New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-30


denly disappeared. with Assistant Foreman
Rooney. who stood by his side. under the mass
OF wreckage carried down by the heavy ma
chnery.
Held down by the wreckase ON the stairway
were Hennesscy Farrell. Cosan' Tackney' Gal
Of the falling wreckage had subsidized. two OF
the men found they could move They were
Hackney and Calvin. Their arms and legs were
free. but they We're prisoners in a narrow space
not more than four feet square. while the vas
pile q wreckage above them threatened To crush
tho m wis the slightest movement their part
The smoke was slowly choking them. and The
cracking of the flames above menaced them
with speedy and horrible fate Several Of the
others were pinned down by broken timbels
Carefully Hackney felt the broken timbers
about him. and then as he retained his fremans
axe. he began to chop hole In the stairway
under his feet. at the same time warning the
others not To move. lest the great pile Of broken
,imbers should fall and crush them all.
Calvin relieved Hackney in choppins after a
minute or 50. and soon hole was made. Gal
vim hit Hackney OH the head with the axe once
accidentally. but the latter didn't mind the tap
He helped free the others and was almost the
last to go through the hole. The men
dropped eight feet to the stairway below Poor
Arneth had his coat ana indeed all his clothing
down his undershiIt burned before he could
be released from 4 timber which held him. far-
rell released him finally. Hackney preceded Far-
rell. and as he - stout man ne STUCK III o,te
hole. Farrell however. pushed him So cnergetl-
cally that Hackney finally went through Theh
Farrell and Arneth followed Arneth strange 10
say, had no burns. though he came withh An
ace of being roasted
No time was lost in sending the injured men In
the New-York Hospital. SO quickly had the ter
rible accident that swept Bresnan and Rooney to
death happened that until the appearance OF inc
injured nothing definite was known on the
street except that something in the building had
fallen. When the firemen began to examine the
fourth floor at 10 o'clock in the morning ii was
discovered that a huge water tank. when had
been on the roof. had really caused the catas-
trophe This had fallen and carried down the
machinery on the sixth floor with II.
The bodies Of the dead chief and Of Rooney were
under lot OF machinery on which rested the
wreck Of the water tank.
Tears stood in the eyes Of Chief Bonner Wheh
he learned of the fate OF. Bresnan. He was
faithful man." said the Chief NO. ! don con-
slider he foolish in fghting me hre from De-
low There were three lines Of hose. lie was
simply doing his duty, and met his death III DONG
IT," ,,
The fourth. fifth and sixth floors OF the build
ing were destroyed The loss 10 CASSIDY 'oh "
Co will reach $4,000
SKETCHES or THE DEAD MEN
Battalion Chief John J. Bresnan was born In
Ireland in lSi3 End came to this country when
lad During the early part of the war he served
as a drummer boy with the Goth Regiment. lie
was a member of Fulton Engine Company NO. Il
when the volunteer fire force was abolished and
the Metropolnan Fire Department organized. lie
was first detailed t. Engine Company No 81 ON
February |. 1870 he was made assistant engineer
OF Engine Company No. II. and on the nist q.
".
foreman and sent to Engine Company No b. ne
served short periods later with Engine Companies
Nos IS and 90. He was made foreman on March
l. 1873 and received command OF ENGINE 'o'il-
many No 49, He continued In charge or thls
company until February !. 1880. when ne Wa
made battalion chief OF the sixth Dstr!I' , NE
quarters were in the house OF HOOK ana i]iuu,'
Companv NJ. g. in Thirteenth-st. near foui'h,
ave He popular in the department anu
had hosts OF friends. He was one OF 'ne me- w.,
efficient commanders in the department. ana ms
bravery was unquesoned II could never pr
said OF him that he ever ordered hls men 10 f.
where he not always ready 10 ieau ''r ,t 49,,
lived on the top floor of No. 90 lhlrd-aNe. WI" ''
three motherless children. VINO are no" ,eI'
orphans The youngest is eleven years 'io 'i's
Bresnan died four or five years ago ,, l.,
Assistant Foreman John l.. Rooney ha1 oe,'
tho dena ri meut nearly twenty years fis nome
was AZ No 1871 varick-s;. He leaves widow ana
several children He was daring fireman. am
ON the roll OF merit acts OF his bravery arr ~,
cordad II was at the big fire in the ola W oIiu
building. at Park Row and Beekinan.sI' III ~ 80
that he especially distinguished hinseI. -, a.,
bravery on that occasion the Behhet, gnu nv We"
&c awarded him At the peril or MS own ne
he saved that Of Miss Ida Small; she was on ~ %.
fffh floor Of the burning building atpe"nn a far
afd The 0remen raised a ladder. pu, IL "dS 20
Too short They then lifted IL up on 'he'' S"o
ders. but the ladder stlll reached olllS ~ WI
fourth floor Rooney ran up on II; NV now, ell
cood near the top while he shouted 10 .i'NS 90,
~ ;unn into his outstreched arms She did So
and was thus safely rescued. ,,... Modal
In addition To receiving the Bennc', inru 10"
Rooney was also maze ass's''"' INV
milton of his bravery. 49,, 80. sbortlv
The bodies OF the fremen were got ou' s rret
hofore noon Chief Bresnan's body was the III. IL
liberated and was carried into room VI" 80 a,.
Twentv-third-st side OF the BUILDING Inv no,
. ,rey had fallen over him in such way
81 30 he was not killed by the weight. as Rooney
was. The nremen all agreed tnat ,nen nh and
lived for short time after the fata cIdSi, ~
49, bis death resulted from suhocatoH.
R@oneys body was fopnc about two feet t, AVA way
from where his dead chief Jay. Inc heau was
hadv crushed. po,,rs
rather Mahoney. Of St Vincent de Iau, =
church. requested the reporters 10 a" ~ ,be
that a requiem mass wouid De nr hn NO., ~, ~
church Tomorrow morning. which me me" ~
Cbiaf Rresnan's command were especially H.
vited to attend. 49,, o T., tho nrn,
lanes c. Cassidy who is the son IN me . r.1,
said an estimate OF the loss could Hol w MAJ
gu after thorough examination Inc prop,
crtv was owned by A. r. Darling propfleaTidr @s
the Fifth Avenue Hotel Aoou, wv ,inns on
u,iu he thrown out Of employment ior a 'i'iie va