The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-08-03
A THRILLING SITUATION.
Periieus Position Of Fourteen Firemen mt
n Ere In New nrlt.


thrilling scene occurred at the fire in the
eight-story Munioe building in New York.
At half-pas the fire was mostly in the fifth,
sixth, seventh and eighth floors on the Van
dewater stree. side, and had not yet extended
through to Rose street. 1t was thought it
would do so, however. and to check the adj
vance of the flames Chief Gicquel sent four
teen members of Engine Company No. and
Hook and Ladder Company No. l upstair
with line of hose and their axes. The men
were only able to get to the fifth floor. Here
what is called "back draft suddenly
filled the room they were in with smoke. IL
came SO fast and IN such volume that the
fremen, TO save their lives. threw themselves
nat ON the floor. Some distance away, over
looking q courtyard, we 9 two windows.
Toward these windows the suffocating fire.
men crawled. They we're cat off from the
stairs and from the only fire escape in the
building by the smoke. Their only hopelqy
in getting ID from the outside through the
windows. They shoutei for help, but the
men below, busy with the FIRE, did not hear
them.
Suddenly two of the imprisoned men,
Tulte and O'Brien, of the engine company,
tainted and were apparen ly in a dying con-
dition. Their compan oas gesticulated out
of the windows and uttered frantic cries.
The racket made by the putting engines
drowned their cries, an the word was pas, ell
or to another to Jump-into certain dea h,
it seemed-when son one below looked up.
With renewed hope the twelve inn eril ed
men repeated their cries for help, but to
their horror their request was misunderstood.
1t was tn ought they wan. another line of
hose, and no haste was being made to get it
to them, when Chief Gicnuel's attention was
called to the spot by seeing the II en- below
getting the hose ready. He shouted up:
"What Is wantelY'
ave are cut off. Hurry up or we must
jump" came back the answer.
It's life line they want" shouted Chief
Gicquel to those about him, who for some
reason had not been able to hear the thrill
ing reply to his question.
All was excitement at once. forty. FIVE
foot extension latt or was quickly brought
and placed in positi n. 1t was too short by
twenty I, ct. Out on the window stills were
two of the peri hing Fl emen ready to throw
themselves down. Chic Glcque motioned
TO them to go back. and they obeye1. He
then by signs ,und that they had a piece of
st ing, which howele; would not reach the
top of the ladder. This he direc ed them to
lower. Then two fremen wen up the ladder
and with difficulty tied the end of the string
to small rope, ty which larger one was
immt di te'y drawn up. No time was lost
in making il fast alb we.
Assistant Foreman Heeney, of the truck
company, started 10 C me do Sn first, as he
was very faint and the NEST exhausted OF
ALL He began lowering himself hand under
h nd. when his strength gave cut and he
slipped fully sixty fee, caring the skin
from b,,h his hands. Fortuna ely firem an
caught him when he struck The ground aud
prevented more serious in ury. An employee
in TIE bull ling was the next ne do WI, and
then came Tuite, O'Brien, Borland, Shaugh-
messy, Sloan, Pilger. Donovan and Kent. of
Engine No. 7, and McCl lin, Breen, McClain
and McCarty. Of the trr ok company. As the
last man lett the wind W sill flames burst
from it Gu. over the courtyard. The excitin e
scene was witnessed by spallbound throng
pletion