through the smoke
and fames and up the stairs to the bedrooms.
He groped about in the dark. and. although al
most suffocated, went into all the bedrooms. and
found that they were vacant AS he returned
TO the stairs. the only way Of exit, sheet OF
flame enveloped him. and he fell down. He re-
tanned his self-possession. stopped breathing
and crawIed on his hands and knees TO the
stoop and escaped. He was taken in charge by
neighbor, and cared for until the ambulance
arrived and carried him to the City Hospital.
His father and brothers not in the hal
when he escaped. How they reached the hall to
die is a mystery. II is supposed that Mr.. Reich
hesltated moment after Sgmund re-entered
the house, but his anxiety about the welfare OF
his wife and daughters caused him to throw
aside his discretion. Reich started 10 60 back
with two sons. They had only entered when they
were overcome, and fell together inside the
closed door. with their feet toward the door and
their faces toward the stairs.
How Mrs Reich and her two daughters
reached the basement hall and imprisoned
there Is n matter Of pure conjecture. The most
reasonable explanation offered is that they were
the first members OF the family aroused by the
smoke and went downstairs to investigate and
while they gave the alarm endeavored to combat
the flames; that when they attempted to escape
they were overcome by the smoke and fell in a
heap together. The bodies of The daughters
shielded the body OF the mother from the flames
Mrs. Reich was only slightly burned. and
County Physician Converse. who examined the
bodies expressed the opinion that death due
TO suffocaton. The other bodies were shOckingly
burned.
The origin OF the fire is not positively known
1t Is believed TO have been caused either by
defective ilua or live coal, which dropped from
the stove I'm the rear lrlOr The fire consumed
the flooring and the stove fell into the basement
hall. All the woodwork in The lower hall is
deeply charred. showing that the fire burned
ferCey. The flames ate through the flooring al
the side of the stairs lending 10 the upper floor
and closed the only avenue OF escape The
flames dill little damage 10 any OF the rooms,
except n portion Of the flooring Of the rear par
lOr. The evidence of the dense smoke every
where visible, as the walls, ceiling, furniture
and bedding were coated with SCOT black.
The delay in recovering the bodies caused un-
pleasant criticisms Of the Fire Department yes
terday. Henry Reich charges the nremen with
cowardice and neglect. He says that they were
slow in answering the call. and their condition
indica ed that they had been celebrating the
first day of the year. He made this state
ment to Tribune reporter; Il ran back to the
house as soon as the hremen came. and told
them that my father. mother. brothers and sis
tcrs were missing. and were in the house. and
asked them 20 go IN and save them. one OF
them replied, Go I'm yourself asked them TO
hurry up with the ladder, and one man. who
struggling with a ladder, asked me. How
will l get il up?' They could have saved my
people If they had been sober and acted like
men. ! begged them to go into the house. but
they refused. and only stood near the door and
poured water in until the fire out"
The alarm was given at 3:32 o'clock 1t was
after o'clock when Chief Engineer John Con
way entered the building in quest OF the bodies
He passed through the hail. noticing the bodies
OF Mr.. Reich and his two youngest sons. lie
carried lantern. The chief entered the rear
parOr. lie did not the hole I'm the flooring
and fell into the basement. He received severe
gashes on the forehead md nose and Il long
and deep laceratOn Of the thigh. He was ex
treated and taken home. The chiefs injuries,
although painful are not serious. II was fif
teen minutes later before the bodies were found
and the Norgue wagon summoned.
The nremen explain the delay by stating that
they did not believe that any person was In the
building Battalion Chief Kern. who arrived