New-York tribune., 1891-02-21

TO search for the dead and dying.
Claude Berard. of No "a East Eighty fifthst.,
an employe of Tiffany & Co" was one OF the nrst
and most active rescuers. He passing the
cau in the tunnel when he heard a sound, as if
a cylinderhead had been blown out he stopped
tn listen The next moment clsud of steam
arose from the gap, and he heard men and women
shrinking. One voice rose above the others with
the ory
For Gods sake let me outl"
Mr.. Berard was almost alone. II was showing
at the time. and the street was deserted. But he
cried for help, echoing the shrieks from below,
and his calls brought heads to the windows in all
the surrounding houses Three or four men ran
up and climbed with Berard over the railing.
Looking down they saw man standing upon the
roof of the wrecked car under their feet He
shrieked and held up his hands toward them.
No ladder was at hand. Mr.. Berard and two men
who stood with him made ladder of their own
bodies that served the purpose.
Letting themselves down by their hands until
they hung over the reel1ing hole, two OF them let
down the third. and he was able to reach the
poor fellow on the Roof of the Together they
pulled him up.
BY this time short ladder had been brought
and two others climbed up by that. Mr. Berard
ran to house in Eighty-sixth-st.. and. with
help, brought back forty-foOt ladder. when IL
was let down in the hole two more men. purned
and almost exhausted, crept up Behind them
the flames came flashing through the dark curtain
of smoke. No more men came The cres from
the wreck had ceased.
Mr. Berard said afterward that he believed from
what he had seen that some were On the point of
coming out when they were swallowed up by the
fire.
THROWING WATER ON THE FLAMES.
The call for fremen was received at the house
of Engine Company No. 22, in Eighty-hfth-st.
near Lexington-ave., at :13 o'clock Patrick
Donohue acting chief of this company in the
absence of Chief Reeves, was the first fireman to
arrived at the scene. He assumed control of the
fire. Hook and Ladder Company No. l3, from
Eig1ty -seventh-st-j arrived almost Immediately
and few moments afterward Hook and Ladder
Company No. 16 reached the scene. Engine No.
A was also on hand PROMPTLY. The firemens lad
ders Were placed in the air-vent, and IN shoro
time three lines of hose were brought to bear
upon the flames, while the fremen set to work
pulling the wreck to pieces and eXtricatlns the
victims.
IL took about an hour to extinguish the blaze.
but the fremen remained and helped in the re-
moval of the wreck until noon.
FINDING THE VICTIMS.
John Rancke the first man found by the
rescuers when they succeeded in getting down
the air-vent to the track His head and body as
far as the waist were free from the wreck but
the lower part OF bis body was pinned fast and
was being slowly consumed by the fire. When
first found he was conscious, and called implor-
ingly TO those about to help him. But when
they tried to pull him from his place his agony
was so great that he asked them to leave him
there
Kill me kill mel" he cried, in agony. For
Gods sake, kill mel oh oh!'
The rescuers did their best to extricate him,
but were driven back before they succeeded by
tie fire, and the melted lead that the heat set
flowing from the roof of the car. As soon as
possible the hremen turned a stream of water
upon the burning wreck that secured Hancke, and
finally succeeded in eXtrcating him, but it was
too late to save his life
PRIEST AT THE SCENE.
The Rev. Father Walker, of St. Lawrence's
Church, at Eighty -fourth-st and Park-ave.. was
one of the first on the scene His church is only
a few feet from the spot where the collision took
place, and he was called at once in the hope that
he might be able to give consolation to the dying
men, In conversation with Tribune reporter
last night he said
Il was just finishing early mass in the church
when somebody ran in and told me that an acci-
dent had taken place in the tunnel,
and that l had better go to the
scene, because my services as priest
might be needed. / went at once, and as |
came out of the church-door ! saw enormous
blaze rising from the air-vent of the tunnel on
the north side of Eighty-fourth-st. The entire
opening was filled with fame, and it is a sur
prise to me how the amount of fuel that car
III
opening evidently acted to form a draught.
Although those who had gathered about could
conjecture what going at the bottom of
the hole, it was impossible to do anything, for
the flames were so fierce that nobody could ap-
proach the opening. The nearest station from
which the track could be reached at Eighty
sixthst. two blocks away. In a few minutes
the firemen came, and three streams were poured
on the blaze. 1t surprising low quickly
the water subdued the flames. As as il
was safe 10 do so the firemen put down ladder
and carried their hose into the hole. As soon as
the ladders were down a number of burned and
oke-begrimmed men crawed out of the hole By
this time physicians arriving, and the injured
were attended to- Firemen and police went down
into the hole 10 begin the work Of rescue.
. went with them. The rear two cars of the
train were telcscopcd, the last one being almost
entirely inside the other. 1t was the inside cal
that was on fire. The outside one was scarcely
burned at all. The freInen had to cut through
the roof of the outside in order TO get at til,
flames.
HANCKE'S HORRIBLE POSITION.
THE first person / noticed when reached the
foot of the ladder was a man whose head and
shoulders protruded from the wreck. He wal
crying piteously fer help. The fire was burning
the lower part of his body. He was John lIancke
who died at the Presbyterian Hospital severa
hours after being taken out. / saw the conductor
of the New-Haven train, George Hutchins. try tC
pull him out. He continued his efforts for some
time but was finally driven back by the melted
lead that poured from the roof of the ear. Iii,
hat aud coat yero literally covered with this lead