Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-01-04
A FIERCE FIRE IN NEW YORK
Five-story Tenement on First
Avenue Burned Tuesday.
FIFTY PEOPLE ASLEEP IN HOUSE
When the Flames Were Dis
covered In the Hallway.
A baby suirocated and Eleven Persons In
iured-Ths Fire believed to Have Started
from "A Christmns Tree-1t Was One OF the
ttercest Fires the Firemen Bave Had to
Fight In Tenement for Some Time.

rieroest Fires The Firemen Bavs Had 70
Fight in a Tenement for Some Time.
New York, Jan. "a baby 8 life was
lost and IL persons were injured in
fire which destroyed a fve-story tana-
ment on First avenue shortly after a
O'Clock this morning. Three OF the
injured may die.
The dead child is Loretta Leonard,
6 months old, daughter CT Edward \
Leonard.
The following persons were injured:
/ Edward Leonard, hand severely
| lacerated while sliding down rope
from the fifth Hocr to the street; Mrs.
Margaret Leonard, his wife. bruises
and shock; Nancy Leonard. IA years
old, hands lacerated while sliding down
a rope to the street; Thomas Leonard,
12 years old, unconscious from inhal-
| alton of smoke; William Leonard, 10
| years old, unconscious from inhaling
| smoke and flames, condition critical;
Joseph Leonard. 0 years old, uncon-
I-scious from inhaling smoke and flames;
Paulins Tiscbman and Philip Carroll,
4 jumped from second story window
and missed life net: severe contusions
of body; Mrs. Kate Lane, face and
hands burned; James Kellahei, face
| and hands slightly burned while
rescuing girl, Rupert Glove, hands
and face burned while attempting TO
rescue tenants.
The fire, which was one Of the fercest
the tiremen have had to fight in tene-
ment for some time, is believed to have
started frcm a Christmas tree on the
! first floor Candles on the tree had
been lighted about midnight, and it is
+haf of than,
looked and remained lighted after
they we're thought to have been ex-
! tinguished, and set the tree atire. Over
! SO people were sleeping in the house
when the fire started.
, The flames were pouring into the
: hallway from the room in which they
. started when the fire was discovered.
Whom the alarm was asS-----.----irough
, the building, the frightened people
ATTEMPTED to get down the stairs. but
+ were driven back by the smoke. james
Kellaher clasped his hands over mis-
J mouth, and succeeded in getting UP
Q the stairs to render assistance. Ruprert
9 Glove, who made an attempt to go to
q the rescue Of the tenants, was driven
$ back to the street by flames, severely
Q burned. On the third floor, Mr.. Kels
8 lab6r found Ti1iie Powers, 3 years old.
Q The girl had made her way down ono
flight of stairs, and then fallen from,
i exhaustion. Mr.. Kellaher took her in
y his arms and, placing his hands nvcr
II her peyes and mouth, to prevent her
: from inhaling flames or being injured
II thereby, leaped down tho stairway,
70 and ran through the flaming hallway
g to the street. His precaution saved tn
1t child from injury, his own hands 70.
I. ceiying the burns she would otherwise
!, have suffered.
= Meantime, scenes Of terror and ex
IL citement were being enacted on ever,
., floor OF the burning tenement. lnsteac
10 of running to the rear Of the building
1T where the fire was, the inmates Of thu
a. house rushed to the front windows
ly and threw them open. This gave i'm
>, petus to the flames, which were shoot
Ing ur the airshaft and we're showing
20 feet above the roof before any fire
a men had arrived Mrs. Pauline Tisch
man, an aged woman who lived on tn
=. second floor, jumped for the not whicl
=. the tiremen spread, but missed it. Sh
struck the tagging, her right apkl
,d beine sprained and her body severel
4 bruised. She had scarcely struck tn
y. walk Eefore Phillip Carroll, at win
nj dow on the same floor. leaped out. Il
~ too missed the net. Both his ankle
ba were SpIhiDbS uuei io Moa bosA'y .'AAe
" Meanwhile, the firemen had raise
M ladders tc the windows on the lift
III of floor, where Edward Leonard live
n with his wife and six children. Ih
:" firemen found Mr.. Leonard struggliD
~ with his wife. to prevent her jumpin
"a with her 6-months-old child, Loretti
~ from the window. As the tremen 81
ID peared at the window, Mrs. Leonar
;s dropped her baby to the floor. 81
az was seized by the firemen, and take
%. YA down the ladder in a fainting col
IL dition. Mr.. Leonard slid down rop
tar taS followed by his 14-yenrs-old daughte
,ei ,e Nancy, and his 17-years-old son, e.
70 ward. The hands of all three were o.
;re "a to the bone by the friction. Willia
A' Leonard, aged IL years, and JOSEF
Leonard, aged years, were found
he'd unconscious, locked in each other
-, arms. They had inhaled smoke, al
,ai y" were in critical condition. The ho!
IL, Of Loretta Leonard was found by Il
.ne firemen after the fire had been CO
~ trolleil, en- the floor where her moth
IN H' had dropped her. The child had be
,w suffocated. NJ.
Nv wv The loss from the flames is estimat
M at $4,000.