The Topeka state journal., 1900-06-15
TEN lives LOST.
Tenement House Fire Custom
airy Results.
Gained Great Headway While
Inmates Were Asleep.
MANY HEROIC DEEDS.
Policemen Rescue Tenants at
Risk of Their Lives.
A Mother Sacrifices Her Life For
Her Children.


New York. June 15-Ten lives were
lost and six people We're badly injured
during a fire which almost totally de-
stroyed the old five story tenement, "a
jackson street early today The follow
ing is a list of the casualties;
DEAD.
LOUIS MARION, 40 years old.
ALBERT MARION, IA.
ELSIE MARION. g.
EMMA MARION. g.
NNM. COTTE2, 40.
KATIE COTTER, his wife.
MAMIE COTTER, Is.
JACOB COTTER, IL
KATE COTTER, 13.
JOHN COTTER, 3.
INJURED.
Mary Marion wife of Louis. S6.
Mamie Marion, II.
Frank Marion. y.
Margaret Marion. 9.
George COtter, months.
Patrick Burns. %.
1t is possible that the body identified
as that of Mrs. Kate COtter may prove
to be that of Mrs. Mary Marion, wife of
Louis.
The fire appears to have started in
the rear Of the hallway on the second
floor 1t had gained great headway be
fore the people in the house We're aWak-
ened to their peril.
The Cotter family lived on the fourth
floor. COtter was a labOrer, and in ad-
dition to the children who lost their
lives he had a son George, 4 months old
The Marion family lived on the top
floor. Patrick Burns appears to have
been the first person in the house wnO
was apprised Of the fire. He was awak-
ened by smoke and gave the alarm to
the others In Miss Mary Jordan ;
apartments, where he boarded, all es-
capped except Burns. who was severely
injured by the flames.
Policeman Knowles, after assisting
the Harugau family to escape from the
third floor of the building mounted one
flight higher. Flames shot out of the
windows and set fire to his coat. He
looked into the windows of the CotteT
apartments but could Sc no signs of life
there. The family had moved into the
rooms only a few days before, and the
furniture was so banked up in front of
the windows that the view was OBJ
structed. The brave policemen half suf-
fOcated by the smoke continued tC
climb the fire escape till he reached the
top floor. He heard screams coming
from the Mulhearn apartments and To-
eating them. assisted the dazed people
down the fire escapes.
Louis Marion was killed by jumping
from a window When the firemer
reached the apartments Of the family
three of the family We're dead on tht
floor and the others unconscious.
In the COtter rooms were found Mrs
Cotter, while a few feet away lay tn
body of Mr.. Cotter with a dead chilt
under him. In other parts of the rooms
were found the remaining members o
the family Only two of them Mani
and George, the latter 4 months old
We're alive.
Policeman Peter Purified who ha,
followed the other officers to the fir
had reached the top of the first flight o
stairs when Patrick Burns one of Mis-
Jordan's boarders, with his night shir
blazing. jumped over the banister
within Few feet of the officer. He fe
IN a heap at the bottom of the stairs
Purdeld carried him to the street an
tore his blazing garment from hin
Burns was blackened all over by tn
IRE and appeared to be deliriOus II
broke from the policeman crying: "
want TO save my pants" and rushe
back into the burning house. Purfel
overlook him and brought him out agai
and the man then sank from pain an
exhaustion on the sidewalk Purified re
entered the house and made his way
the rear of the hallway on the first foo
Just as he was about to go into tn
yard, Marion jumped from the fft
floor and fell at his feet. Mamie Col
ter died as soon as she arrived at II
hospital.
When officer Knowles reached IL
Marion apartments a confusion Of fan
and smoke burst into his face In II
midst of it all, with uightgowns on fl
and their hair blazing, four of the chi
dren were tearing about the roo
shrieking in terrible agony. Mrs Ma
ion was huddled near the window Wit
her bare arms wrapped about her bab
she was gasping for air
Three rushes were made into Il
flames by the terrifiedWoman and Ma
gerry, Frank and Mamie were brougl
to Knowles after he had taken II
baby. The blisters and scars We
swelling on his hands and arms. but
conquered his agony and finished n
work on the floor by finally carrying Il
fainting form of the coura geous moth
down the fire escape
A few moments afterward the wons
died. She had literally sacrificed herse
FOR her babies.
the monetary loss caused by the fl
is estimated at from $4,000 to 81 900.
RAHRRRM