The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-04-24
LEAPING FOR LIFE.
The Thrilling Escape of Family from
Burning House.
from the New York SUM-

burning 1OunO'
from the New York SUM-
Officer Davis, of the Church street
police, saw. as he passed the store Of
BENJAMIN Gross, at 213 Greenwich
street, at II 80 last evening, puff of
smoke that was followed by flame, near
the door. He gave an alarm with his
club. and in minute the fremen who
were on patrol were on the spot. Even
in that short interval, the whole build
ing was enveloped in smoke, and flames
shot from the doors and windows in a
way that indicated that the fire had
been burning some time. Tine fremen
gave an alarm, but before the steamer
came there appeared head at one of
the windows on the Vesey street side.
The smoke was SO thick that no one
could make out whether man or
woman was there, but it was some one
shouting for help. A gust of wind
swept the smoke away for an instant
Mr.. J. Ell. Wellbrock, who keeps sa-
loon at 65 Vesey street, recognized the
person as Benz. Davids, who lives with
his family over the corner store at Vesey
and Greenwich streets. 5 !.
Help me; bring ladder for my
wife and children" Mr.. Davids
screamed.
Just then q sheet of flame seemed to
cover Mr.. Davids' head, and Mr.. Well
brock thoughthe must be burned to death
He broughta step ladder from his saloon
and placed it under the window, but it
was much too short; and besides, the
framework, upon which butcher, who
has stall there, hangs his meat, inter-
fered. It seemed as if Mr.. Davids and
his family must perish, His wife, o
servant, Catherine Doyle, and six chill
dren were in the tenement. Mr.. Davids
CROPPED his way into the children's bed
room, and all but. one we're asleep. He
awoke them, and first taking his boy,
Jacob, aged Is, lifted him out of the
window. He did not know what was
below. He could see nothing, but he
trusted that he would be able to drop
the boy with less danger than there
would be in the room. The boy got
upon the window sill, and the father
pushed him off into the bank of smoke.
Then the father CROPPED his way back to
the chamber and took the oldest boy,
Morris, aged 16 Morris quailed when
he looked below, but his father made
him Jump. Without waiting to see what
the two sons fate was, Davids rushed
back. He found his wife and servant,
who were almost stupefed by fear. He
told them to go to the window and Jump.
They hesitated. He insisted that it was
their only chance, and said that they
could not have any choice if they waited
many minutes more. Then he went for
the other children, and did not see his
wife and servant again until he was led
to their cots in Chambers Street Hospital.
He took the other children, one by one,
and threw them from the window. Then
he thought of himself, he said after
ward, and he jumped, too, ndElanded
safely on the sidewalk. Even then he
did not know how badly he was injured
himself. He found that his son, Morris,
was badly injured in the hip by the fall,
and that one of Jacobs legs was broken.
Catherine Doyle, the servant, who
jumped, was bruised and slightly cut by
one of the butchers hooks. His wife
was the most dangerously injured of all.
Her body caught on a butchers hook,
and she was terribly lacerated.
Davids' face and hands began to
smart, but he did not quite realize that
he was burned until his wounds we're
dressed. His face was terribly scorched,
his hair and whiskers and eyebrows
singed, and his hands blistered. There
is apprehension also that he may have
breathed the smoke. .... ....-