The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-04-08
Smoke and Flames Spread So Quickly
that Few Of the Occupants Had
Opportunity to Escape.
MOTHER AND THREE CHILDREN
AND w. G. ANDREWS AND WIFE
AMONG THOSE WHO PERIsHED.
Seven Servant Women Burned or Suf-
fOcated and Others Injured by
Jumping from Windows.

NEW YORK, April Fire early this
morning destroyed the handsome residence
of Wallace G.. Andrews, at No. East Sixty
seventh street and twelve persons sleeping in
the house were burned to death. Fire
brands carried by the wind were blown into
an open window in the home of Albert j.
Adams No. 5 East Sixty-ninth street, two
blocks distant, setting fire to the house and
causing the death of a servant. All of the
thirteen bodies have been recovered. The
dead are:
Dead
WALLACE c. ANDREWS president of the
New York Steam Heating Company
MRS WALLACE c. ANDREWS, identified
by dentist.
MRS. GEORGIANA BoYDEN ST. JOHN,
wife of Mrs. Andrews's brother.
GAMALIEL c. ST. JOHN, an official of the
New York Steam Heating Company.
ORSON ST. JOHN, seven years old.
WALLACE ST. JOHN, three years old.
FREDERICK ST. JOHN. thirteen months
old.
EVA PETERSEN. servant.
NELLIE BOLAND, servant
MARY FLANAGAN, servant
ANNIE NEARY, servant.
KATE DOWNING, servant
MARY ROTH, servant.
MRS MARY LOUGaMAN, aged fifty years.
housekeeper in the Adams residence,
died from suffocation and burns.
Alice White, a cook, and Jenny Burns.
laundress, the only inmates of the Andrews
house who escaped, are in the hospital in a
serious condition. The list of injured at the
Adams fire Is:
MRS. ISABELLA ADAMS. wife Of Albert
j. Adams, injured in the back, burned,
suffering from shock.
NELLIE QUINN. servant. jumped from
fourth floor to an extension. severe
bruises.
| EVELYN ADAMS burns, shock.
| MINNIE BOGUE. servant. sprained ankle
and bruises.
JERRY BLAZIN, fireman. engine company
No. A, contusions on back.
| MARY MALLOY, leg fractured, shock.
WILLIAM STEVENSON, bruises and con-
tusions.
CAUSED BY EXPLOSION.
The fire originated at the corner of Sixty
| seventh street and Fifth avenue in the house
occupied by Wallace G. Andrews, president
| of the steam heating company. There were
| in the house thirteen or fourteen persons fast
| asleep. How the fire originated is still a
| mystery, though it seems tolerably probable
| that an explosion of some kind occurred,
| but whatever was the cause the flames
| gained headway with such rapidity that only
| two escaped from the building. One of these
| is so badly injured that she has no chance
| OF surviving. The fire communicated to
| Sixty-ninth street, and IL the house Of AL
| bert j. Adams a servant was burned to
| death, thus bringing the total of victims to
| thirteen. So thoroughly did The flames do
/ their work that when the gutted and ruined
houses were searched the charred bodies
1 he. I,oI hol le
| yond recognition. The names were ascer-
| tanned more from certain knowledge of those
| who were in the house over night than from
| the traces Of the living image that they re-
| tanned.
| The fire first was discovered about a. m.
| A policeman was passing in front of the
| Havemeyer residence in East SiXty-sixth
| street, when he heard an explosion and saw
| a great flash of light in Sixty-seventh street.
| He thither with all speed. When he
| arrived the flames were shooting out of the
| upper floors of the Andrews house. They
! leaped half way across the street. The po-
| liceman tried to get into the house to arouse
| the occupants. He was driven back by the
| flames. He then turned in an alarm, and re-
| turning got the people out of V. II. Roths-
| child's house which is close by. Around the
| corner Of Sixty-seventh street and Fifth
| avenue are the homes of some of New
| York's weathiest men. Next to the Adams
| house, which was a handsome four-story
| brown-stone affair, is the splendid home Of
| r. .. Armour. of the Chicago firm of pack
ers. Next to that is the home of Perry Bel
mont. Directly opposite this is the house of
| George j. Gould.
| With the arrival OF the first engine COM
| pany the value Of the property threatened
\ nd ar11l losa 49, Il
alarm were turned in While some of the
firemen fought the flames with hose and
| chemicals, others rushed into the Roths-
child house and from there into the Andrews
| home by way of the rear windows But
| they were even then too late. for In the mid
| die floor the firemen stumbled over the bod
| les OF Mrs. ST. John and Wallace her three
year-old child The child was dead. but Mrs.
| St. John was still just alive and gasping for
breath. A fireman picked her up and stag
| gered with her TO the Rothschild house.
but she died as she was being carried in.
| Mrs ST. John, her three children and two
| servants Kate Downing and Maria Roth.
were all on the third floor Mr. c. c. St.
John, who Is the treasurer of the New York
| Steam Heating Company, and also brother
| of Mrs. Andrews. was not at home during
the fire. Mr.. Andrews and his wife occupied
| the middle room on the second floor. There
two hours later their bodies were found
| clasped in each others arms. They were
so charred as 10 be almost beyond recogni-
ton.
JUME ED FROM WINDOWS
The servants OF Andrews were on the
fourth. or top. floor. Alice White the cook.
leaped from the window 10 an extension
| which rose TO the third floor. She was found
| there unconscious by firemen Jennie Burns
another of the servants. jumped from the
same window 10 the extension. She crushed