The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-22
PRESENCE OF MIND.
How a Man Who Had Il Profited by the
Scheme OF Che Who Hadn't It.


Scheme OF Cne Who Hadn't It.
From the Chicago Herald
Presence Of mind and bravery in the face
of peril was being discussed in the Office Of
W. r. Busenbark, general manager OF the
Maple Leaf route. the morning after
Thanksgiving. The capsizlDg Of a yacht
off the lake front the day before suggested
the theme. After listening 70 the thrilling
experiences which each of the group pres-
entrelated-and somehow on the occasion
Of an exceptional accident people are prone
TO talk thrlllinRly Of what trey have
passed through themselves-Mr. Bussnbark
told story.
He did not need to call our fancy to his
aid to give interest TO his tale. He had been
a central figure in the well-remembered
burning Of the Newhall hotel in Milwaukee,
being tue only person above the second
floor who did not perish in the terrible fire.
Referring to the manner in which be es-
capped, be said he owed lis life to the fact
that man who was burned to ashes in the
flames, the same night told him how he
would try 10 save his life In case of fire.
This IS how 1t was, boys" said Mr.. Bus
EMBARK. II got orders from my road to
meet one of our agents named Ware, who
was to be Transferred from Detroit 70 Mil
waukee, and introduce him TO our patrons
in the Cream City. | joined him here in
Chicago, and we went TO Milwaukee to-
gether 1t was the day Of the Newhall
hotel fire. On the trip, by strange coin
cidenU, we began talking about fires.
Ware, think, brought up the topic. Yes,
il was Ware; and what started him on the
subject was the fact that he had witnessed
a big fire in the Western Union building at
Detroit, at which five lives were lost. Isn't
it curious, Busenbark. said Ware to me,
how common sense will desert a man in
the hour OF dangerl l saw the big fire In
Detroit.
IA number Of operators could be seen
standing helplessly and in wild despair at
the windows of the Western Union build
ing. There was a perfect network Of tele-
graph wires within twenty feet Of them, by
jumping on which they might have saved
their lives. But they didn't jump, and they
persisted. What is puzzling is that the tele-
graph wires as a means OF escape for the
poor fellows did not occur to me until after
all was over
"'No accounting for those things, Ware
said TO the Detroit man, and then we
talked about other matters.
THAT evening, after arriving at Milwau-
kee, we went 70 hear Minnie Palmer in My
Sweetheart l remember it as II IL was but
yesterday. About IL o'clock we reached
the Newhall and were given a double-bed-
ded room. When l was awakened by the
neat ana sUlnlnR smoke pulleu w are out
Of bed, and the poor fellow dashed from the
room and toward the staircase. l never
saw him again. alive or dead, for he was
burned to ashes. / rushed to one of the
windows of my room and stood for fully
half an hour, dazed and bewildered. Right
under the window was a network OF tele
graph wires. Poor Wares story Of the De-
troit incident flashed across my mind.
Il jumped toward the wires. and ali that
remember is that l grabbed them. They
told me afterward that hung on for about
a minute and then fell TO the pavement be-
low. / was put among the dead in the old
bank across from the hotel, but 1 revived,
and two months later was able to walk.
Ware inspired me with the idea that
saved my life, and while he had the same
opportunity as l had he did not avail him.
self OF it.
1T is idle. boys, to talk Of what one
would be sure to do under given ciroum-
stances. There is no accounting what a
man will dc when he is looking into the
jaws of DEATH
All the boys looked thoughtful and agreed
that ii was so.