The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-02
MID SMOKE
AND FLAMES.
Fifty Occupants Of a New York
Tenement
Aroused From Their Beds at
Midnight.
BABY BURNS TO DEATH
Eleven Persons Injured of
Whom Three May Die.
Fire Started by Candle on a
Christmas Tree.
BURNS TO DEATH

New York, Jan. "A baby's life was
lost and eleven persons were injured in
fire which destroyed a five-story tenement
IN First avenue, shortly after 1 o'clock
this morning. Three of the injured may
die. The dead child is Loretta Leonard,
six months old daughter of Edward Leon
ard Injured:
Edward Leonard. hand lacerated while
sliding down rope from fifth floor to the
street
Mrs Edward Leonard. bruised.
Nancy Leonard, IA years old, laceration
of hands, caused by sliding down rope to
street.
Thomas Leonard, u years old, inhaled
smoke, unconscious.
VIM Leonard. 10 years Of age, inhaled
smoke and flames, condition critical
Joseph Leonard, 9 years old, uncon-
scious from inhaling smoke and flames
Mrs. Pauline Tischman, and Philip Car
roll jumped from secOndstory window and
missed life net, severe contusions of body.
Mrs. Kate Lane, face and hands burned.
James Kelleher, hands and face burned
while rescuing little girl.
Rupert Glove. hands and face burned.
while attempting to rescue tenants
The fire which was one of the herceSt
that the hremen have had to fight in a
tenement house for some time is believed
70 nave started from a Christmas tree on
the first floor. Candles on the tree had
been lighted about midnight and it is
supposed that some of the candles were
overlooked and remained lighted after
they were thought to have been extin-
guished and set the tree afre. There were
over 50 people sleeping in the house when
the f1Se started The flames were pour
Ing into the hallway of the room from
which 1t Started when the fire was dis
covered
When the alarm was spread through the
building the frightened people attempted
TO get down stairs but were driven back
by the smoke James Kelleher cIasped
his hands over his mouth and succeeded
in getting upon the stairs to render a,ssis-
Rupert Glove who made an attempt
to go to the rescue of the tenants was
driven back by flames, severely burned.
On the third floor Kelleher found Tillie
PoweFs, years old. The girl had made
her way down one flight of stairs and
then FALLEN from exhaustion. KeIleher
took her in his arms and placing his
hands over her eyes and mouth TO pre-
vent her from inhaling flames, leaped
down the stairway and ran through the
flaming hallway to the street. His pre-
own hands receiving the burns she would
otherwise have suffered.
Meantime scenes of terror were being
enacted on every floor of the burning ten
ement.
The fire escape was at the rear of the
building but the inmates 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, be-
fore any f1remen had arrived Mrs. Paul
Inc Itsehman, an aged woman who lived
on the second floor jumped for the net
which the hremen spread but missed it.
She struck the Tagging and was severely
Rn1llp Carroll at a window on the same
floor leaped out. He also missed the net
and was badly bruised Meanwhile the
hremen mad raised ladders to the windows
on the fifth floor where Edward Leonard
lived with his wife and six children The
fremen found found Leonard struggling
with his wife to prevent her jumping
with her six months old baby from the
window As the firemen appeared at
the window Mrs. Leonard dropped her
baby to the floor.
She was carried down the ladder in a
fa1nting condition. Leonard went down
a rope followed by his 14-year-oId daugh-
ter, Nancy. and his 17-year-old son, Ed
ward, the hands of all were cut to the
bone by the friction. The two boys. Will
liam, H. and Joseph, 9, were found in bed
unconscious locked in each others arms.
They had inhaled the smoke and were in
a critical condition.
The body of the Leonard baby was
found after the fire had been controlled
the floor where its mother had drop
ped. The child had been suffocated. The
loss from the flames is estimated at SIS 900.