The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-02-11
A BOOTBLACK HERO,

The following is one of the many interesting
and thrilling incidents of the recent fire in New
York:
Il saw the outbreak of the fire." said Wright
to reporter of the Herald land hardly was the
smoke issuing from the top story on the Beekman
street side when windows were thrown up or
glass was broken through, and dozens of voices
cried Fire.! and Help! 1 naturally paid most
attention to the people in the upper stories, be-
cause from the fourth and fifth floors only at this
time was the smoke pouring out. L then caught
sight of the two men in the corner room on the
fourth floor, who were apparently cut off from
all chance of escape and who were crying Justify
for assistance There seemed to be way of
helping them, they were so far from the ground,
but saw that there was wire running into the
window where they stood and stretching across
the street to the top of a high telegraph pole 1t
seemed to me- suddenly, that if the wire could be
loosened from the pole they could lower them
selves almost to the ground anyway, and Just as
soon as that idea got into my head | set about it
without thinking of the hard work in my way.
at was no ordinary WIRE" continued Wright
"but half-inch cable that had been put up to
hold Hancock and English banner in the last
Presidential election had large nail or spike
in my pocket, and calculated that [ could untas-
ten the wire with that when once [ got to the
top Of the pole 1t was not an easy climb, though,
for the pole was covered with sleet, and some of
it was frozen, so that l found it very slippery.
Besides, the pole was very large around at the
bottom. The regular climbers, you know, always
wear irons with spikes in them, and don't think
ever should have got up to the crosspleces If 1T
had not been for the voices of those men who
were waiting for me to save them. When l got
to the crosspieces found them covered with ice,
and l took the spike out of my pocket and scrap
ed clean foothold for myself. l didn't lose
much time when once l got crosspiece to hold
on to, and when the wire was in reach l used
the spike again to untwist it. 1t seemed like
hours to me-those few seconds in which / was
loOsening the wire-and when at last my end OF
it dropped down and | saw one of the men in the
burning building take hold of it and begin to
descend felt so happy that l nearly fell from
the pole. He went down like circus performer,
hand over hand, that man did; but the next one
was too much excited and slid part of the dis
lance, cutting his hands very badly l believe. l
was told that third man came down the same
way, but | did not see him. The wire was longer
than l had any idea Of it reached within six or
seven feet of the ground" and then the poor boy
limped away to brush the coat of customer He
had hurt one of his feet pretty badly in his per-
ilous sprained it apparently-and when
some one of his admirers thrust a two dollar bill
in his hand he said with laugh to the reporter:
We'll, that will buy some arnica, anyhow"
| Wright is a mulatto, and came to this city
from Philadelphia not long ago, and was for some
weeks in the hospital in the latter place suffer
| ing from rheumatism in his feet. He had by no
means fully recovered from the old complaint
when he inflicted his new injuries in a service
that ought to entitie him to the medals of all the
| humane societies in the world