The New York herald., 1878-12-20
A BRAVE FIREMAN HONORED.
THOMAS DouGHfRTY RECEIVES THE BFNNErD
GOLD MEDAL FOR COURAGEOUS CONDUCT IN
r

GOLD MEDAL FOR COURAGEOUS CONDUCT IN
SAVING LIFE.
The Bennett medal for the year ls77 for 'meris
torious performance Of duty as fireman" was cons
ferred yesterday upon Fireman Thomas Doughertys
OF Hook and Ladder Company No /. The ceremony
did not take place in the City Hall Park as in De-
cember, 1877. when the last presentation mades
but more quietly. at the Fire Department Headquar<
tiers, where the large drill room the second story
set apart for this purpose. At ten O'Clock fre
battalion consisting OF Hook and Ladder Company
No lof which the recipient of the medal was men-
ber and Engine Companies Nos. T. II. 81 and 80.
drawn up and formed into a hollow square, under
the command of Chief Bonner The hero of the
casion stalwart man. of fine physique and splendid
bearing stood in front of the battalion. looking
proud and happy in anticipation of the honor about
to be conferred upon him. All the Fire Commissions
ers the Chief Of the Department the Assistant Chief
and several OF the battalion chiefs. well NUM-
Der OF citizens present to witness the ceremony.
The exercises opened by the reading of the off,
cal report upon which the medal was awarded to
Dougherty by the trustees of the medal fund. Tha
report which listened to in profound silence. was
as follows-
REPORT.
NEW YORK. April 4. 1877
sR herewith respectfully submit tho following state
ment q facts relating 70 he rescue by Fireman Thomas
ans md % a1Seh 81 S Wa from the @ Of the
The building No % North William street runs through,
and u known No 43 Chatham street The fire
e NJ s @ @ oase of thu se @ from & Pank n sa
and one bedoomshs said beroom being Occupied by two
in 10 mas
hes eaheG Ss @ TO
under The s'oSp & William r,sn street This was
Who descended, and, after breaking two dase9rss
beth Stevens on The oo, about twenty feet from the door
and sneeatng @ DoHsherty Lost no time but lin Immediately
passed them up g the officers and members Of Hook and
Donghets extracting tho bodies througha narrow.
The % & wers y IN charge of the
IL view Of the above facts consider tho Of the
my would required
hesitation part )ongherty eiectng am
entrance would have certainly proved fatal Dougherty
used both great advantage raising the nsensibs
his position in the face Of the dense heat and smoke
| fully, HUGH BONNER, Chief of Battalion.
PRESENTATION.
Ex-Fire Commissioner L. Bailey Myers, one Of th6
trustees of the medal fund.- addressed the brave
fireman. congratulatng him upon the signal mark of
| distinction which he had won for himself by HIS
heroic conduct and said that he had chosen his SOM
Lieutenant T. b. Myers Mason, United States Navy
for the agreeable task OF personally comforting the
medal. for the that his had also been tha
recipient, from foreign governments, of medals for
saving life. 1t appears that already mdshipman.
Lieutenant Myers Mason saved drunken sailor fromi
drowning off Rio Janeiro, for which deed Of bravery
1 the Emperor of Brazil bestowed upon him am
order of merit. The lieutenant, who was rather em-
| barrassed at the prominence which had suddenly
| been thrust upon him was unprepared for for7
NAL speech but, in a few felcitous remarks highly
| complnented the fireman upon his admirable con-i
duct, and expressed the hope that this mark Of disc
tincton would spur him on to equally heroic deeds!
in the of precious lives and the protection Oh
property. Fireman Dougherty was quite overcomat
when these addresses were concluded and the gold
medal was pinned upon his breast. In q few brokens
but heartfelt words he expressed his deepest thanks
saying that this the proudest day of his lite. The
| presentation then concluded. Dougherty the
recipient of the medal is forty-four years old. ma
tive of New York and has been twelve years in tho
1 Department He is always foremost in burning
editce and in the thickest smoke. and his splendid
| nerve and great strength make him most valuable
bravery are required. Tho medal is somewhat arger
than silver dollar 1t is OF solid gold, and its face
is adorned with the figure of Neptune and the tripod,
steam fire engine, fire apparatus and image of
the fire hend with torch III his hand. On the re-
is the following inscription, cncircled by q
wreath OF laurel :-"Endowed by the fund contri-
buted by James Gordon Bennett to Fireman Thomas,
Dougherty, III appreciation OF meritorloue pfrS
formance of duty fireman: I. Bailey Myers, James
| NJ. Mclean. Robert s. Hone"
i MEDALS. .
| Eleven medals have been awarded. M. D.
| Tompkns, who saved woman at the risk OF his ifes
received the irst u. A. GcQuel, who the recp~
lent of the second, rescued women and children:
Charles L. Kelly displayed heroic bravery at fire at
the of Division and Forsyth streets. and was
| the means of saving several persons; Ambrose 5.
Austin carried woman through the flames and
rescued her; Thomas Henry extricated eight human
beings from the second story of . burning houses
Thomas Hutchinson caught a boy in his whom
he told to drop from the third story William H. Nas
rescued two children and w. II. Mitchell saved life
| at No. rs Pearl street, James Horn rescued six
and Henry Schenck, at imminent risk to hln
! self, snatched an infant from the flames. ThomaA
! Dougherty belongs to this galaxy of brave hroA
men, OF whom the community feels proud.