The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-02
HIS LIFE GIVEN FOR THEIRS.
POLICEMAN NICHOL RISKS AL 10
SAVE A CROWD OF CHILDREN

Clearing Them from Uader . Faiii.g Ladder
At Church Fire Just In Tlms to Save
Them, hut Too Late to Escape Hinseir--
On Thursday He Was to Have Beea Mar.
ricd-He VIII be Buried on wednesday.
The Session OF tho West Thirteenth Street
| Presbyterian Church. half way down the block
between Sixth and Seventh avenues. was hold.
ing meeting In the basement shortly after
| o'clock yesterday afternoon. There was Q
| crash In the empty church above them. Two
boys from Sunday school class. which was
In the basement. were sent up stairs to see what
the matter was. and came scramblne down
again crying that the church was on fire. Sex-
ton Joseph Hanna ran to the nearest fire Dor.
No. IL Engine and ~ Truck came up. and tho
narrow street in front OF the church filled with
a crowd. mostly children. A good many were
| the Sunday school children. not long dis.
| missed.
Capt. Burns OF IL Engine found that plaster.
ing bnck Of the pulpit at the north end OF
| tho church. furthest from tho street, had
| fallen. and that heavy smoke was issuing
| from between the laths. Smoke was also
breaking through tho choir platform to tho
west Of the pulpit. and from the .orRan. which
stands In the northwest corner
With axes and hooks the fremen tore up tho
| flooring OF the choir platform and found the
beams underneath smoulderng. The VAIN
| scoting about the organ was also burning.
! Tho fire had evidently been smouldering for
several hoursfor II was the heat in the interior
| OF the north wall which had caused the plas-
| tering to fall. A line Of hose was run in and
| the fire was soon under control. The smoke
| was so sitting and the means Of ventilation
was SO poor that Capt. Burns ordered some Of
his mon 10 go up on the tin roof and cut
through 1t and the ceiling near tho front.
The police reserves from the Charles street
station house. in command Of Roundsman
Hughes. had arrived. and had attempted to
drive the crowd back and to establish fire
lines. There were so many women and chill.
dren. however. that It was with great difficulty
| that the police could keep them back from
the church. And whom It was evident that the
fire was practically out the police did not ex-
ert themselves very much.
In obedience to Capt. Burns's order three
against, the iron fence which runs along tho
tho top Of tho facade The eRaso is e built IL
Imitation OF a Greek temple. with large Ionic
adder iuy erecteS
perpe.n.diic.salnrly and allowed to rest none
tho ssssfss a %a't sds % hf
Three tiremen. with axes ran un the ladder to
they es nd
the top Of the ladder began to slip west down
sns ieeaR f Sobsr ae Nohol o, the West
Sixty eighth street station. WINS on the side
tSrtv t Ys Of the and within
plain clothes. and OF duty Seeing the. danger
tn fRa etd9n
f e. e have
~ s5sEs e.
sss sS q ss hsa sase Kin
The women and sssttsrsa r. AZ
Hiding hi@
Niehol was taken to st: vinsents Hospitssk
%tseus q ss dks
II Robert B Nichol was % years OF age. He
SstSs1 yS XIII Ss Js ssS
West s5sh 'Af1 sw TO ?se
eSfSs o Nest sta AR 50
TO- to- be %, nearer n r home. Yesterday was he
street station house to see Ills old eompanions.
He was in the back room OF the station with
the tn whs to- the Out W en and
SaG va " Miss s fxs ssa A s4sS street. as
a. d Liberty street There are tSe
sisters ana brother The family
sistes went e the hospital ara found shss no
home. Tho funeral will be at the house on
eS sR The Rs 'Sh1
Eleventh street off1Giating. The burial will be
in Greonwood on Thursday. the day that had
The cause Of the fire has not yet been
definitely ascertained. It evidently started
under the floor Of the choir platform in the
northwest corner Of the church, but no fire Ia
ever used In that part Of the building. The
furnace is In the southeast corner. Capt.
Burns believes the fire was started by rats
Gnswing matches ;, a numbes Of rats have In.
Tho organ Is completely destroyed and the
flooring at the north end Of the church 10
burned, Little damage was done by water.
Sexton Hemva thinks It will take about two
months to complete the repairs. In the mean
tend .Pr: Chalmers Presbyteran Church Il
The. West Thirteenth Street Presbyterian
Church was built in 1876. IL was burned to
the ground by an incendiary in 1855. and was
then rebuilt DR.. y. d. Burchaid. who fathsred
the famous Rum Romanism and Rebellion
alliteration was tie pastor for thirteen {eaIs.
pr. Charles y. Robinson has been pastor for
the Last year. but resigned couple OF weeks
ago. The church Is now without o pastor.
The Rev. DR.. w. d. Buchanan has been tom.
porartly appointed moderator by the Pres
bytery. He preached yesterday.
go. 200 Fire II Hobokea.