The sun., 1894-12-29
HOFFMAN, HorsE 1AuNDRY INrA CT
n Was Ma.ter-on'. Trousers That Get
Anre-Put Out In n snow Bn.k.

When the propretors Of the Hoffman House
decided to rebuild that hotel the laundry at
tached TO the building was not disturbed. II
has always been at IL West Twenty fourth
street. There are about twenty girls employed
in Il. and they all sleep over the laundry.
They were awakened at 3 A. VI. yesterday by
a commotlon which originated in the boiler
room when Thomas Masterson. a coal passer.
was there all alone. Peter Fitzpatrick. the hre-
man. who was in charge. had left the place a few
minutes before. asking Masterson TO look out
for things for five minutes.
While Masterson was sitting q chair in
front of one Of the big boilers which supply the
laundry with steam. he heard a peculiar sizzlin z
noise. He ran around the boiler and saw steam
rushing from one Of the stop cocks. Thinking
the boiler was about TO burst. he ran for the
coal rake and started to draw the FIRE from
under the boilers. The place meantime filled
with steam. Masterson again went around to
the rear end Of the boiler. where he tried to plug
up the hole through which the steam was COM
ing. hut with little success He groped his way
sssk 70 the tT1nt OF ths S,I, S2iier ana SAT down
stant. however. but. loudly yelling, started on .
Just as he reached II the fireman. Fitzpatrick,
returned, and MasterSon ran right into him.
What's the matter. Tom Z" asked the fire
man.
low. ow! Fire! Police" and with that Mas
terson disappeared with yell down Twenty
fourth street toward sixth avenue.
Fitzpatrick. seeing the steam rushing from the
door Of the boiler room. ran up stairs to the sec
ond floor. whore the engineer. George Wheeler
was asleep, He aroused hin. and told him there
was something wrong down stairs. Wheeler.
not waiting to dress. ran down in his night
clothes. He found the boiler room filed with
steam. and after stumbling about a while.
reached the rear Of the boiler in which the leak
was. In q few minutes he suCceeied Ia cutting
of the leak. but not before he had pretty warm
bath. There was too much pressure Of steam on.
and the nipple OF the stop cock on one OF the
bollers had blown of.
While the engineer was repairing the boiler
NatC hman BraunRn came around the corner Of
broadway and Twenty fourth street and was
startled by loud yelling. Looking down the
street he saw a man running as fast as he could
on the slippery pavement The man was hat
less, and there a fame Of fire around the
lower part Of his hudy. while from his waist u D
smoke arose from h.s clothing.
Braman. on recognizing MAsterson. thought
there must ne a FIRE in the laundry and he ran
10 the nearest fire box and ranG alarm. When
he hurried back he found MasIersor sitting on
rubbing the lover back part ot his body and
was moaning. His trousers were burned over
the parts he rubbed.
In the mean time the engines had arrived and
when they found out the only thing that had
been on fire was Mastersons trousers they want
ell 10 know all abou. IL.
II was some time before MAsierson could tell
how his trousers had got Adre. He finally said
that when he saw the steam escaping he raked
one OF the hot ones must have got on the chair
he afterward sat on.
Mastersoa was taken TO the New York Hos
pitAl-