The evening world., 1893-10-27
FIVE ALMOST DIED.
Escaping Gas 0vCrcOmcS a Number
of Fircmcn in a Harlem Cellar.
ENGINEER DOYlE'S PRESENCE OF MIND
SAVED THEM.
THREE ARE NOW IN THE HOSPITAL.

The fire bell In the rickcty old tower
lem ala not ring at . o'clock
last might. as usual. Th" fir"
laddira who attend to- this were washing
up, after cx]tlnruishirE a smoky cellar
fire at which five of their fellows al
most met death.
Michael McLaughlin. OF Manhattan
VILE; William Il. Lear. OF hudson Park,
and Thomas II. Hogan, Of No. 3i3 Henry
street, all Of Engine Company No. 3I, at
Lawrence street and Amsterdam VENUE.
were removed la amhulancrs to Man
haitian Hospital, unconscious. perhaps
dying,
capt. Samuel Best and Engineer Pat
rick Doyle, Of the sam" company, were"
removed from the cellar insrnsiblr, hat
were rrausritatcl after ten minutes
hard work 10y Dr. J. j. Uuiglcy, TIA" dis
trict physician of the Fire Department.
Tn" men were overcome 10y gas, which
filled the cellar from Il burned out gas
meter. They wor" rescued from death
by chief Peter Short. of the Ninth Bat
TALON. assisted by Engineer brady, Of
Engine Company No. 81, and Fireman
Powers, of Hook and Ladder Company
no. II.
shortly before : y. NJ Policeman
Robert nay. of the West ON" Hundred
and Twcnty-ilfth street police station,
saw smoke ssulng from the cellar
grntings of No. 90 West one Hundred
and Twcnty-hfth street. the cellar
door was locked. Day kicked in the
platc-glass door of the store, II women's
furnishing shop. kept by Mrs. Sarah
Weber, and climbed through. The
shop was filed with a dense smoke.
Day made n hurried exit and rang in
an alarm. Engine No. p dashed up TO
the curb, and n hose was connected.
capt. lest and four mon seized the
nozzle and ran down the short flight OF
stairs TO the cellar. They broke in the
door and disappeared, dragging tn" hose
after them. Several minutes elapsed.
but no order was received to pass the
water" Each minute was an hour to
Engineer boyle, who waited the signal.
he ic;t tho engine in charg" Of his AS
%Sistant and, grabbing an axe, rushed
lie stepped cautiously forward and
stumbled over a PROSTATE body. The
cellar was sizzling with gas. lie
drasg"l himself to the cellar door,
','H''' VI lflp 'INl Ifll ulltbIiStlplS.
Chief short with several men was
standing on the walk above. lie heard
boNle'i cry for help and, shouting for
men to follow. L. dlshed to the rescue.
scores of Willing hands held Gown to
~rvceiv" him. capt. Best WIS the second
to be brought. from the black hole. 4
minut" elapsed, when Short and Powers
appeared. bearing the holy OF William
Lear. .F!ngtnerr Brady was at tho.r
heels. drars!ng Fireman Mclaughlin.
Poth mon were carried to the Sidewalk
ana lHil on their backs.
Again short and his men disappeared.
\ moment later they cam" out, carrying
Fireman Hogan between them. DR..
QuiSleN nAd been summoned from his
office Mt No. 32G West one HundreI and
IW"nty-ilth street, and began to work
over the unconscious men, assisted hy
policemen and iirrnen.
capt. Pest and Engineer Doyle graIu-
any rrgaiucd consciousness ana enCh 10
gan II he sick at his stomach. III.
other men were worked over for several
minutes with no signs of consciousness.
an hulhnCes were summoned from Man
were removed. Mclaughlin was taken
IN q cable car to the hospital.
IN" fire had long since been cxtin-
EntshH1. 1t had started in some rub
left the cellar. The water. howtver.
flowed to the EASEMENTS of Nos. 23i and
23G, occupied as tn" upholstery depart
m"nt Of West * I'ykc's dry-gools
The damages amount as follows: Mrs.
Sarah Wcbb"r. SS.JOD. West d pike.
5000; building, 5000. West &. Iyke
were fully insured, Mrs. Weber only
Tn" street was crowded for blocks
around. The cable cars were DELAYED
thirty minutes. The building is owned
by l.eChmnn, MOrgcnthau ~ Goldsmith,
~. ,l"i Nassau street. and is on"-story