The Van Buren press., 1900-10-20
A NEW YORK HOLOCAUST.
Eight People Either Burned to
Death or Suffocated ip q
Tenement Fire.
A NUMBER OF THRILLING EXPERIENCES.
Mother and Three Children ana
the Mother of the Woman Out OF
One Family Among the Dead-A
Horrihed Crowd Saw Mrs. Horo'
witt Burned to Death.

New York, Oct. iS.-Eight people
were either burned to death or sutfo'
Gated in fire which partially de-
stroyed the three-story and attic
frame double tenement house, A. and
45lb Hester street.
The Dead.
Sarah Sass, 36 years old.
Samuel Sass, 10.
Lena Sass, 8.
Morris Sass, 2.
Mrs. Horowitz 46.
Rosa Lewis, so.
Mendel Strauss, GO,
Samuel Strauss, 20.
Mary Murray, aged 40, Was severe
ly burned about the back, and was
taken to hospital.
Discovery of the Fire.
The fire was discovered shortly af-
ter 1880 a. m. by the janitor of the
building. He ran out into the hall
to find it ablaze. His shouts aroused
the others in the house, but the flames
had already gained fierce Roadway
and few of those in the building had
time to save themselves by the stairs.
The Sass Family.
On the third floor of No. 45 lived
Charles Sass, his wife and four chill
dren, his mother-in-law and Mrs
Horowitz. Sass took the child near
est at hand and rushed to the fire es-
escape, He managed to get down to
the balcony in front of the building
on the second floor, and supposed that
his wife and the others were follow
ing him.. Mrs. Horowitz was the only
one who followed him, however. She
took the child from his arms when
she saw their escape cut off, and cried
to a policeman below to catch it, The
policeman held out his arms, and as
the child fell he caught it safely and
shouted to her TO drop. She had al
ready hung down and dropped to the
ground.
Mrs. Horowitx' Death.
Mrs. Horowitz was about to drop
when the flames suddenly burst
through an awning on the first floor
with such fury that she was driven
back against the wall, and her only
escape was cut Off. So fierce were the
flames that burst ut same time from
the awning below, from the window
behind her, and from the floor of the
balcony under her feet that 1t was
impossible for the fremen to rescue
her. On the balcony, only few feet
above the ground, but hedgcd in on
all sides by flames, she was burned to
death before the eyes of the Mortified
crowd gathered in the street.
Mrs. Sass ana Her Little Son.
Mrs. Sass, with little Morris, had
been unable to get further than the
window when they were both over
come by smoke, and persisted. Lena
Sass ran into the hallway, and was
caught by the flames there end died.
Samuel tried 90 rescue Mrs. Rosa
Lewis from the flames, but was I'M
successful, and they persisted togeth-
err. Their bodies were found in the
nulIWUN, IOt liu n N'iii
about the aged woman's waist as
though he died while trying to drag
her out.
Mendel strauss ana Son.
rhe front room in the attic was oc-
cupied by Mepdel Strauss and his son,
Samuel. Both were suifocatcd before
they could escape.
Mary Murray and Mary Martin,
scrub women, who lived in an apart
ment back of the Strauss, were awak-
ened by the smoke and cries, and
started down the rear stairway,
reaching the ground In safety, On the
stairs the Martin womnn's dress
caught Are, but the flames were beat
en- out by Mrs. Murray, who was
slightly burned in the back.
The loss by Are Is estimated at $6,-