New-York tribune., 1912-01-15
DEATH AND SUFFERING
IN COLD WAVES WAKE
Four SuCCumb to Exposure,
While Numerous Accidents
Keep Hospitals Busy.
2 AGED WOMEN OVERCOME
Gas Pipes Freeze Throughout
City and Add to Misery
Thousand Apply at City
Lodging House.

Lodging House.
Jack Frost loosened his frigid hold on
The city a little yesterday, but not in time
TO avert q continued record OF extreme
sufferng and death because of the pro-
tracted cold wave. Though the mercury
climbed TO o degrees above zero early
Yesterday afternoon-the highest point for
the day-as compared with IL above as
The warmest degree recorded by the Wealth
er Bureau on Saturday. 1t hovered around
zero in the early morning and began TO
drop rapidly toward that point again last
might At a. IN. the official temperature
was / above zero, and at p. m. II reg
sstered ~ above.
The best the local forecaster could do
for suffering humanity in this neghbor-
thood last night was to predict that there
kwas no more zero weather in sight for day
br two at least and that the temperature
would remain sufficiently high during the
night and to-day TO permit King Snow to
heturn to town and leave his white glove
bin all the windows. The official opinion was
expressed, however that the snowfall would
DE light
-Four deaths from exposure were reported
yesterday. There also were an unusually
large number Of accident cases. due to falls
IN the slippery pavement and on other ice
coated surfaces. that were admitted TO the
various hospitals. Two aged women were
found unconscious and nearly asphyXiated
by gas in their home in The Bronx because
of the freezing of the gas pipes during the
might.
Watchman Dead in His Shanty.
Jobn Conroy. seventy years old, who
OH af a bIiild-
ing in course of construction at No. l19
Carter avenue, The Bronx, was found dead
in his shanty from exposure by Patrol
man Kelley, of the fremont station. who
notified Fordham Hospital Dr. Schafer
responded but only could pronounce the
man dead when he arrived.
James Barry thirty-one years old OF
No. 2SS East 47th street. a driver for the
International News Company. toppled from
his wagon in East 42d street. victim ol
the cold. He was dead when DR.. Andrews
of Flower Hospital, arrived with an amou-
lance.
The sudden change from the low temper
ature outside which had chilled him to
the heat of the kitchen Of Fifth avenue
restaurant was the cause of the death OF
Jean " Hourcade, a cook, who llVed at
No 26S West 18th street The man dropped
10 the floor just after he had begun work
and died before Dr. Cunningham, Of the
New York Hospital, arrived.
John Van Ems, an engineer. who was
removed from his home at No. 96S sixth
avenue on Saturday to Bellevue Hospital
suffering from frozen feet and legs, died at
Bellevue yesterday from the effects Of his
exposure.
young woman walked into Bellevue
Hospital yesterday suffering from frost
bites on her hands and asked for treat
ment She wss Miss Annie Kronin, em-
u,oysd as servant at No. 1l4 East S@d
. street
one Of the most aggravated cases of
N frozen hands ever treated at Bellevue, ac-
cording to the hospital physicians, was
that of Edward Mundy, who was sent TO
the hospital from the Municipal Lodging
House at No 432 East 25th street. Mundy
had been staying at the lodging house for
the last three days. and heard Yesterday
that Superintendent Yorke had received an
order for seventy five men to help out in
removing the snow from the streets. Mundy
wanted a place on the list, but because OF
the tattered condition OF lis clothing he
was sent TO a contractor in the neighbor-
hood where he could get lighter work. He
returned to the lodging house with his
hands and arms frozen 10 the elbows
Commissioner Drummond and his son, Mi
chael j., jr., happened to be at the city
lodging house when Mundy came In. The
Commissioner requested superintendent
Yorke to see that the man was properly
clothed before he left Bellevue. at the Com
nissioner's expense Young Mr.. Drum
mond told Superintendent Yorke TO send
the man to MIN as soon as he was able to
II oil. i'm iob
Superintendent Yorke said last night that
Mundy insisted on getting work and not
being classed as charitable inmate OF the
lodging house.
81 had no old clothes TO give Mundy,' he
said. II give them out as fast as they are
sent TO us but they don't come in fast
enough to supply the demand. | wish some
OF our friends and friends of the homeless
would understand that and remember us
more bountfully. So We couldn't warm
Mundys body that way, and tried to per-
suade him not to work out in the open this
weather. but he insisted
The lodging house had more than a thou
sand applicants for shelter from the cold
last night II accommodates about eight
hundred. and the overflow was sent on
board tot steamboat Brennan. which is tied
10 ihc East 2th street pier and is used as
an annex uNiuiE lHt NOlu NtdNHNi'
AGED Women Unconscious from Gas.
Tho case Of the two old women who were
nearly asphyxiatcd Ly leaking gas from the
frozen pipes was sad one. Mrs. Agnes
Wilson the elder Of the two. is ninety
years old iler sister. Mrs. Eliza Roddy, Is
seventy years old. They are both widows
OF Civil War veterans and occupy two hum.
bic rooms in the house at No. AZ East lAth
street The Bronx. They had been unable
10 kcei, warm IN the zero weather of Sat
urday night and lighted the gas In the
combination kitchen, dining room and bed
room In an effort to raise the temperature
Of the rooms.
1t is the theory Of the police that the
gas pipes froze during the coolest part Of
the night, extingulshng tile lights, and
that when they thawed I'm the morning
the gas began TO food the rooms. Other
tenants In the house traced the smell Of
gas to the room occupied by the sisters
and found them both Unconscious In bed
Mrs Wilson was hurried Lincoln Hos
pital in serious condition Her sister
who had not been so badly affected by the
gas, was soon revived and remained at
home.
The gas companies here and in Brook
lyn received hundreds of complaints Of
frozen gas pipes which put the Kitchen