New-York tribune., 1920-02-05
Brokers' Wife Suffocated
in Vain Attempt to Save
Barbara. Id, and Ellen,
10, in Blaze at Home
Trapped Upstairs
By Dense Smoke
Bodies Are Discovered bv
Fireman; Husband Is
Frustrated

SufFocated by dense smoke which
rapidly bilowed upward through the
building, Mrs Edith Hall Morgan, wife
of w. Forbes Morgan. of the brokerage
firm of Morgan, Livermorc & Co, II
Broadway, and her two children, Bar
bara, fourteen years old, and Ellen, ten
years old, lost their lives in a fire at
Mrs. Morgan's home, 52 West Ninth
Street. shortly before A o'clock yester-
day morning.
Mr.. Morgan. who has been living
away from his family, at 176 East
Seventeen Street, was notified and
rushed to the Mercer Street police sta
ton. There he identified the bodies of
his wife and children. He was pros
trated.
Mrs. Morgan, it is believed, lost her
life because of her attempt to save the
lives of the two girls. Prompted by
motherlove and disregarding her own
safety, she rushed up to the fourth
floor of her home when she was awak
ened by the smell of smoke. Before
she could reach her children, who had
been sleeping in fourth-s story exten-
sion of the house, she was overcome
by smoke aud collapsed. She was
found later in bedroom.
Girls Tried to Escape
Ellen's body was found in the bath
room, where she had gone to open
: window to let in some air. Barbara
died at the head of the stairway on
the fourth floor Mrs Morgan and
her two children were in their night
clothes. Their bodies we're not burned
but were blackened by the smoke.
According to the statement of John
eastman, assistant fire marshal. the
blaze was caused by an overheated
furnace. Inc upper part of the build
ing was not burned. The death of Mrs
Morgan and the two young girls was
caused by suffocation The smoke was
so dense that it spread to the home Of
Chester Dale. at 54 Vest Ninth Street,
forcing Mr.. Dale and his stepson, Muir
lay Thompson, to lead Mrs. Dale, who
was i'll, over several slippery ice
coated roofs to the home of neighbor
The blaze, which caused $4,000 dam
age, was discovered by Mrs. W. S.
Sloan. who lives in the Hampshire
When Major f. c. DeKay, brother of
Mrs. Sloan. returned home from the
Charity Ball at tho Waldorf Astoria
she reported to him that she smcllcd
smoke and thought she had seen
blaze.
Failn gto get the Fire Department
over the telephone, Maj jor DeKay
smashed the glass alarm box in u cor
ridor Of the apartment house and with
Patrolman John Massey, Of the Mercer
Street Station, made an effort TO break
through the front door of the burning
Morgan home.
The door finally yielded to the blows
Of Acting Battalion Chief Edward
Quinn thorough search was made
Of the first three floors Of the house
without finding any occupants.
Firemen Recover Bodies
The tiremen then realized that there
was fourth story extension. which
ends a few feet from the front side of
the building. Under orders of the act
ing battalion chief the firemen raced
up the flight of stairs leading to the
fourth floor and discovered the body
of Barbara on the landing A quick
search revealed the bodies of Mrs Nor
gan and her other daughter, Ellen.
Mr.. Morgan was Immediately notified
and hurried with Mr.. Dale to the Mer-
Ger Street Police Station. He viewed
the bodies. which had been covered
said: "Fhese are my girls, and this"
indicating third body, "is my wife"
Mrs. Morgan the daughter of
Valentine G. Hall and ~ the time of
her marriage. in February, 1904, was
one OF the most prominent young wom-
en- in New York society. She was mar
ried to Mr.. Morgan at the home of her
uncle. L. Livingston Ludlow She was
the sister Of Mrs Stanley Mortimer.
Mrs Lawrence Waterbury, Mrs Valen-
tlEe g. Hare and the late Mrs. Elliott
Roosevelt.
One son of the Morgans, William
Forbes Morgan jr., it was said yester-
day, Is attending an upstate school.
The bodies of Mrs. Morgan and her
daughters were removed to Campbell,s
Funeral Church, where they will lie
IN state.