, 1890-08-02

sorts OF 0eIluS were atCor MIN ann Sellu All
alarm from the fire box at DEFY street and
Broadway.
He half rln, halt rolled down the six
flights OF stairs, banged away at the handle
Of the box and succeeded only by sheer
weight In pulling it down. Then he look
ed mp and ram across the street in terror.
Meanwhile the operating room was be-
coming as lurid and az DanteSque as a
DOre's conception of the Inferno. Tie heat
was becoming unbearahle ami the smoke
was getting very dense. Besides through
the eastern windows were seen long Dali
nerLt of fame waving up over the iron
balcony and casting their glow upon the
window paues.
Mr.. Lewis aud Mr.. Miller, another OF "a
tor; told the young women who were stand
ing near tile distributing ring perfectly
cool and looking on at the spread OF the
flames that they had much better 60 down
stairs.
This may Mt amount to anything,
ladies'" said Lewis, "but if it should youth
be much better off in the street"
The young women were iuctined to pro-
test, but finally they left the fire rather re-
g~rettully and walked quietly down the
iron and stone stailwAys into The street.
They told me they were IN no sense
frightened while they were with their
friends upstairs, but when they heard The
great roar on the sixth floor aud upon reach
ing the street looked mp and saw Il thou
sand wreaths Of smoke floating away 10 the
east, they began to feel as though 1t were
about time to get fri ghtened.
But things were By this time getting 70
be rather exciting up in the operating room.
There were 10 longer any Dub db 'ut 'h4
seriousness of the fire. The operators saw
that il they were to escape at all they Mast
do so at once. There was no time To take
coats and waistcoatS or hats, and 81 they
Streaned down stairs, racing by the SlNtl
floor landing; where the fumes Wert a.
ready showing themselves Though t.
joints in the joiner work OF the doorway
aud Town to the fifth floor landing, where
stood the elevator ready to take is h"St
trip.
The man in charge shouted. Here, vol
fellows! Some of you'd better come III here:
I've got to go right down y
So, without recognizing for the moment
the righteousness Ofthe experience, NrSSr3.
Lewis, Miller; Won Horne and ONiel e>-
capped from mortal danger By quietly rid
ing down stairs in the elevator. But they
did not entirely escape without a thrilling
experience, for When they got about half
way to the basement the elevator man
quietly observed. "Muy5e the cable will
burn and send us all to the bottom" 1t
didn't, but the men who had this novel
experience of escaping from a fie by an
elevator were showered by sparks add big
embers which rained down upon them from
the fire above.
They were saved, certainly, bat how
about other persons who had no. been
Thought of in the anxiety to escape 1t
seemed very much yesterday as though
the Western Union employees 'scapet by
floors, Gazing very little what became OF the
persons in portions Of the building other
thar their own!
There was a changing and a shouting in
the street. Police appeared by tw0S and
threes, theu by squads. Engines Nos. ga
and 90 ran their usual race in their district
and got to the spot in the order named with
only about. half a second between
each. More engines came First Battalion
Chief CuShman summoned still others ana
then the OminouS signal 4-4.4 was seIts out,
bringing to the fire seventeen engines ana
hook and ladder trucks.
Deputy Chief Reilly came tearing Down
Broadway behind one of the fastest horses
in the department, aud as he passed the
Post Office he looked up at the flames,
which were then curling around the big
owe With a half uttered grOan lie turn
cd to bis driver and exclaimed -
"My God Tim There are women up
tkerep