The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-08
BURIED IN THE RUINS.
Eight Firemen Entombed by Falling
Building in VeSey Street.
GALLANT RESCUE OF THE WOUNDED
A Son OF Ex-Assemblynnan Irving
Taken Out Dead.

A fierce fire which broke out early yesterday morn
mig at No. rs vesey street the means OF destroy
Ing 900 worth of property and at least ono
valuable hfe that OF John W. Irving fireman.
while of his brave companions lie injured, and
It is thought possible that one or more of them may
die.
The first alarm OF the fire brought to Patrol
Scully of the police. by private Waterman en-
poyed in the neghborhood, and he at once gave the
alarm by telegraph. second and third alarm i'm
mediately followed the first, and in a very few min
utes there thirteen engines and four hook and
ladder trucks the ground. Considerable
difficulty experienced in getting at
the fire to fight it, but after about an hour and half
of hard work the flames entirely under control.
and it evident that great damage was done
beyond the entire destruction of the grocery store at
No. IS. which was kept by Mr.. Frank W.
Bauer. and the injury by water to the
stock of teas, coffees, &c, in the store OF
M. H. Moses Il Co., Nos II, 70 and 81 Vesey street.
Having mastered the flames all the engines excepting
two and of the hook and ladder trucks were
dismissed. and the process Of "washing down" was
begun. This is the careful going over OF a burned
building and the extingushment of all remnants OF
fire that may be smouldering in the ruins. At lit.
tie before six O'Clock this in progress when the
The building at No. rs vesey street old one
and its structure frail. The fire had eaten away
the rafters and roof and weakened the east wall.
that, it proved. they just ready to fall Chief
Rowe of the First division of the Fire Department,
took charge of the work of washing down" and
entered the building, calling the Of Engine No
20 and Truck No. 10 to follow.
A THUNDERING CRASH
About twenty five of them inside. some on the
second floor some on the first and some on their
way up ladder between the two floors when. with
out warning, there laundering crash. The
roof had given way and the east wall had fallen
Some of the scrambling from the
ond story windows and some came from the front
door, but at a glance they that not all had
escaped-eight of their comrades were missing
The inside of the building was mass of ruins
timbers, planks, bricks and barrels and hogsheads
being mingled together in a mass that filled nearly
the whole of the first story. The sound of the
clearly by those outside was something agoniz-
ing. Strong hands We're working, but the the
meath the mass desparing of their lives, and strong
cries for help were mingled with audible prayers
calcium light sent for and brought from Truck
House No l. and a strong light was thrown the
ruins. so that there should be no confusion.
At little before eight o'clock the last man was
taken out-dead Seven had been rescued, and it had
been hoped that poor Irving might be found still
alive even though badly injured, but glance at his
rigid face showed how vain were the hopes. 1t was
then first possible to prepare the following list:
LIST THE VICTIMS.
DeGd.
IRVING. JOHN W.. private of Engine Company No.
ROWE, WILLIAM, CHIEF of First battalion.
VAN HORN, THOMAS j.. foreman Of Engine Com
REEVES. MICHAEL f., foreman of Hook and Lad
HOPE JOHN. fireman of Hook and Ladder Com
HOGAN, THOMAS H., fireman Of Engine Company
JONES. HENRY, fireman of Engine Company No.
McKEowN. JOHN, fireman of Hook and Ladder
REAGAN, DENNIS, fireman of Engine Company
No. 20.
twenty -eght years old, who lived with his family Ia
wife and three children) at No. As Rutgers street He
was son of ex-Assemby lyman James Irving, and some
Years ago was in business for himself as butcher il
Tompkins Market. Although he had been SO
short a time win the latter company ne had
known as thoroughly good fellow" and a brave
and dashing fireman. When his body was taken out
was carried at once to the engine house. i'll Fulton
street, and decently laid out. His family not-
fed by telegraph and his mother was on the spot in
O very short time. The firemen received her in
silence and escorted her to their sitting room, where
they left her alono with her dead. Her weep
ing piteous that the men could not
listen to it. and when, after time, her daughters
appeared and wrpt with her and then took her home
her anguish was more than the stout fellows could
look without tears. Later in the day his father
and brother came and in the afternoon the Coroner
appeared. An examination made. and the cause
OF death was scIded to be shock CHASTITY wound
his Leaf temple, but there vSs fracture,
ana the shock supposed to be due to conclusion.
No arrangements have been yet made for his funeral
HOW OTHERS WERE HURT.
Chief Rowe. who one of the first to be rescued,
was taken out at six O'clock and assisted into his
wagon, which was on the spot. He was driven 10
the Chambers Street Hospital and his hurts exam
incd- None OF his injuries were considered danger
GUS, and, after having them dressed he driven
To his home in Marion street
Fireman John Hope was struck by falling timber
and received confused and lacerated wounds on his
forehead and atoss his left eye He also crushed
by heavy weig ht that lay his chest while he
buried. He taken to the Chambers Street Hospital
where he remains for treatment. He told graphic
story OF his last evening as he lay in his cot
saying that the most terrible part OF IL all to feel
for hour that it would be impossible to hold out
from minute minute. He called to his comrades,
''for Gods sake quickly. / can't stand this"
and they heard him plainly he could hear them,
but could hurry their work no more than they were
doing.
Fireman Hogan was carried out on the back of As
sistant foreman Bell, OF Engine 30 when he was
dragged from the prison that had held him hour.
lie was taken to Bellevue Hospital ami it found
that his injuries were comparatively slight, being
only confused wounds the leg and some triffng
burns. he in good spirits last evening and told
similar story to Hopes. When he fell he beside
Reagan and Reagan lamp was pressed against him. he
was unable to stir tor an hour and twenty minutes,
and was crushed into narrower space than he had
supposed could live in. He wet through
and suffered badly with the cold, but could shout
without trouble, and did so Justify Hearing another
voice near, also calling for aid, he asked, "Who's
thatY
tits Reagan. Who are your was the reply.
Hogan" he called. How are you doiDgy'
TIN afraid can't last long" called poor Reagan.
"How your
II guess I'm all right but / can't move" he
Shouted back. Then he could hear Reagan praying,
and he prayed himself with the solemn feeling that
he would very probably die where he AT length.
h1weveri some one yropng in the rubbish touched
was held till he pulled out SO tightly he
held that his right boot was pulled OF when he was
Fireman JONES' vas buried mora dee.,Iv thau most