The evening world., 1894-05-01
SAVED BY A FIREMAN
Foreman Reilly Takes Mrs. Wright
from a Burning Building.
Claim that the Flames Started in
an Ice-B0x.
May Seem Ridiculous, but II Is the
Fire Fighters Statement.

There was a fire early this morning in
the three-story brick tenement at 4l
West street. 1t caused great excitement
in the neighborhood, gave an opportunity
to a fireman to prove himself u hero
and did 5000 damage. The firemen insist
that the flames started in an ice-box in
the saloon Of John J. Keenan, on the
ground floor.
The place was closed at 1890 o'clock
this morning. Just thirty-six minutes
after that the fire was discovered by Po-
liceman owen Burns. The flames were
OF that peculiar blue that arises from
burning alcohol. There was but little
smoke, the flames darting in a thousand
little tongues from every part Of the
store.
Burns turned in an alarm and then
started to wake up the tenants. The first
floor is occupied by two families, James
Powers, a truckman. with his wife. and
Michael Heating, a car driver. with his
wife and two children. The policeman
was forced to break In the door of Keat-
ing's rooms.
1t took so long to o the people
that the flames had. burned through
into the hallway and filled the house
With smoke before they were ready to
flee.
When Heating started dow the
arms, the rest followed like a flock of
sheep.
Terrified by flames and smoke, they
got blocked on the stairs, and IL II had
not been for he tiremen they might
have been suffocated.
On the top floor Policeman Burns had
even more trouble than he had on the
other. There are also two families
there-Patrick Feeney. with his wife and
two children. and Dennis Wright. with
his wife and one child. Both men work
'longshore.
When the policeman broke into
was a burglar. She uttered a piercing
shrek, and clutched her husband by the
hair, Feeney broke away from his
wife, jumped from his bed, and reached
for a heavy club. which was in n cor
ner of the room, The policeman ran
into the hall with Feeney after him.
Feeney saw the smoke and understood
the situation.
The wild cries of the Feeney family
awoke Wright. Soon the ,Feeneys and
Wrights were scurrying. downstairs in
their night dresses. When the street
was reached 1t was discovered that
Mrs. Wright, who is Ill, had been for
gotten. Wright wanted to return to his
rooms, but was prevented by the fire.
men. The entrance to the building was
at this time all ablaze, smoke poured
IIoIl it hlot-Stply "liuo"o VIZ ~
flames were eating their way from the
ground floor upward.
The front of the building was lost tc
sight by reason of the smoke. Suddenly
n gust of wind swept 1t clear for ar
instant. Then Mrs. Wright was seer
standing before a window of the THIRD
floor.
Forersan Reilly. who had arrived with
the first truck. ordered n t~hirty-fve
foot ladder put up to the window, a
the same time yelling to the woman
to remain where she was.
Lines had been run into the building
and the saloon floor was being flooded
The alarm had also called the two fire
boats. They had steamed into the silly
at the DOT of Charles street, and theil
crews were busy getting out their lines
When the ladder had been raised, ant
before 1t was fairly placed. Foreman
Reilly was On 1t. Up he went. tw,
rungs at a time. until he was opposit,
the window at which Mrs. Wright stood
Mrs. Wright is a large oma anC
! was not only i'll. but very much fright
ened. She wanted to argue with tn,
fireman. But Reilly had no time to talk
He grasped the woman about the waist
lifted her bodily from the window GU
onto the ladder and descended through
! the curling smoke.
] In half IN hour the flames were ex
tinguished. When the fremen reache,
the building they found the flames burn
ing %fiercest near Keenan's Ice box In tn
rear Of his place. From that the,
judged the fire had started there.
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