The evening world., 1894-05-26
OVERCOME BY GAS.
Five Firemen Taken Unconscious
from a Burning Building.
Capt. Gaffney and an Engine Com
pany We're in the Cellar.
Panic Among Inmates OF a Thirty
fifth Street House.

Five fremen were overcome by smoke
and gas this morning while attempting
to extinguish a fire In the cellar Of a
tenament-house at 2l7 West Thirty-ffth
street.
The house Is of brick. and Is four
stories high. On the ground floor Adolph
Renoux, a F'renchman, keeps a grocery
/ store. Tho rooms above are occupied for
the most part by colored families.
Policeman Gray OF the West Thirty
seventh street station. while passing the
house at 8 o'clock this morning noticed
smoke curling around a lighted lamp in
the street directly in front OF the tene-
ment. Going into a little alleyway beside
the house he found 1t filled with smoke,
and knew at once that the house was on
fire.
The noise he made hammering on the
grocer's door. as we'll as his shouting,
attracted the attention of Policeman
Burns. who sent In an Alarm.
RenouX n his two daughters, who
live in a little room back of the store.
were awakened to find their room and
store filled with the smoke. Gray, after
%arousing them, then weakened the ten
ants in the upper portion of the house,
while Burns looked to those in the ad-
joining and nearby tenements.
Although there was no sign of flames,
the entire house from top to bottom
was filled with smoke. When the people
were aroused they became panic
stricken, and rushed down the stairs in
a bunch. The stairway leads in two
directions, one part to the street and
the other into the narrow alley leading
from the rear tenements.
Because the danger seemed to lie in
the direction of the stairway towards
the street the panic-stricken people,
with the policeman at their head, rushed
wildly, down the stairway opening into
the alley.
Just as they reached tho door they
were met by a mass of people coming
from the rear tenements. When the
two streams of humanity met in that
narrow place there was a blockade.
Just at that moment. however, the fire.
men. headed by Chief Gicquel, of the
Ninth Battalion. arrived and straight
ened out matters. Then they got a line
of hose into the house, but had great
difficulty in locating the flames. None
could be seen
The members of Engine Company No.
26 finally found q fire smouldering among
a lot of coal and wood In the cellar.
They had only been in the cellar two
throwing a stream in the d.
rection the fire seemed to be, when one
of the men crept up the stairs on his
hands and knees.
1t was Capt. Andrew Gaffney. When
he reached the first floor he dropped un-
conscious.
In another moment another indistinct
form was seen coming up the stairs.
Several men rushed to them.
The other two men who were in the
cellar were also taken out.
The men, besides the Captain. who had
been in the dangerous position were
Assistant Foreman Joseph Scherrick and
Firemen Coffee n Mulligan.
Chief Gicquel was also overcome by the
gas, but recovered in a few moments.
All the men were unconscious when
carried into the street.
They were laid on the pavement
across the street and an ambulance
~telephoned for from the New York Hos
pital. After Ambulance Surgeon judi
had attended them they We're removed
After half an hours work the fire
was put out. The firemen do not be
lieve that 1t was smoke alone which
overcame the men.
Next door to the burned building there
was, until a few weeks ago. a bakers
shop in the basement. 1t is believed
hat a quantity of gas leaked from the
meter. which Is still in the place, and
got Into the other building. In some
manner, 1t is thought. the gas caught
fire. and that the combination of gas
and smoke was too much for the fire
fighters.
The actual damage done by the flames
will not be over $3.50.