The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-24
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! NARROW ESCAPE OF FOURTEEN FIREMEN.
The New York Herald gives the follow
| ing details Of the escape OF number OF
fremen from death by burning or sIlflOca-
! tiOn, which was one OF the startling incl
dents Of a fire in that city Sunday:
The spectators viewed the progress OF
the fire with cOmposure. but not so the
dwcllcrs in tie crowded tenements near
| by. They were in large numbers on the
roofs of their homes, heSitating whether 10
pack up their effects or to watch the uphill
| fight OF the fircmcn. a number made pre-
parations to escape, while not few hastily
removed all their household goods. In the
midst Of the excitement several loud re-
ports gave rise to the rumor that some OF
the floors had fallen in. The noises were
caused by the bursting Of hose.
At hali-paSt the fire was mostly in the
fifth, sixth, seventh. and eighth floors on
| the NandeWater-strect side, and had not
yet extended through to Rose street. II
was thought it would do so, however, and
to check the advance Of the flames Chief
Gicqucl sent fourteen members Of Engine
Company No. and Hook-and-Ladder
Company No. 1 upstairs with a line Of
| hose and their axes. The men were only
able to get to the fifth floor. Here what Is
called "back draft" suddenly filed the
room they were in with smoke. IL came
so fast and in such volume that the fircmen
to save their lives threw themselves fiat on
the floor. Some distance away, overlook
! ing a courtyard, were two windows. To-
ward these windows the suliOcating fire.
men crawled. They were cut off from the
stairs and from the only tire-CScape in the
| building by the smoke. Their only hope lay
in getting aid from the outside through the
windows. They shouted for help, but the
men below, busy with the fire, did not
hear them.
Suddenly two OF the imprisoned men,
Tuitc and O'Brien, OF the engine COM
pany, tainted, and were apparently in a
DYING condition. Their companions geS-
ticulateA out Of the windows and uttered
frantic cries. The racket made by the
putting engines drowned their cries, and
the word was passed one to another to
| jump-lntO certain death, it Seemed-when
some one below looked up. With renewed
| hope the twelve impcrilled men repeated
their cries for help, but, to their horror,
| their request was misunderstood. Ii was
| thought they wanted another line OF hose,
and no haste was being made TO get it TO
them, when Chief Gicquel's attention was
called to the spot by seeing the men below
getting the hose ready. He shouted up,
What is wanted?"
1--WE are cut of. Hurry up or we must
Jump" came back the answer.
"lt's a lifeline they want" shouted
Chief Gicqucl to those about him, who for
some reason had not been able to hear the
thrilling reply TO his question. All was
excitement at once. A forty-five foot eX-
! tension ladder was quickly brought and
placed in position. 1t was too short by
| twentv-feet. out on the windOw-sillS were
two OF the periShing tiremen, ready to
throw themselves down. Chief Gicquel
mOtiOned to them to 90 back, and they
obeycd. He then by signs found that they
! had a piece Of string. which, however.
would not reach the top OF the ladder.
| This he directed them TO lower. Then
two fircmen went up the ladder, and with
| difficulty tied the end OF the string to a
small rope, by which il larger one was i'm
mediately drawn up. No time was lost in
making it fast above.
| Assistant-FOreman IIeeney. Of the truck
COMPANY. started to come down first. AS he
was very faint and the most exhausted OF
| all. He began lowering himself hand Im-
der hand. when his strength gave out and
he slipped fully sixty feet, tearing the skin
! from both bis hands. Fortunately a fireman
caught him when he struck the ground and
prevented more serious injury. An en-
ploye in the building was the next one
down, and then came Tuitc, O'Brien, BOr-
land, O'ShaughneSsy, Sloan, Pilger, Dono-
van, and Kent, Of Engine No. Z, and Me-
Claim. Breen, McClain, and McCarty, OF
the truck company. As the last man left
the window-sill flames burst from it out
over the courtyard. The exciting scene
was witnessed by a spellbound throng that
cheered loudly at its successful compile
| tion