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 q T.I,rts-
fifth street House.

Five nremen were overcome by smoke
and gas this morning while attempting
to extinguish a fire in the cellar Of al
ten n at 27 West Thirty-iftlS
street.
The house is of brick, and is four
stories high. On the ground floor AdolphS
Renoux, a Frenchman, keeps a grocery
store. TIL rooms above are occupied for
the most part by colored families.
Policeman Gray OF the West ThirtyN
seventh street station, while passing the
house at 3 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 smoked
and knew at once that the house was on
fire. r
The noise he made hammerlng on thd
grocer's door. as well as his shoutingll
attracted the attention of Policeman
Burns. who sent in an a.arm.
Renoux and his two daughters. who}
live in a little room back or the store-I
were awakened to find their room and
aroLsing them. then awakened the ten
ants in the upper portion of the house,
while Burns looked to those in the adj
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
Il bunch. The stairway. leads In two
directions. one part to the street a
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
-,lI1.r Il urn fhn NAV nnnrinu infN
Just as they reached the door they
were met by "A mass OF people, coming
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
ened out matters. Then they got a line
of hose into the house, but had great
difficulty in locating the flames. None
The members of Engine Company No.
Is finally found a fire smouldering among
a lot of coal and wood in the cellar.
They had only been in the cellar two
rection the fire seemed to be. when one
of he men crept up the stairs on his
hands and knees.
he reached the first floor he dropped I'M
conscious.
In another nm another indistinct
III" Was SttIl SbIiililS UP tHC
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 and Mulligan.
Chief Gicquel was also overcome by thu
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 Judd
had attended them they were removed
to their engine-house.
After half an hours work the FIRE
was put out. The iremen do not be
lieve that it was smoke alone which
Next door to the burned building there
was, until n few weeks ago. a bakers
shop in the basement. 1t Is believed
that a quantity of gas leaked from the
meter. which is still in the place. and
got into the other building. In SOM
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 lone by the flamei
will not be over $50.