Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-29
THE FIRE YESTERDAY.
Amdavits Of the Firemcn ~ to Their Actio
at the Time.

at the Time.
At the fire at Pullman's photograph gallery
yesterday morning il was claimed that the fire
department was slow in getting to work and
that but for the help Of an outsider three lives
would have been lost. Chief Paris
as soon as he heard of this state.
ment, notified Engine Company No. 2, which
was the first one the scene, to have each
member make an affidavit of the case. These
sfkdavits were forwarded this morning. The
acting foreman, James G. Wilson, swears tina,
on the morning in question a young coiored
man notified him Of the fire, and that he
Immediately turned the company out and went
| to the scene.
Az he neared the fire he saw flames bursting
out OF the windows, and realized in an instant
That 1t was fire OF some magnitude. He de-
tailed one Of his men to Jump the hose carriage
ana turn In an alarm from box 152, which he
did. and which the records Of the fire alarm
telegraph show to have been at GAO am. Al
he neared the building he noticed gentleman
ana lady hanging on the window sill of third
story window, and he gave orders to lay out q
line Of hose and get into service quickly pos
slble. He himself grabbed the life line and
ran through Ellis music store and made his way
TO the third story. He handed the rope to the
man in the window of the house and he climbed
released himself. The line was then passed &c
the lady, who. after tying herself securely swung
ON and was lowered to the porch below with the
assistance Of a gentleman who was in the build
ing. After seeing that the inmates of the burn
ing building were safe he went at once to the
hose pipe, which he found was throwing water
on the fire.
This statement is sworn TO and concurred in
by Privates Donaldson, Reinhsrd, Darlington
and Glynn.
Foreman Sullivan of truck swears land he
Is corroborsted in the testimony BY the records
Of the fire telegraph Office that at $40 a. m he
was notified that No. 2 company was out on
local and that two or three minutes thereafter q
colored man named RdSley notified him tina,
there was big fire on Pennsylvania avenue.
without waiting for further orders he turned
out at once and as he approached the fire saw
some OF No men engaged in rescuing people
from the building. He at once raised the fifty.
five-foot ladder, and this was being done while
the LADY was being lowered. He states tina,
when he arrived at the fire No. company was
in service.
Mr.. b. B. Matchett, printer and engraver
VINO saved Miss Pullman and materially assisted
In rescuing the others, states that at $50 Of the
morning of the fire he heard cry and ran
quickly down stairs to Mr.. Pullmah's place. He
ga W there was no means of escape from the fire
and broke open Ellie door and ran TO the
third story, where he rescued Miss Pull
oAAoSSAStCd.
in rescuing her he states Foreman
Wilson came up and passed q line to Mrs. Pull
man. who in turn passed it to Mr. Pullman.
The latter could do nothing with it and climbed
down on some sign stays. Then the assistant
foreman passed the rope to Mrs. Pullman, who
tied herself and was rescued accordingly.
Chief Paris today forwarded the above affi-
davit together with the following report: Il
have the honor to report that at GAO q. m.
June Is, Engine Company No. was reported
out on local and at 6:44 a. IN. received alarm
for fire from box l52. 1 responded as rapidly as
1t was possible for horse to go from No 6
engine house and was at the scene of the
fire In four minutes from the time
the alarm sounded. When 1 arrived l
found the third and fourth stories of
building 935 Pennsylvania avenue a mass Of
ire. No. engine company was fighting its
| way up the stairway with a full stream of
water, and truck had placed in po-
sition her ifty-five-foot ladder to the
third-story window. No. engine company
was going up this ladder. The eighty -fve-foot
ladder was raised after 1 arrived, and No.
company was put at the top OF
the building. The occupants of the
building had been rescued before l arrived.
No. 6 engine company was put in the
rear on the thirty-foot ladder, and
ground the fire was practically under con-
troll. Engine companies Nos and received
a shock from an explosion Of ether, but recov-
cred themselves Immediately. Private
George Tenley received injuries to
his face which untitled him for
duty. will say that in all my experience l
have never seen men work harder. In nv
opinion the fire had been burning some time
before the department was notified"