Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-29
FOUR LOSE LIVES in FIRE
DESTROYING CITY HOME, NORTH
CAMbRIDCE--OTHERS ARE SAVED

Cambridge. Mass. Dec. ga round
up of the citys dependents today re-
yealed that four lives were lost in the
fire at the City Home in North Cam
bridge, at last midnight. The dead are
women ranging in age from 65 to 81
Years Three were burned to death
and the fourth died from burns soon
after she was removed from the build
ing. At a hospital are 20 other aged
men and women suffering from shock
and exposure.
Two hundred and thirty eight per-
sons were housed in the home, a four
story brick rotunda building of anti
quated pattern unequipped with fire
escapes. 1t was built in 1851. The ro-
tunda with the offices was burned out
Wings on either side, which were &C.
cupied as dormitories, were not great
ly damaged and the financial loss
probably will not exceed $4,000 The
fatalities occurred in attempts to es-
cape through anne and smoke-fillea
corridors.
The dead
Mrs. Mary Dunn. rs years old.
Mrs. Eliza Greenleaf. 81 years old.
Mrs. Schultz, IS years old
Mrs. Theresa Forbes, 65 years old.
Many others among the 23S in
mates. mostly aged men and women,
suffered severely from fright and ex-
posture and several were partly over
come by smoke. Police, firemen ana
nurses assisted them down stairwayS,
Gre escapes and ladders and while the
building was burning they were careo
FOR by nearby residents. Later the ma
iority of the inmates were taken ID
two city buildings and provided with
mattresses.
The theory that the fire had started
from spontaneous combustion IN
paint room was upset today when an
investigation proved that the point OF
origin was at some distance from this
room. in a meat storage department
ir, the basement. Shooting up auhhp
waiter shaft the flames left the mrs.
and second floors practically I'M
seathed and spread out through the
third floor, containing the principal
sleeping quarters.
Burned to Death in Beds
One portion OF this floor was d.
yided by wooden partitions into siiiaii
commandments, each occupied py wv
or three women. The three women VINO
were killed, were in two OF these liiy
yoa,ps close to the top of the snaIt
Two of them were burned In their
beds. The third managed to reach the
corridor. where she was caugft In the
flames Mrs. Greenleaf also was un
able to get up and was badly .purnea
before rescuers discovered her.
In one large room were 16 bed-radoen
women, All were carried out unln1ureo,
a woman with a baby born week ago
was among those saved.
Watohman's Goodness
A more disastrous spread OF the
flames probably was averted by ths
GOODNESS of the Waterman, James ma
cau. who discovered the blaze. After
giving the alarm he rushed back TO
the basement and kept stream from
the emergency hose playing on the nre
until the firemen arrived. Hagan saiu
he was at a loss to tell how the fire
started.
"There wasn't thing in the meat
goon. to my knowledge he said, tnas
would have made a fire. There was
gas let but it was not lighted anu
the gas cock was not open.
Able Bodied Assist
The more able bodied among the m
mates worked hard to assist theii
more unfortunate companions INTO the
omen. The stairways were not reacheu
hv the flames. but the occupants d
some of the rooms could not reacn
them and were helped down nre es-
canes and ladders. Many We're heip-
less and were carried out. The nignt
nurses in charge of the women's Waras
were Mrs. Minnie Fitzpatrick, MISS
Marion johnson. Mrs. Florence Hah
and Miss Nellie Coyne. Miss Johnson
said one of the women informed ner
that there was smoke in her room.
The nurse went into the corridor anu
found 1t filled with smoke. She aroused
the wife of the superintendent, tnea
FASTENED to the room where the l"
women lay helpless.
A Terrible Scene
1T was terrible scene saAo "A'7'
Johnson. Most Of the old ladies' were
screaming to be helped out. The smoke
was SO dense that could hardly see my
way about Some OF the policemen came
up the fire escape and We began to get
the women down TO the ground. All this
while the other nurses we're working IKE
beavers in their wards rescuing their
charges"
Rev. Fr. John r. McCool pastor OF
St. Johns Roman Catholic church. was
a prominent figure In the rescue work
Not content with giving spiritual conso-
lation to the injured. FIR McCool al
though impaired by iameness. several
times entered the building and helped
carry out disabled inmates.