New-York tribune., 1912-03-02
MOTHER AND CHILD DIE
IN FIRE; SCORE SAVED
Policemen Make Many Re cues
from Blazing Tenement
House in Harlem.
TAKE WOMEN FROM WINDOW
One Is Swung Across Five-Foot
Space While Unconscious, and
Is Finally Carried Down
Ladder to Street.

| ing by sofa and ciasping the latter to
her breast to shield her from the flames
were burned TO death yesterday after
noon by fire that ragged through n tene-
mcnt house at the northeast corner OF
! Amsterdam avenue and 10th street.
! The mother who pcrished was Mrs. Mar
garet Connolly. wife of Peter Connolly,
an employe of tho Department Of High
ways. and the child was her daughter,
Mary, three years old
! The fire started at time when every
body in the five story building was
awake. Yet so rapidly did the flames
spread that twenty persons were trapped
on the upper floors. and only escaped by
being rescued by patrolmen, firemen ond
citizens.
The aged mother OF Mrs. Connolly. Mrs.
Jane Doorley, and a nephew Of Mrs. Con-
nelly, Walter Conroy, twenty-five years
old were rescued from the Connolly
apartment. which was on the top floor,
by Patrolmen William T. Donohue md
William Glynn of the West 125th street
station. They risked their lives in
swinging the aged woman. who had been
overcome by the smoke, from a window
Of her apartment across a space Of hve
feet to the fire escape in front OF the
building.
The fire started about 4 o'clock. II
was a few minutes before that time that
Mrs. Grace Roach. who occupied with
her daughter. Mrs Joseph Toohey. an
apartment on the first floor, went to a
small storeroom under the ground floor
stairway to get a fur boa, with which
Che intended 10 make earmuffs for her
daughters two children. She returned
to her apartment, and was making the
earmuffs when one Of the children
smeled smoke and gave the alarm.
Woman on Fire Escape.
BY the time the first fremen arrived
the flames had spread to such an extent
that second alarm was turned In. This
brought additional Are apparatus. De-
putty Chief Mccartney and Chief Ken
lon.
Mrs Kate Dugan, who lived on the
second floor. appeared on the fire escape
platform opposite her apartment. CLOUD
of smoke burst from the window. She
recovered herself and loosened the ex-
tension ladder and descended to the
street
At the slime time Patrolman Donohue
ioI hoi
cended the stairs to help any persons
Who might be in the house. Patrolman
Glynn ascended the fire escape to the
snfth floor. In the nth floor apartment
Donohue found Mrs. Connelly's mother
and nephew. the former having been
overcome by smoke. The patrolman
slammed the door OF the apartment.
which had been opened by Conooy, the
nephew. prior to his making an ineftec-
final effort to drag Mrs. Doorley down
,bo stairway. The flames had spread to
rho furnishings OF the Connolly apart
ment and the rooms were hlled with
smoke.
Donohue carried the woman to the
window and seized her by the ankles,
while her body lay on the window Sill.
Then he directed Conboy, the nephew.
10 brace himself against the sill and
hold him while he made the daring at
,empt. Donohue leaned far out or the
window and lowered Mrs. Doorleys
bodv. The unconscious form of Mrs
Doorlev hung head downward more than
10
sidewalk. Through the clouds OF drift
ing smoke the crowd in the street
watched his action in amazemcnt Then
Donohue swung the body. 1t seemed
that he could not retain his own hold
and that both he and the aged woman
would be thrown to the sidewalk.
Glynn, in the meanwhile had thrust
his feet between the bars Of the fire
escape railing and leaned over the space,
holding with one hand to the iron lad
der leading from the platform to the
roof. The body Of the aged woman
swung more and more. At length. after
what seemed an eternity, Patroman
Glynn caught the womans arms and
drew her safely to the fire escape plat
form. A cheer went up from the crowd
i'm the street
Donohues work was not over. He
still had fifteen rescues to assist in. and
he returned to the room and dragged
Conboy through the wall Of flame to the
nth floor hallway, then out upon the
fire escape. Patrolman Glynn had in
dnH
conscious form Of the aged woman.
Donohue started the descent, holding in
his arms the daZed young man. When
he reached the third floor platform
sheet of flame burst forth and enveloped
the two. Donohue was blinded for a
moment. but continued his descent
reaching the street in safety.
Policeman's Face Seorehed.
Donohues face was scorched and his
uniform had caught fire In several
places. but he remounted the iron ex-
tension, ladder and continued his rescue
work. With the aid of Glynn he took
one after the other four women and
man from the second floor and woman,
her tatner anu thiee ch''uie" iiohi III"
fifth floor
The two policemen next rescued six
persons from the third floor. These were
Mrs. Mary Simpson. her brother. John
McSherry: her mother, Mrs. Julia NC
sherry. and her three children.
The police estimated the damage Ak
$4,000. but this estimate did not include
The value OF the apartment furnishings.
Mrs. Roch later told the police she had
lighted a match and thrown II on the
1oor ,vhiIe I'm the storeroOm.