Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-28
FIRE IN A PHOTOGRAPH GALLERY.
An Exciting Scene ON Pennsylvania Avenue
Early This Morning.

FIRE IN A PHOTOGRAPH GALLERY.
An Exciting Scene on Pennsylvania Avenue
Early This Morning.
NARROW ESCAPE OF MR.. AND MRS. PULLMAN AND
THEIR DAUeHTER--THEIR LIVES SAVED By
THE ExERrIoNs OF PRINTER-CoMPIAINT
OF THE INErFIcIENcY OF THE rIRKMEN.
Screams of fire from the third-story window
Of No. 935 Pennsylvania avenue about $50
o'clock this morning was the sensational begin
ming Of a chapter of exciting incidental Mr.. E.
J. Pullman, the well-known photographers, and
his wife and daughter were in their apartments
in the third story Of the building at the time,
and they escaped from the burning building
with considerable difficulty and only after
assistance had reached them. Mrs. Pullman
had got out Of bed but few minutes beforethe
fire started and her husband and daughter
were stn sleeping when her screams aroused
them. Mr.. Pullman was on the third floor.
while the daughter, Miss Ollie Pullman, q young
lady eighteen years old, was in her room on the
floor above.
WHERE THE FIRE STARTED.
The. fire started in q small room on the third
floor, where there was quantity Of ether and
other chemicals. and it took but a short while
for the flames to cut off the only avenue Of
escape.
Owing to the nature Of the material in the
photograph gallery and supply room it was evil
dent that the inmates Of the rooms above were
in great danger, and Mrs. Pullman well under
stood her perilous position. After arousing her
husband and daughter she screamed from the
front window for help. Although so early in
the morning it took but a few minutes for a
large crowd to appear, but they seemed
| no of off ira
i'll the burning building and Mrs. Pullman
saw no evidence Of an attempt on the part
OF those in the street to lend assistance.
Seconds to her seemed as hours, but No. Engine
Company responded to call for help before an
alarm had been turned in, and just four min
utes after they left the house an alarm was
sounded from box No. 1872.
MR.. MATCHETT GOES TO WORK.
In the meantime the screams Of Mrs. Pull
man had attracted the attention of Mr. H. B.
Matchett, the printer at 10th street and Penn
sylvania avenue, who did such good work
rescuing persons from THE STAR building fire,
and he hastened to the scene of the confagra-
ton. Arriving there he discovered that the
crowd was doing nothing to he p the imprisoned
persons, and so he set at work without delay to
rescue them if possible.
He went to Ellis music store, adjoining the
burning building, for the purpose of breaking
open the door. 80 that he could get to one of
the upper floors. 'Don't do that" the crowd
shouted, but the printer. seeing that the only
means of doing any good, broke open the door
and ran to the upper floor.
IN PERILoUs POSITION.
By this time Mr.. and Mrs. Pullman were at
the front windows, with the flames only a short
distance from them. 1t was getting warmer
and warmer for them and in a short time Mrs.
Pullman knew she would have to make leap to
the sidewalk if some one did not reach her.
Such leap meant sure DEATH but there
was no other alternative. While the
husband and wife were at these windows
the daughter was at the window on the
floor above them. She, too, was in an
exceedingly dangerous position. If she should
] leap she would have twelve or fifteen feet
further to fall than would her parents, but the
flames had reached her room and something
| had to be done, and there was but short time
in which to do it.
MISS PuLLMAN's RESCUE.
Mr.. Matchett proved her mascot, for he ap-
peared at the window of the adjoining building
| and by stepping out on the fancy work of the
building he reached over and took the young
! lady by the hand. 1t was q dangerous place
| and critical moment, but she made the jour
ney In safety and entered the Ellis building
| through the window.
Having succeeded in the rescue of the daugh-
| ter Mr.. Matchett proceeded TO the floor below
to do what he could for the older people. Mrs.
Pullman was at the window next to the Ellis
building, while Mr. Pullman was on the sill of
| the middle window. No. 2 Engine Company had
arrived. 1t seemed like half an hour to Mrs.
| Pullman before the life line was taken of the
| hose carriage.
DIR. AND MRS PULLMAN GET THE LINE.
The fireman with the line fastened through
the door of the Ellis building which Mr.. Match
EFT had broken open, and between Mr.. Match
EFT and the firemen the life line was handed to
both Mr.. and Mrs. Pullman. They managed to
fasten the line about their waists and were
ready to jump or get away from the flames in the
best possible manner for by this time the
heat was intense. At the window where Mr..
| Pullman was the flames had begun to touch the
holdings. He drew himself out on the win
dow sill and closed the window behind him
hoping to be able to keep off the flames until a
ladder could be raised upon which he could
descend to the pavement.
A JUMP FOR LIFE
"Don't Jump" shouted the crowd excitedly
but behind him the window glass was breaking
from the intense heat and the flames were
| scorching his beard. He could stand it no
longer, and in the absence of ladder he made
a leap for life.
Fortunately he did not 90 all the way to the
sidewalk, but landed over the front door, where
| the sign, awning and cornice make a narrow
landlnR. From there 1t was q comparatively
easy task to reach the pavement.
PET DOG SAVED.
During the exciting and trying times Mrs
Pullman did not forget to save her pet dog
| which she handed across to Mr.. Matchett, and
although shouts of "Throw him out the win.
dow" were heard Mr.. Matchett gently handed
the canine in the window and again turned bis
attention to Mrs. Pullman.
SUSPENDED BY ROPE.
| The rope around her waist was securely
fastened, as it must have been to hold her, TO,
she is heavy woman, weighing not far short Of
! 200 pounds. The flames had about reached her
| and in the absence Of any better way Of escap-
| ing them she dropped from the window sill and
was held, suspended in the air by Mr.
sMatchett and the firemen. The rope was
slaekened as speedily as possible, until Mrs
| Pullman was landed on the little portico over
| the windows. She was not badly injured, bu,
| the excitement was almost moro than she could
| bear.
There being no further danger of loss of hui
man life the minds Of the crowd and firemen
were at case, and the fremen soon had the
building flooded with water and succeeded in
combining the flames to the rooms occupied By
the Pullmans All Of their rooms in the front M RI