The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-07-03
FATAL FIRE.
Twelve Lives Known to Have
Been Lost In Another
Hoboken Catastrophe.
MANY DEEDS OF HEROISM
Patrolman Condor Distin-
guished Himself Saving
Trapped Tenants.

Twelve lives are known to have been
lost in a destructive fire in Hobolen early
this morning, which gutted four tenements
and rendered sixteen families homeless.
The death list may be far greater, as the
ruins have not yet been searched thor
oughly and reports of missing tenants
are many. These bodies have been iden-
tilted at the morgue:
Bachman, August, is years old
Micharus, Jacob, 80 years old.
Wlnk.er, Editn, years old.
Winkier William, 8 years old.
NVinkler Etta lS months old.
Winkler, Charles, u years old.
Winkler, Fred, years Old
Kess.e .er, August, % years old.
The destroyed buildings were three,
story frame structures and stood in a row
from No. 125 to 131 Adams street. The
flames We're discovered by Patrolman
John Condor shortly before three O'Clock.
He nurrlealy sent IN an alarm, but the
fire had already spread to the adjoining
buildings in the row.
The flaming windows were soon filed
with women and children in. night dress
loudly calling for help. Attracted by
their cries Patrolman r. Kennedy and j.
Kruse came hurrying to the scene. With
Condor they performed some heroic deeds
before the arrival of the hremen.
Entering the smoke filled hall of No. 127
they. carried three women down the
plazing stairway Condor rescued two
chlidran from the top floor of No. 125 sim
gle handed. Crowds cheered him from the
street as he deposited the little ones in
safety on the sidewalk.
John Mcintyre, janitor of Public School
No. 3, stumbled over the body of youth
in the hallway of No. 129. He had tried
to ascend the stairs. but they had al
ready fallen in and all exit from the
house was cut off.
When the firemen arrived from the
ruins of the shore front fire, where they
had been at work, they were greatly
however they performed effective ser
vice. With scaling ladders from the front
and rear they rescued over a score of
tenants who had been hemmed in on the
upper floors.
A brisk breeze from the northeast was
beginning to stir by this time, and Chief
Applegate, sizing up the disastrous pos
sibilities Of the fire, sent in second
alarm, which brought every available
piece Of apparatus in town to his aid
Hosemen Busher and Voller stumbled
over second body in the hallway, of No.
49, It was that of one of band of
musicians with quarters on the top floor,
among whom were Bachman and
Michavous.
1t was in this building that the great
est loss OF life occurred Charles Winkler
and his wife, Margaret, were awakened
from their sleep on the second floor by
the flames licking their faces. Winkler
carried his wife downstairs. Then he
returned for his children, but they were
not in sight. To firenen on the street he
shouted down that he could not leave the
room again.
Patrolman Condor again distinguished
himself Climbing up. the frail ledge of
balustrade on the smoke filled hall he slid
down again with Winkler in his arms. The
hair Of both men was singed from their
headS, but they escaped serious injury.
Winkler's children were asleep in a rear
room and the Hames must have devoured
them in bed: Their bodies. recovered from
the ruins of the tenement after the fire,
were only charred forms. 1t was not pos
sible for the father to recognize any of
them.
Sergeant Thomas Goode, Of the Second.
also made several daring rescuea Goode
carried man out on a ladder from the
rear of No. 125, and Kivlon assisted two
children down the stairs of No. 131.
Inc frail tenements Were consumed like
so many cardboard boxes. 1t is miraculous
that the firemen managed to confine the
Hames as they did, as the destroyed build
ings are in the heart of a wooden tene-
ment district and the stiff breeze shot the
flames out in long tongues across the
street. Chief Applegate kept the adjoin-
ing property well drenched and this was
probably what kept the confiagration in
check.
Up to noon only eight of the bodies had
in the ruins as complete list of the ten
ants cannot yet be learned. One Italian
horseshoer on the first floor of NO >
known as 'Greussepe.'' has not been ac-
counted for and it is supposed that he has
been lost
The origin of the fire is unknown. The
police are Investigating as rumors of
incendiarism are current. The property
was owned by Joseph Lusta, whose loss
will not be over $4,000. The buildings
The Coroner has a party of men search
ing the debris for more bodies