Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-06-16
TEN LIVES LOST.
Seven Badly Injured in F ire
at New York.
Men, Women and Children Burned and
and Killed by Jumping.
Heroic Rescues-One Woman Sacrifices Her
self Tor Her Children.

strOyed a tenement house at ~ jack
son street, early today
The dead-Wm. Cotter. 40 years old;
Mrs. Kate Cotter. IS: Mamie Cotter. 10;
Joseph Cotter. II: Kate COtter. 8: John
C1tter. 3: William Cotter. |; Louis
Marion 40: Mary Marion, 81; Elsie
Marion. ..
The injured-Mamie Marion. IS years
ola: Margaret Marion, IA; Frank Ma
rion. Il: Emma Marion. :; Antoinette
Marion. infant: Patrick Burns, %; Al
bert Marion. -.
OF these. Burns will surely die, it
was said The others suffered from
inhaling smoke and are in Il serious
condition.
The fire appears TO have started in
the rear If the hallway on the second
for. II had gained great Roadway be
fore the people in the house We're
awakened to their peril.
Alderman James j. Smith Of the 18th
district has a saloon known as the Ru-
dolph on the ground floor of the build
ing over him lived Miss Mary Jordan
with her brother. Patrick. widower.
two small children and five boarders.
among the latter Patrick Burns. a
i1lSSI4OltiiIAil. MISS Jhl YAH w hlitNi
apartments on both sides Of the hall
way. Above her on the casterly side
OF the third floor lived Mrs. Mary
Hartigan, a widow. with her two sons.
VIM. and James. and her daughter.
Annie The apartments on the other
side of the hall We're vacant as We're
those over them on the fourth floor,
same side. on the other side of the
fourth floor lived the COtter family.
Co5ter was labOrer, and in addition
to the children who lost their lives, he
had a son. George, four months old
over the COtters on the top floor lived
Edward Mulhearn. his wife Maggie, his
children, Edward. !; Francis. IL: Ell
win. : months old. ana a boarded. Lar
~ kilray. The Marion family Occu-
pied the other half of the top floor.
Patrick Burns. so far as can be learn
ed. appears to have been the first per-
son in the house who was apprised Of
the fire. He was awakened by smoke
and cried aloud to Miss Jordan. who
aroused her brother his children ana
the boarders. She became greatly eX
cited when it was found that they
could not get down stairs through the
hall. Fear seemed To paralyZe her ana
her brother had to drag her IL the
window and assist her along over tn
cornicr If Smiths saloon and between
1t ana 4 high wall to the adjoining
room All Of the theirs, except Burns
got out the same way.
Several policemen distinguished
themselves at the fire. When officer
James Knowles heard the alarm h. ran
into &c jackson street and across the
corner of Smiths saloon to the fire IS
cape on the burning building r.
made hiS way up the fire escape a. the
third floor. Flames We're pouring from
the windows uf the fourth floor ANA
from an Of the other windows smoke
was coming in clouds.
At the window # her apartments on
the third floor stood Mrs. Hartgan.
paralyzed with fear ana supported by
her TWO sons Policemen Selig. Gun
ningham and Devliu had followed
Knowles up the fire escapes and took
charge If the Hartgan family ana as
sisted them to tn" street while Knowles
mounted one flight higher. Flames
shot out Of the windows and st fire to
the tails Of his coat He looked into
the windows Of the "otter apartments
but could see ~ signs # life The
family had moved into TIN rooms only
a FEW days before ana the furniture
was 50 banked up in front of the Win
doWS that the view was ubscured.
The brave policeman half suffnclted
by the smoke. continued u climb the
fire escape till he reached the top floor
He heard screams coming from the
B Tr1Ih inc
them assisted the dazed people down
the fire escapes.
Louis Marion was killed by jumping
from a window. When the tiremen
reached the apartments If the family
, three If them We're dead on the floor
and the others unconscious
Further details Of the heroism Of Of
ficer Knowles show that when he
reached the Marion apartments flame
and smoke burst into his face. In the
midst of the furnace with night gowns
ablaze and their hair on fire, four Of
the children We're tearing about the
room shrieking in terrible agony.
Mrs. Marion huddled near the win
dow. With her bare arms wrapped
about her baby. she was gaspng for
! the air let in by Knowles fist which
! shattered the window panes. Three
trips We're made into the flames by the
, terrified woman, and Margery. Frank
ard Mamie We're brought to Knowles
arms after he had taken the baby out.
The blisters and scars We're swelling
on his hands and arms. but he swallow
ed his agony and finished his work on
! the floor by finally carrying the faint
ing form Of the courageous mother
down the fire escape.
\ few moments afterward the woman
died. She had literally sacrificed herself
for her babies.
Y In the Cotter rooms We're found Mrs
Co;ter. while few feet away lay the
body of Mr.. Cotter with dead child un.
der him. In other parts Of the room were
found the remaining members Of the fam.
! lily. Only two of them. Mamie and
George, the latter months old. were
| alive.
Three ambulance calls were sent out
Policeman Peter Purtield. who had fol
! lowed the other officers to the fire. went
! into the hallway of the burning house
and attempted to go up the stairs. H
! reached the tor of the first flight wheT
| Patrick Burns. one Of Miss Jordan's
b0arlers. with his hight shirt blazing
jumped over the banisters within few
feet of tie officer. He fell in a heap a
the bottom of the stairs. Purified car
rild him TO the street and tore his bIaz
ing garment from him. Burns was black
Ill l,, H.. 4