The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-23

tireless energy. They had raced TO their work
without their midday meal. and they were wet
and tired. But whom the word was given to
begin to dig awny the wreck they turned to
with as great will as they had fought tho fire.
They had worked but few minutes whom.
at 3:12 o'clock. they found the first body. A
murmnr Of They've got the first one" ran
through the crowd Of onlookers. and then q
hush fell upon them as they saw the hremen
tenderly pick up the bruised body and carry 10
to the sidewalk, whore 1t was laid under Q
cover.
Shortly after that mon working near the
east edge OF the fire discovered a bare burned
arm sticking out between the charrsd timbsrs.
1t was thrown up and the hand was open. with
the fingers partly closed. as II grasping q
something.
ALIVE UNDER THE RUINS,
Just as the arm was discovered men work-
ing further out in the street on tho pile Of
bricks thought they heard faint cry from
below. Instantly there was a transformation
In tho crowd OF tired workers.
Some OF them had stopped for q few minutes
to eat sandwich. Others were getting Q
drink of water from the boys who were pass.
ing around with buckets. But as the word
went around that some ono under tho ruins
was alive. with shout the men fell tn work ON
tho pile OF bricks and timbers. They had
begun to lag before that. There was no cause
for great hurry aftor 1t seemed clear that
every one still in tho ruins was dead. The
bricks had been thrown back in a desultory
way.
But now there was life to save The tired
mon worked us only men can work whom lives
arc in the balance. There was steel In their
muscles. Bricks and beams foil back Of them
in stream. The crowd OF lookers-oa caught
the Infection and wanted to work too. A little
| later little girl was rescued. The story Of this
rescue will be found below.
1t was o'clock when the city dead wagon
with its load OF plain Pine cofflns drove mp.
There were six bodies In waiting for 1t. Chief
Reilly had let some Of the nremen 20 home
then. but he had kept tho men OF two trucks,
and had called out two other trucks and de-
! tail OF fourteen special mon.
| Tho ambulances that came at the first cali
| had little work to do. A few iremen were
| slightly injured aud one or two men tainted,
| but that was all.
THE SEARCH FOR THE DEAD.
| When the flames no longer roared through
| the hollow where the fallen building had once
| stood and when the thick smoke began to
clear away all efforts were directed toward re.
| moving the bricks and other debris which lay
piled high in the street. from gutter to gutter.
There were no signs OF llfe under that terrible
| heap. but still there WAS q faint chance that
| lent strength to the tagged muscles Of the fire.
mon. 1t was slow work though. Brick By
brick had 10 be thrown aside. and for .
long. time there hardly. seemed to be
any lcssening in the tangled pile. Fro escapes
| sheets OF paper: logs and boards were wedged
| in fast: the spray from the hose streams fell
in n sieady shower on tho street: everything
| was In the greatest confusion. and amid It all
the iremen worked like beavers. At twenty
minutes past o'clock fireman who was ios ss-
oiiSe street. led out: " Wv
In an instant q dozen flremen were. on the
water from a fountain. The crowd Of reporters
and others who wore badges that entitled
them to admission within tho fire limos drew
in the heap and then was an awful mo.
msnt-ths back OF a mans garments was OK.
hap @ Ss %9T:
was, lying on his face h: BODY .ishttl!
rs two ire; Dis if9si the BODY rom
is grave and carried It TO tho sidSTalk Then
His face was torn. tho nose smashed IN. and .
gaping hole extended from the eye TO the chin,
As they bore hin STry thick dFoDs e bleed
him on cellar door In front of the bulldina
opIosite the sspot whore he had hsen found
him WITH big Cloth
were rolled up and HIS let arm bore livid
he glanced at Il, a moment and then said:
WHATS his nams?" asked tho policeman
who's, duty I It was to look after the Identifies
III chael sist,sry." replied the boy. NY
name John Elliott: We both worked for the
were goin' 10 fix the pipes In this street. Tbs
ggwS