Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-02
Baby Sufocated and Eleven Persons
Injured in New York.
BLAZE STARTED IN CHRISTMAS TREE
Over Fifty People Were Asleep in
the Building.
MANY NARROW ESCAPES

NEW YORK. January "a baby's life
was lost and eleven persons were injured in
a fire which destroyed a five-story tene-
r1ent In 1st avenue shortly after l o'clock
this morning. Three of the injured may die
Inc dead child is Loretta Leonard, six
months old. daughter of Edward Leonard.
The following persons We're injured:
Edward Leonard. hand severely lacerated
while sliding down a rope from fifth floor
to the street.
Mrs. Margaret Leonard, his wife, bruises
and shock.
Nancy Leonard, fourteen years old, lacer-
alton of hands, caused by sliding down rope
to street.
Thomas Leonard, twelve years old, un-
conscious from inhalation of smoke
William Leonard. ten years old, uncon-
scious from inhaling smoke and flames;
condition critical
Joseph Leonard, nine years old, uncon-
scious from inhaling smoke and flames
Pauline Tischman and Phillip Carroll
jumped from second-story window and
missed life net; severe contusions of BODY
Mrs Kate Lane. face and hands burned.
James kelleber. hands and face slightly
burned while rescuing little girl
Ruppert Glove, hands and face burned
"hile attempting to rescue tenants.
Started From n Christmas Tree,
The fire, which was one of the fiercest
that the firemen have had to fight in a
tenement house for some time, is believed
TO nave started from a Christmas tree on
the 1rst floor. Candles on the tree had
peen lighted about midnight, and it is sup
posed that some of these candles were over
looked and remained lighted after they
We're thought to have been extinguished
and set the tree atire There were over
fifty people sleeping in the house when the
fire started.
The flames were pouring into the hallway
from the room in which the fire started
when 1t was discovered. When the alarm
was spread through the building the fright
ened people attempted to get down the
stairs but were driven back by the smoke
James kelleher clasped his hands over his
mouth and succeeded in getting I'D the
stairs to render assistance. Rupert Glove
VINO made an attempt to go to the rescue
of the tenants. was driven back to the
street by flames. severely burned. On the
third floor keleher found Tillie Powers
1lVe years old. The girl had made her way
down one flight of stairs and then fallen
from exhaustion. Keleher took her in his
arms, and placing his hands over her eyes
and mouth, to prevent her from inhaling
fames or being injured thereby leaped
down the stairway and ran through the
flaming hallway to the street His precau-
ton saved the child from injury, his own
hands receiving the burns she would other
wise have suffered
Scenes of Terror and Excitement
Meantime scenes Of terror and excitement
were being enacted on every floor of the
burning tenement. Instead Of running to
the rear of the building. where the fire es-
cape was. the inmates of the house rushed
to the front windows and threw them open.
This gave impetus to the flames. which
were shooting up the air shaft and were
showing twenty feet above the roof, before
any firemen had arrived. Mrs. Pauline
T!schman, aged woman, who lived on
the second floor. jumped for the net which
the firemen spread, but missed it. She
struck the tagging, her right ankle being
sprained and her body severely bruised.
She had scarcely struck the walk before
Philip Carroll, at a window the same
floor, leaped out. He, too, missed the net.
Both his ankles were sprained and he was
badly bruised
Meanwhile the f1remen had raised ladders
to the windows on the fifth floor. where
Edward Leonard lived with his wife and
six children. The tremen found Leonard
struggling with his wife to prevent her
Jumping with her stX-months-old babe, Lo-
retta, from the window. As the tiremen ap-
peared at the window, Mrs. Leonard DROP
ped her baby to the floor.
Seized by the Firemen.
She was seized by the fremen and taken
down the ladder in a fainting condition
Leonard slid down a rope, followed by his
fourteen year-old daughter Nancy and his
seventeen-year-old son Edward. The hands
of all three were cut to the bone by the
friction The two boys, William, eleven,
and Joseph. nine, were found in bed un-
conscious, locked in each others arms
They had inhaled smoke and were in a
critical condition.
The body of Loretta, the little Leonard
baby, was found by the firemen after the
fire had been controlled on the floor where
its mother had dropped 1t. The child had
been suffocated.
The loss from the flames is estimated at
SIS, 900.