The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-10-04
REAL SLIDE FOR LIFE.
Jackson Rescued from Peril by a
Fireman's Rope.
+. Sixth Avenue Building Fired by
an Incendiary.
u.rosene Literally Used and Flames
Found In Two Places.

IN the four-story building at SIT Sixth
.,enue. mostly occupied by business con-
arms but also the home of seven or
s,gbt people, a woman got up early this
.,orning to look for burglar and found
that the phase was on fire.
Not more than $500 damage was done,
,ut investigation showed that such care
a., preparation had been made to burn
he place that IL 1t had not been dis
.overed in time. not only would the
,ouse have been destroyed, but the four
,sople who slept there last night would
lave lost their lives. AS 1t was, one man
vas compelled to slide down a rope from
,he fourth story.
II was just after 100 o'clock that
Miss Annie Berkhart. who sleeps on the
fourth floor, was awakened by some one
Walking through the halls. She deter
mined to get up and investigate. The
house had been locked up since IL
i o'clock. She opened the door and was
met by a great cloud of smoke, with
! which the hall was filled. The woman
,creamed, at the same time rushing to
lhe door of Mrs. Lizzie Earle on the
,ame floor. The latter is the house.
keeper.
The two women made their way to
the street, crying at the top of their
voices as they ran. A Mr.. Moore, who
has a room on the second floor of the
building, was aroused, and fled to the
street in his night-clothes.
On the top floor there was another
roomer, William H. jackson. By the
time he had been aroused the dense
smoke had made the halls impossible.
and he could not get out; He opened his
window and screamed for help. Some
one had turned in an alarm, and when
the first engine came Jackson stood on
the window-sill in his room, hesitating
whether to jump or not.
While, the firemen went into the build
Ing, and found the source of the fire I'M
der the stairs leading to the basement,
owen DAILY, and others, of Fire Patrol
No. 3. got on the roof of the building
through the next house. DAILY had him
self lowered by rope to the window
where jackson stood. Jackson, stimu-
Hated by his announcement, slid down
4 the rope to the pavement. His hands
were badly cut. DAILY slid down after
The fire in the cellar was extinguished
and the firemen went through the build
Ing. On the third floor, in rooms occup-
q shirts, they found that another fire
Twas burning. There was nothing In the
room but a few bundles of unfinished
|shirts, two old chairs and desk. The
lire had made but little Roadway, and
Twas put out easily.
The next room is occupied by the
|Emsley Engraving Company, A door
from this room opens into that where
|of the floor in the Emsley room were
Hound saturat, l with kerosene. In the
hallway on this same floor was found
ID gallon oil can, partly filled with kero-
|sene, and further up, on the steps lead
Ing to the top floor, there was a large
pitcher which had contained the oil.
/ Still further search showed that the
Railways and the stairs above the sec
|tnd floor had been sprinklei with the
bill with such a lavish hand that en-
|pme Of the stairs there were little pools
b II.
The housekeeper is quite sure that all
HE doors were securely locked when
|she tried them at II o'clock. Early in
The evening, she said, Mr.. Jackson had
been in a little bedroom on the third
|toor drinking with one of the Emsleys.
Mr. Emsley left the building a 10 O. clock,
land Mr. Jackson went to bed. Jackson
|also says that Emsley left the house,
flor he saw him to the door and locked it
'' The 'i fire in the cellar was under the
stairs, but there was no sign of the
kerosene there.
Soon after the fire was dicovered Po-
keenan, Joseph Cook tried to break into
The door Of w. F. Sanders's cigar
stcre on the first floor. His hand was
50 badly cut with glass that he had to
De removed to the New York Hospital.
The Fire Marshal will make an inyes-
tgation to-day. The house is owned by
Joseph Berchard, of g. Wall street.