The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-28
LOST Ills LIFE AT A FIRE.
MINER OF PATROL CAUGHT UNDER
FAILING skYLIGHT.

|
Two Meu who Were working wth Hi-
Got Awny-A Third wns Rescued By
shsrp Work ny Their Companions and =
PoIicemaN-Thrrs Otser Fir.men Hart.
A IRE that had gained great Roadway before
II was discovered broke out at about 1920
o'clock last night In the frame and moulding
factory OF August Vahlen. at 430 Pearl street.
The building Is Of brick, IL Eve stories high.
and has q large lIRhtshaft about forty feet
in from the front, and II Ia supposed
that the fire started on the third floor, near this
lightshait which Is covered by big skyllght.
When the nremen arrived this lightshaft was
filled with smoke and flames. although the
mouldlngs which projected into the open space
were burning 1ercely.
Among tho first to arrive at the place were
| the en- from Fire Patrol No !, at Al Murray
| street, under the command OF Sergeant John
| johnson. He at once sent half dozen OF his
| men In on the ground floor to cover up infiam-
| mable material with wet rubber blankets
| Gus Miner was the first to go In. followed by
| Albert Donovan. Jim Burnett and George w.
| waddy. They went about forty feet In from
| the street. and two other men worked near the
| entrance
While they were hard at work spreading
| blank cts there was crash above them and a
| mass OF debris came down upon them. The
glass skyllRht. burst by the heat had fallen In.
| bringing down with II a ton OF mouldings
| frames. and rubbish with such suddenness
| that the men had no time to run.
Burnett escaped the mass. but was thrown
| down by the shock. Waddy was struck between
! the shoulders by flying board and knocked
| clear OF further danger. They picked them
| selves up and looked for their companions
| From the heap around tho edges Of which
| little flames were already playing. protruded
| one arm and shoulder OF Donovan
| With q shout to those outside for h clip. the
| two men flung themselves on the spot and be-
| gan digging frsntieslly at tho heap. Rounds
man Thomas J. Egan Of the Oak street station
| and Driver Frank Argue OF Hook and Ladder
| 10 rushed in with hooks to their assistance.
TWAS a race with fire. for the falling ruin
| had carried down with 1t bits OF blazing wood
| and not only were the flames bursting from all
parts Of the hs Si but the room was hil i6
workers. Donovan was conscious and called
!TSere's something across my back. boys
II you can lIit 4 Of can crawl out Hurry up
and ends, until they could see where a pile
Of square frames was pressing Donovan
S SoSf to n. TT qSS' .hey oSsd fR the
mass and hauled Donovan out II was none
r near and and one Of the rescuine party. Police
They carried Donovan into the street, Wnere
WIRES MiIner2 He. was back of me. He
must be in there yet. We must go In after
He STAGGERED toward the door; but fell;
+ get back to the heap. Before they had gone
fifteen feet q, choking cloud OF smoke and
passed alive. drove them back. Streams Of
water from tive lines q hose were played
out the Ore sum slently to admit ot the men
going In again. but IL had gained too much
tss :I RsFs g ;:.o S:i hsi 10
i s.s ssas sIfa: Re III sR .s
the falling mass and is probably buried at the
tSss there re was Chance Of bis being alive ten
| minutes after the fall.
hut hs rsnssa to Ss tsGsn 10 the Sosps
sistlng that he was unhS y Burnett escaped
except for confusion on his back whero the
Miner. the man who WINS, left in the build
He 81 S msr
ried. and had three children. one OF whom was
born day before yesterday He lived at Flat
Ills acquaintances say that he was quiet.
point Of recklessness and wonderfully agile.
His qniekness had saved him on two or three
said. there was no chance to escape,
all snmr like 6sss ssiG Ro mo- Ana. as
OF the patrol wagon after his rescue. There
was crash above US so and then i went
DOW ,ti Ss SaS OF inem eGge gha GHs S Ss
got the tuii weight Of 4; AZ arst hoped he'd
go, out on the other side and had run around
wasn't there knew there was no chance for
On the other side OF the frame factory Is Bill
lings. King 4 Co = varnish factory. Here the
iiremen worked hard keering streams Of water
tons 10 due the saving OF this building.
AT hall past IL an explosion IN the burning
varnish in the varnish factory had exploded
aud set that building on fire
| A detachment OF hremen was at once sent
In. but found that no explosion had taken
place there; and that 1t must have been In the
Foiies justice Diver. whose house 10 within
few rods OF the burned building, was an in
w Ssset in The crowd and Sused theS
selves in calming the frightened people who
had been turned out OF the endangered tene-
one Of the priests, Father Joseph Mcdonald,
when he heard that man bad been buried
minister tie last Iites, but was prevented
that he could not get within thirty feet OF
where the man was.
Heavy iron shutters which could not be forced
open seriously hnmpered the work OF the fire
men. At o'clock IL was said that the lire was
under control and would not spread to the
vaInish factory or tenements. ooo NJ
| Inc loss IA probably ABOUT otO'O'O Dullu-
ing and stock were owned by August NAhlsn
OF ], ISL Lexington avenue.
The drsmen had a hard fight with stub
born nre In the factory building l54 and 1850
West Twenty seventh street at 81, o'clock last
evening
The lire originated among some newspapers
on the third floors In the bindery OF the stuy-
Vesant Press Company. 1t Was soon raging In
all the upper floors of the building, and look ed
SO dangerous that third alarm was sent In.
The building was gutted.
| FiTemen John Harris of Engine Company l
and Edward Farrell OF Engine COMPANY 10
were overcome by smoke. Department sur
Reon j. j. Quigley attended them. and they
were taken To bellevue Hospital
| Assistant Foreman bernard Kelly OF Engine
Company 50 was cut in the face by falling glass,
His wounds were dressed by Dr. Ouigley. and
he was able TO go home.
The building was occupied as follows: First
floor. Doehrlng FireprOoi ConstIuetion Com
pRny; second hoOr, George ii. Kitchen Co..
gas fixtures, and d. Macdonald. gas meters !;
third. fourth and NTH floors, stuyyesant Press
Company, The sixth floor was vacant. The
building Is owned BY John r. Robinson. and II
Is said this Is the third hre since 1851 Tho