The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-01-03
SIX LOSE LIVES IN FIRE
Mother and Five Children Burned
in New York City.
Father Returns Home to Find ats Entire
Family Wiped Out by Blaze
i'll 3 Tenement

New York City.-A mother and her
five children were burned to death at
night III a fire in q tenement house at
the southeast corner Of Columbus ave-
nue. and Tooth street. Every other one
of the tenants had narrow escapes, and
there were many thrilling rescues.
The house in which the fire occurred,
815 Columbus avenue, is a compare
lively old structure. The lower floor is
occupied by a saloon, and the entrance.
to the apartments is at IA West Tooth
street. An air shaft divides the build
ing from S13 Columbus avenue. and it
was through this air shaft that the
flames spread.
Tile family which was wiped out was
that Of John H. Thomson, a brick
layer. Thomson left his home at z
O'Clock and went to a meeting Of his
union. promising to be home early.
He hurried away from his comrades
when the business of the evening was
over and reached his corner shortly
after 9 o'clock.
He noticed q big crowd around the
corne and saw several fire engines
standing about. When he looked at
his house he saw that something was
wrong, and tried to reach the door.
A policeman stopped him. A %neighbor,
who recognized him, told him that the
place had been burned out. The neigh
Dor didn't know that his family had
been burned, or if he did lacked the
courage to tell him.
where's Annie and tile children?"
asked Thomason.
"They must be around somewhere
the nelghbor replied.
Thomson set :out. to hunt for his
wife and children. From Il house
to another lie ran, growing more and
more alarmed as he could find no trace
of them. Finally a man who knew
him and who knew the fate Of the
family advised him to go to the police
station, half a block away, on West
Tooth street. He did so.
"My names !Themason," he said.
Sim hunting for my wife and babies"
Sergt. Devery left his place and came
out from behind the railing. They're
here" be said. "But you must DO
brave"
Then the sergeant told him that the
bodies Of his wife and children were
in the section room.
The shock so unnerved him that he
had to be led away by friends.
Mrs. Thomas0n was thirty years old.
The children who were burned with
her were William, aged nine; Thomas.
seven; John H., Jr., and Annie. twins,
three years old, and Samuel, the baby,
seven months old.
The fire did $4,000 damage. 1t was
caused by the explosion of a lamp in
the apartment of Francis Hoj!ey,. on
the second floor. Mrs. Holley was not
in the room at the time, and the burn
ing oil, flying in every direction, had
ignited the room in a dozen places
when she ran in 10 see what the trouble
was. The window leading to the air
shaft was up and the flames. famed
by the draught, 500 found their way
out.
Mrs. Holley ran into the hallway
and screamed "Fire" James Radden,
a ten-year-old BOY who lived with his
mother and father and two brothers
on the same floor, heard her cries and,
without stopping to ask any questions,
stuck his head in his door, gave the
/ warning, and then raced downstairs
and to the FIRE alarm boz on the cor
ner.
Policeman Mclaughlin was standing
by the box, and when the boy, all in
tent on his task. grabbed for the
handle. stopped him. The policeman
was informed Of the situation, turned
in the alarm. and, with the boy, hur-
ried to the burning building.
The Raddens and Mrs. Holley had al
ready escaped when Mclaughlin
reached the place. He kept on to the
third floor, where he gave the alarm,
and then mounted to the fourth and
fifth. Willie he was on the fourth floor
he was joined by Policeman Fisher.
When the tenants on the third floor
and from the third floor up started to
escape they found the stairways cut
off by the flames. On the third floor
there were Mr.. and Mrs. Ira Vat Nest
and two children AMI Mr.. and. Mrs.
John J. Hynes and their brother-in-
law.
On the fourth floor were Patrick
Owens, his wife and four children,
and Mrs. Thomas O'Neill and seven
children. O'Neill was away from
home. On the top floor were the Thorn
asons in one 1st and George Negle, his
wife. their daughter, Mrs. Annie Nc
Grath, their son Frederick.
All the occupants Of these three
floors, with the exception of the Thorn
asons, gathered at. the fourth-story
landing. The two policemen went Into
the O'Neill apartments and opened the
| window leading to the fire escape In
the rear of the house. The fire escape
leads down to the roof Of a cobbler's
shop. In the excitement and amid
the swirling smoke nobody noticed the
absence of the Thomson family.