New-York tribune., 1903-01-17
TWO LIVES LOST IN FIRE.
STORE BLAZE SPREADS.
MOfOrmaGn Rams Eleuated Tram
Ouer Blazing Track.

when the wooden portions Of ii fwere blazing
motorman ran a train over them. frightening
many passengers. For time the fire threat
ened the destruction of several buildings ad-
joining the store, and several Of them were
damaged. The drygoods store took in the build
ings No, 2,1S4 to 2.192 Thrd-ave. inclusive,
AL story frame structures. which were
erected about fifty years ago, and extended
along the avenue from One-hundred- -and-nine-
teenth-st nearly to One-hundred- -and-twentieth
81. The dead
porter q
5osEPHsoN, Miss T5ernnia, twenty years old, head
hundred and -tweiftf-st
When the fire was discovered at $40 .. m.
there were hundred and twenty-five en-
ployes on the two floors. about one hundred of
them being women and girls. Others in the store
were about fifteen customers and Emil Aarons
and Leopold Wertheimer, the proprietors.
Smoke was seen by one of the
p1oyes, who once shouted and to the
quarters of Engine No 80, in One-hundred-and-
nineteenth-st-, close TO the building. The fire
men ran TO the fire and the captain at once sent
in a second and then third alarm Battalion
Chief Short. who arrived, sent in fourth alarm.
When the alarm given about score of the
employees ran out to Third-ave-, and a great
many rushed to the yard. in the rear, and made
for -hundred-and-ninete through
runway.
Catherine Creedon, Of No. 152 East One-hun-
dred-and -twelfth-st., was talking with another
ernploye Mary Bankraft, when the fire started.
and they ran to the Office and told Mr. Aarons
and Mr.. Wertheimer. Aarons ran to Miss Jo-
sephson and cried out TO her:
Put the books away and get out quickly
as you CAM
Whether the young woman put the books
away Will never be known, as she not seen
again alive.
Annie Robinson. Of No 642 East one-hun-
dred-and- d-flfty-scventh-st-. the cashier took sew
eral hundred dollars, the days receipts and
10 the street.
MAN JUMPS TO SAFETY
On the ground floor some Of the employees, in
Guiding women, were fighting the fire in the rear
with buckets Of water and fire extinguishers.
They were put to flight by the flames. Many
employees on the second floor ran to the roof of
the building and TO the roofs of the next build
ings, and got down to the street
John Shuber. of No 1,56S Fifth-ave., who
happened 10 be walking up Third-ave. the
fire started. saw a man and two women appear
at second floor window. The broke the
glass and jumped to the sidewalk a distance of
about twelve feet. He landed safely. The
women were apparently afraid to take the
Jump. and one Of them seemed to be overcome
by faintness. She fell from the window back
TO the floor. The other woman disappeared
It is supposed that one Of the women was Miss
Josephson. One of them must have escaped as
only one woman was burned.
Rose wolders and Edith Krause. employees,
We're on the second floor Miss Wolders ran to
the bottom OF the stairs on the ground floor,
and tainted. Miss Krause picked her up and.
with her feet dragging along the ground, half
carried her to The street where she revived.
Miss Ainslee Of No. 249 East Sixteenth-st..
was burned about the hands in getting some
of her property.
few minutes after the fire started it had
complete possession Of the store. and was send
ing out sheets Of flame against the elevated
railroad structure. The wooden ties and string
pieces on the structure were ignited quickly.
Flames were spreading the structure and
shooting UP from it. when electric train well
filled with passengers approached The motor
man nearly stopped the train, then suddenly
decided TO run the train through. He sent the
train along with rush. but it seemed to many
frightened passengers that they were in danger.
as the flames shot UP by the windows on each
side Of the cars and through the spaces between
them.
Inside the cars there was comparative silence
The terror the suddenness with which the pas
sengers realized that they were going through
flames and the rapid shooting past them. pre-
vented a panic The heat of the flames could be
felt inside the cars. No more trains were run
-bro1pb the fire Firemen got 10 work quickly
On the elevated structure, and soon extingulshed
,ba flames there Some ties were damaged, and
. good deal of insulation wires was burned
The flames that shot across the elevated road
srnf+ed tlhe butcher shop of Richard Weber Nos
. 1a7 and . 1913 Third-ave. His employees helped
NM ont the fire there. Flames spread TO the
rear Of the five story brick apartment house at
No ooa4 -Four houses were badly damaged
Cartain Sanford and the men OF Fire Patrol
No : helped many people out, as the smoke was
dense.
The FIRE burned for an hour. When the bodies
Of Miss Josepnson and John Cottain were recov-
cred from the ruins they were taken 10 the po-
lica station in One hundred -tw enty sixth
s. where rbey were identified Miss Josephson's
body was identified by her father, Solomon, and
her sister Freda Mrs. Cottain, wife of the en-
k1neer and porter reported her husbands fall
pre 10 return home. She was Mortified on re-
turning 10 the station later to see MS bodg- She
had To lie carried away by friends
Pauline Cehlraus, of No. 232 East ohe-hun-
dredth-st who had been reported missing put
who escaped said she had seen Miss Josephson
safe in the street but that she had returned TO
save the cash.
Cottain's body found in the basement
gas engine and a boiler were in the mlddle OF
the basement while the employees lockers were
in the rear. The employees were not ailo"eu
there except at morning and night Ihis was
where the FIRE started. from an unknown orlsih'
Cottain's body lay close by the engine IN d
pile Of burned debris
Fire Marshal Freei last night questioned
Aavf