The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-06-16

14bulb AAdIlDlf 1Os
Mary Marion, 81.
Elsie Marion, 8.
Mamie Cotter 13.
The Injured are: Mamie Marion, IS
years old; Margaret MARION, ID; Frank
Marion, IL; Marion (girl) Q; a boy baby
ten months, supposed to be of Mulhearn
family; Patrick Burns, 90 unknown boy,
OF these Burns will surely die, 1t was
said. The others suffered from inhaling
smoke and are in serious condition.
. The fire appears to have started in the
rear OF the hallway on the second floor.
1t had gained great headway before the
people in the house were awakened to
their peril.
Alderman James J. Smith Of the I2th
district has saloon known as the Ru-
dolph on the ground floor Of the building.
Over him lived Miss Mary Jordan with
her brother Patrick, a widower, two small
children and five boarders, among the
latter Patrick Burns, a longshoreman.
Miss Jordan occupied apartments on both
sides of the hallway. Above her ON the
easterly side of the third floor lived Mrs.
Mary Hartigan, a widow. with her two
sons, William and James, and her daugh-
ter Annie. The apartments on the other
side Of the hall were vacant as were those
over them on the fourth floor, same side.
On the other side of the fourth floor lived
the Cotter family. Cotter was a laborer,
and in addition to the children who lost
their lives, he had a sen George, four
months old. Over the Cotter's ON the top
floor lived Edward Mulhearn, his wife
Maggie, his children, Edward, seven,
Francis, IL, Edwin, months old, and a
boarder, Larry Kilroy. The Marion
family occupied the other half of the top
floor.
Patrick Burns. so far as can be learned,
appears to have been the first person in
the house who was appraised of the fire.
He WAS awakened by smoke and he cried
aloud to Miss Jordan, who aroused her
brother, his children, and the boarders.
She became greatly excited when it was
found that they could not get down stairs
through the hall. Fear seemed to
paralyze her and her brother had to drag
her to the window and assist her along
between 1t and o high sign to the adjoin-
ing house All of the others, except
Burns, got out the same way.
Several policemen distinguished them
selves at the fire. When Officer James
Knowles heard the alarm he ran into SO
jackson street and across the corner of
Smiths saloon to the fire escape on the
front of the burning building. He made
his way up the fire escape to the third
floor. Flames We're pouring from the
windows of the fourth tioor and from all
of the other windows smoke was coming
IN clOuQS. At Int Wl0uDW vi ItT dDlTl-
ments on the third floor stood Mrs. Harti-
gan, paralyzed with fear and supported
by her two sons. Policemen Selig, Cum
ningham and Deylin had followed
Knowles up the fire escapes and took
charge of the Hartigan family and as
sisted them to the street, while Knowles
mounted one flight higher. Flames shot
out of the windows and set fire to the
tails of his coat. He looked into the win.
dows Of the Cotter apartments, nut could
see no signs of life. The family had
moved into the rooms only few days be-
fore, and the furniture was so banked up
in front of the windows that the view
was obscured. The brave policeman, half
suffocated by the smoke, continued to
climb the fire escape till he reached the
top floor. He heard screams coming from
the Mulhearn apartments and locating
them assisted the daEed people down the
fire escapes. Louis Marion was killed by
jumping from window. When the fire
man reached the apartments of the
family three of them Were dead on the
floor and the others unconscious.
Further details of the heroism of Officer
Knowles show that when he reached the
Marion apartments flames 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
were tearing about the room shrieking in
terrible agony. Mrs. Marion huddled
near the window. With her bare arms
wrapped about her baby, she was gasping
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 and Mamie
were brought to Knowles arms after he
had taken the baby out. The blisters and
scars were swelling on his hands and
arms, but he swallowed his agony and
finished his work on the floor by finally
carrying the fainting form of the courage
GUS mother down the fire escape. A few
moments afterward the woman died. She
had literally sacrificed herself for her
babies.
In the Cotter rooms were found Mrs.
Cotter, while few feet away lay the
body Of Mr.. Cotter with a dead child un-
der him. In other parts of the rooms
were found the remaining members of the
family. Only two of them, Mamie. and
George, the latter four months old, We're
alive.
Three ambulance calls were sent out.
Policeman Peter Furtield, who had fol-
lowed the other officers to the fire went
into the hallway of the burning house
and attempted to get up the stairs. He
reached the top of the first flight when
Patrick Burns, one Of Miss Jordan's
boarders, with his night shirt blazing,
jumped over the b4nistsrs within q few