The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-03-31
INpERILi.EB ny FIRE.
The Intelligence Of Cat Prevents serious
Loss of Lifc-Pcrilous Methods OF
Escape from the Flames.

cat, the property oi w. i''""V'"s was "NVH-
s,ant visitor AT Miss Altwcls'S room, and AZ
njcb, She would often take il in her arms
when She retired. The cat was remarkable
for two things. First, its forepaws were
adorned with double the number Of claws
us,,aIlv allotted to cats; and, second, It's
wonderful intelligence was a subject OF fire.
openi comment. ON Thursday night when
Miss AltweiS retired the cat Snugglod close
mn IN her. About half-paSt 4 O'Clock yes
tprlav morning the lodgcr was awakened
by nricking sensation on her check, and
,cpnd that the cat was clawing her.
She shook il OF, when the animal
;nroned to the floor and ran 10 the door
~ tho room. M which IL began scratching,
r,cvinr loudly the while. Supposing II
vented ~ Get out. Miss AltwciS rose, and
GOING 10 the door opened IL. As soon rs
shc aid 80 a heavy volume of thick smoke
,,ourcd into the room. almost sitting her.
She n once ran 20 the window overlooking
The stable. and opening it screamed
.Firei" There were two front rooms on
The second floor. one occupied by Miss
Minnie HAYES and the other by the land
iorJ and his wife. Miss Altweis pounded
heavily upon the doors leading 10 both OF
these rooms. and finding by the responses
that she had awakened the sleeperS, The
smoke becoming oyerpowcring. without
waiting 70 don anv clothing. she hurried
again 10 the back window and sprang out.
DROPPING INTO AFCNNEL.
The roof Of the stable was but two or
flree feet below the window. IL was
studded. however. with about dozen
class skyliahtS. one OF these SkylightS,
directly beneath Miss AltweiS'S window.
covered a Slanting funnel. which, narrow
ING as il went down. led back into the
kitchen Of the clearinghouse. In her
haste the young woman forgot the exist
ence Of this trap. and when she fell crashed
into IL, lacerating her limbs and body and
going down until the contracting space
prevented her going any further. She
could lust reach the top OF the chute, how
ever. with her hands. and with a vigorous
effort was able to raise herself 10 the surface.
As she did 30 a body came flying through
the mir above her and struck the roof OF the
stable within a few feet OF her. This was
Ucury Hummcl. who occupied 4 room on
the floor above. As ne fell he cried out
that his leg was broken. and lay moaning
on the reoi. unable to move. When Miss
Altwcis had succeeded in fully eXtricating
herself she found the feet Of man dan
Cling overhead along the side Of the house.
while he held on bv his hands TO the win
dow-,ill She called to him to let 20; that
he had not far 10 fall; bnt a. he still heSi-
tated. she erdsped him by the foot, and he
came down in heap. He was AndreaS
Bauer. 4 butcher. and brother Of Mrs.
Wittpen, who occupied room on the floor
above.
pENNED N.
Meanwhile Mr.. Wittpen and his wife,
who had been awakened by the pounding
on their door. jumped out OF bed and cs-
saved 10 get cut. The door, however, was
locked. the key had been removed. and in
the hurry and fright it. Whereabouts could
not be remembered. \ door led from their
room into that Of Miss Altweis, but il, too.
was locked, and a bureau and washstand
barricaded the other side. Mr.. Wittpen
dashed himself against the door, but could
not bulge i. He then seized a chair and
smashed OBt the lower panels. He then
overturned the bureau that still blocked
the way and a mode Of egreSS was pro-
yided. When he turned to get BIS
wife he found her half way out OF
the front window, screaming and
seemingly about to jump. He grabbed
her. drew Der back, and hurried hei
through the opening which be had maze
in the door. She went TO the window
through which Miss AltweiS had made her
escape. but, like her, forgot about the trap
underneath, dropped into It, and was
wedgcd fast. She j, u very stout woman
and II was with considerable difficulty that
she was eXtricated. when il was found that
she was badly injured about the lett hiI
and spine, besides being cut by the Jagged
glass.
OTHER PERUOCS ESCAPES.
In the mean time another scene wa
being enacted in the front OF the building
James McCabe. a truckman, occupied witt
his wife one of the attic rooms, upor
whose space the slanting roof encroached
Passage down the stairway being cut of by
the dense smoke. Mrs. McCabe SMASHED
with her hand the glass in the dormer win
dow which opened ont upon the roof, ant
then tore the sash from its fastenings. Th'
street was many feet below, and there wa
! apparently no way Of reaching IT.. Alon:
\ the caves IAN a tin trough about four inche
in breadth. II they could by means o
this reach the end OF the house they nigh
be able 10 Chamber up TO the sharp peak o
the roof and make their way over the ad
Joining buildings. There was nothing TO
il but TO try this precar1ou
means Of escape. McCabe first scram
bled out Of the window and assiste'
his wife Ito do the same. They had no
dared 10 risk the time needed to put o.
their clothes, and the air was biting cold
Living close to the slanting roof, they be
gan their perilous journey. As they On
80 the glass in the doTmer-window 10 III
left Of them was also dashed out, an
George Leighardt. bartender. looked on
and waited 10 see the result OF the eXper
ment before taking the risk. BY this tim
the fire-engineS-an alarm for which Ia
been sent out by one OF the stablemen
the rear-appeared upon the scene. Dow
In the street below, even at that early h0u
large crowd had already assembled, an
shouted to the imperilled people abo'
their advice to "Jump!" and "Don
jump!v The latter had no intention
jumping.
BRAVE FIREMAN.
Working their way slowly along the nal
row fOOtpath Il few inches at time, they
length reached the end OF the roof. againi
which the side Of the adjoining buildin
rose up. This, with the chimney OF I'll
y burning house, afforded McCabe a meal
I, Of mounting to the top, to which he trie
10 assist his wife. II seemed rs though b
would fail i'm this, when aid came to bin
The firemen had placed a ladder mp again
the adjoining building, No. 1876 Eldridg
street. and Fireman Krchner runnin
nimbly up. crossed to the roof OF Il
burning building, and, with The al
Of McCabe, raised Mrs. McCabe
the peak, from which she was tran
ferred 10 the roof OF No. 13G. 81
was almost benumbed with the cole
and. the fireman, dofiing his oyereoa
wrapped il around her. An unsuccessfl
attempt was made TO break open the scu
-. ia A. Al III