The evening world., 1894-08-10
A Dog SAVES 4 LIVES.
Nick Aroused the Inmates Of the
Burning shadysids House.
They Fought Their Way Out, After
Beating Down Iron Bars.
All Were Badly Burned, and There
Was No Help at Hand.

The barking OF a dog saved four men
from being burned to death at Shady
side. House, One Hundred and Ninety
seventh street, at 4 o'clock this morn
Ing
Shadyside House is a Summer resort
situated on the crest of green hill,
with Fort George on one side and the
Harlem River on the other. and Is over
looked by Spuyten Duyvil Creek, In
wood Hill and Stewards Libby Castle.
The flames came like a fash, and made
such rapid progress that four men were
badly burned before they could get from
the house.
The injured men are:
FREDERICK ROWE. forty.two years old. of
West Eighteenth street
JOHN NORTON. sixty two years old
WILLIAM IsLPHFE thir,y-two years old
LOUIS HOFFMAN. twenty-seyen years old.
The last three lived at Shadyside
House, which was totally destroyed.
August j. Dick. the proprietor of the
house, who lives at 2o25 Eighth avenue,
went to a chowder party yesterday and
lief; Louis Hoffman in charge. Hoffman
goes by the name of Smith"
on leaving take care of the place, and
be especially careful OF fire."
You know me-" Hoffman answered.
| The only other men about Shadyside
were Jack Morton, the bartender; Fred
| Rowe. the cook, and William Alphfe,
| called Whitley" who is the man Of all
| work.
Things went along all right during the
day, and at midnight the place was
closed w. The men had worked hard
all day. and they slept well.
1t was 4 o'clock this morning when
| Hoffman was aroused from deep sleep
by the barking of dog. 1t was Nick,
big black St. Bernard, that belongs to
| John ii. Ruschmeyer, the nearest neigh
Dor to Shadyside, about two hundred
feet away. Nick was locked in room
and chained.
That's funny" AS he sat up in bed
and listened, he heard peculiar sound
| at the door.
He didn't have time to get up before
n great tongue of flame shot Into, the
room from above. and second later
the flames were roaring on every side.
Alphfc and Rowe slept In the same
room with Hoffman. They awoke as he
cried aloud. and were frantic with ter
Rowe ran to the only door In the
|
fronted by blazing mass that he did
not dare to rush into. rhe only other
way of egress was by barred window
| In tn. corner of the room there was
a big club, Hoffman took this up and
battered the frame from the window.
But It was harder work when he came
| to the iron bars.
| the room and called loudly for help.
Twice the flames set their clothing on
| fire.
| and Jumped out of the window onto the
lawn. The wind was blowing strong
from the north, and this window was
| on that side.
Next Alphfe came through the win
dow. His clothing was on fire. Hon,
man threw him on the grass and rolled
him over and over, to put out the burn,
every article he had on was ablaze.
Throw yourself on the grass cried
Hoffman,
rushed away across the fields, his burn
ing clothes setting fire to the dry grass
in places as he ran; Hoffman,s feet
had been burned while he stood batter
not follow him.
Meanwhile Jack Norton. the bartender,
ASLEEP IN another sssv yo9m The
ing up the legs of his bed.
| Norton Is not an eXcitabfe man, and
he thought OF the days receipts that
| Il
room. There was a wall of fire between
him and that $780, but Norton wen'
through it,. He got the money-drawer
In his hands and then thought Of get
He would have got safely out, too,
but the fire had burned hole In the
floor. He stumbled and the cash went
| flying in every direction.
| Then Norton thought OF his life and
the danger he was in, and crept along the
| floor out OF the house. falling exhausted
and rolling in the grass out of the way
| Of the fire.
ity of Shadys!de. but those few. slept
peacefully while Shadyside burned.
Whitley" Alphfe, ran to Reuberts's
pavilion. half a mile away and had an
the sky and came galloping up, When
| he learned that the Inmates were badly
| burned. he ran his horse at break
Fifty-second street station and sent a
call for a Manhattan Hospital ambu-
| lance.
The nearest engine company to Shady
fourth street and Amsterdam avenue,
fully two miles away. by the time the
first engine got there the fire was a
Wien the ambulance arrived the burned
men, with the exception of Hoffman,
were taken to the hospital. Rowe was
found not great distance from the house
frightfully burned about the head and
about the body, but not so badly.
II Is believed that the men when they
went to bed left "A kerosene torch burning
in the new pavilion, which was filled with
that II spluttered sparks on the shavings
and started the blaze.
The damage Is estimated at 81, 800. be-
sides the siGo receipts, OF which not a