The evening world., 1893-12-28
THE WORLD: THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER %, 1898.
SEEKING MILNER'S BODY.
Large Gang Of Men at Work at
the Pearl Street Ruins.
The Brave Fire Patrol Man Lost His
Life I'm Performing His Duty.

The body of brave Gus Miner, the
member OF Insurance Patrol No. 1, who
lost his life while performing his duty
at the fire in August Vahlen's picture
frame factory. 43G Pearl street, late last
night, was not recovered up to noon to-
day.
r. +. Galligan, contractor. of 52S East
Seventeenth street. has thirty-five men
at work taking out the debris. They
have cleared away nifty feet of rubbish,
brt the body lies buried thirty-five feet
further back, on the ground floor,
which was used as "A salesroOm.
Miner was a great favorite with his
comrades. He leaves a widow and three
children, one Of whom Is only two weeks
old. He had recently bought a lot in
upon 1t on the instalment plan. He lived
there with his family very happily. He
was allowed one day off in every ten.
lns Building. together with Albert Dono-
van, George w. Waddv ana James Bur
nett. by Sergeant Johnson, who was In
command. They were told to spread tar
paulins over the stock 10 save 1t from
damage by water.
Miner held one end Of a tarpaulin, the
other being handled by Donovan. Each
Suddenly the ceiling came down, COM
pletely burying Miner and partially COW
ering the others. particularly Donovan.
These latter were soon rescued by. their
comrades, but Miner could not be
reached. He must have been killed in
stantly.
Early this morning Capt J. N. Sand
ford, of Patrol No. ]. who had had a day
his home. 157 West Eighty-third street,
when Miner was killed, took charge Of
the work of clearing away the rubbish;
man, and said that he had frequently
distinguished himself by acts Of heroism.
he sent Il messenger to Flatbusn. to
break the sad news to the stricken
Chairman George T. Patterson, of Fire
Patrol Company OF the New York Board
OF Underwriters. held a conference with
Ing for Undertaken Charles A. Benedict.
Of 60 Carmine street, to take charge OF
Miners remains as soon as found;
No. i3i Pearl street. which is next
to the burning building. is a fve-story
double-decker tenement-house 1t was
almost deserted this morning, nearly all
the inmates having fed.
top floor, rear. said that during. the fire
last night a big. blaze shot by her win
dow through a hole broken through the
wall of the burning building.
The origin of the fire which broke out
on one OF the upper floors Of Vahlen's
factory had not yet been ascertained
this morning.
None Of the firm or anybody repre-,
senting the owners OF the building was
seen by the policemen or firemen at the
scene of disaster this morning.
Chief e. f. Croker. Of the Second
Battalion, was in charge OF the fremen,
He said that when the explosion oc-
CURED, which caused the fall of the cell
Ing under which Miner was buried. he
was himself thrown from his post on the
second floor to the foot of the stairs on
the ioor below. He was not, however.
seriously injured and remounted the
stairs shortly after.
falling debris, is now In the Chambers
Street Hospital.
At noon the workingmen had cleared
sixty feet away from the front door.
There they came to an abrupt pause.
The fioor at that point had been cut
clean through in a straight line from
side to side of the building, as II done
by a saw.
1t was the work of the falling ceiling
under which Miner had persisted. How
wide the gulf Is beyond this line could
not be seen, as the place is filled with
a dense smoke.
had been smouldering, broke out anew.
A stream OF water had been playing
upon the wrecked building from the
time the Are was supposed to have been
gotten under control at 1l.50 o'clock last
three additional treams were poured In
to the structure n the flames were
again subdued.