Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-05-31
eALLANT AcY GARDNER.
The Hereism shswn by a ysunz Espfessnsn
In a Tesement Bense Fire.
New yorx Harald.l

ment at No. 98 east Fourth street, with
its four families to the floor, deed Of
heroism was performed which. amid the
roar Of the flames, the outpouring OF the
smoke, the CHATTER Of the engines, and the
general tumult and confusion Of great
fire, passed almost unnotced and wholly
unrecorded. While the fire was burst
ing its way through the air-shaft, and
even after it had streamcd outward
through the top windows Of the house,
a man fired with a heroic desire to save
human life was dashing hther and
thither through the dense masses of
smoke. rescuing one here, assisting an
other there, lending encouragement and
aid on all sides. The name Of this man
who SO calamity faced fire and smoke
in the work Of rescuing imperilled hui
man life is Acy Gardner.
A ROMANCE OF THE TEENS.
Acy Gardner is an expresSman, and
lives at No. 225 Fifth street. His line
Of work lies mostly among theatrical
people, and by dint of lifting and haul
ing huge sections Of scenery and the
weighty Saratogas Of ladies and gentle
men belonging to " the profession" he
has acquired a rotundity Of limb and
saliency of muscle which excited the
admiration of the hospital surgeon and
attendant and match well with
the healthy Wilderness of his skin,
his clear blue eyes, and his open,
manly features. He is only twenty
three years old. At the age Of seven
teen he and a girl Of fourteen fell in
love with each other. They ran away
and got married. The "old folks "
solemn predictions of evil in conSe-
quence of this very presumably rash
step and the old adage anent marrying in
haste and repenting at leisure all seem
to have come to naught. After five
years Of marriage Acy declares he is
as fond of his VIE as in the first days
of their very early cOurtshlp. and AYERS
that his married life has been a most
happy one. The couple have one child.
Acy Gardner, on Wednesday night,
at the time Of the outbreak of the fire
in the tenement No. 90 east Fourth
street, was in neighboring stable. As
soon as he caught sight Of the issuing
smoke he rushed to the burning build
ing. The fire had made good Roadway
before it was discovered, and. already
high up the air shaft, had practically
cut of retreat by the stairs. Acy
Gardner, however, dashed up the creak-
ing stairway, past the black puiis of
smoke and the jutting streamletS Of
flame, shouting warning as he went.
Obviously the greatest danger was to
those on the topmost floor, and straight
way to the top floor Gardner went.
Arrived there. with the flames fast
following. he caught sight Of a woman
standing in doorway. She had caught
glimpse of the approaching flames.
4 cloud Of smoke had swept over her.
and with eyes staring wide she was
standing there helpless-petrifed with
fear.
BEGGING FOR A MOTHERS LIFE.
Gardner seized her in his great.
strong arms. He lifted her clear from
the floor, and bearing her to the fire.
escape descended with her safely 70 the
ground. In the outer air her reason
seemed to come back TO her. Suddenly
Selling her rescuer by the arm. she
stared appealingly in his face and
breathlessly exclaimed
MY mother Ny mother. We
have left her behind us on the top
floor Oh, save her Save her -
THE REsCUER BORNE DOWN.
Before she had finished speaking
Gardner was away. Up the tire-escape.
crowded as it was with flying men and
women and little children, he bounded
like a young panther. The flames had
already burst through the top windows.
Every soul that yet remained on that
top floor was close within the call Of
death. lie had a wife and baby Of his
own only few blocks away-all this
Acy Gardner must have seen and
known before even in the swiftness of
his upward rush he reached the en-
dangered top floor. But he kept on.
Reaching the room, from the thresh-
old of which he had rescued the daugh-
ter, he penetrated and explored the
>moke-iilled apartment in search Of the
mother. He found her and assisted
her to the fire-escape, which was by
this time lined by the iremen. After
having helped another family to reach
the escape he learned Of one more room
which had not yet been searched. He
hurried there, found it empty, and was
himself making his way once more to
safety, when he was suddenly over
powered by the dense smoke, and sank
unconscious in the hallway. The re-
treating tremen bore him with them,
and he was carried in an ambulance to
the hospital.
THE ORDERLY'S STORY.
There he was placed in Ward i. To
, ID 4 r.,