The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-08-10
A dog SAVES a. 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.


from being burned TO death at Shady
side House, Ono Hundred and Ninety
seventh street, at 4 o'clock this morn
ing.
Shadyside House is a Summer resort
situated on the crest OF a 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 flash. 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 b
West Eighteenth street.
JOHN NORTON. slxty-two years old.
WILLIAM ALPHFE. thirty.two years old.
LOUIS HOFFMAN, twenty seven years old
The last three lived at shadyside
House. which was totally destroyed.
August J. Dick, the proprietor Of the
house, who lives at 2525 Eighth avenue
went to a chowder party yesterday and
left Louis Hoffman in charge. Hoffman
goes by the name of smith"
Now, Smith," said Proprietor Dick
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 TIE man Of all
work.
Things went along all right during the
day. and at midnight the place was
closed up. The men had worked hard
all day, and they slept well.
1t was o'clock this morning when
HOFFMAN was aroused from a deep sleep
by the barking of a dog. Ii was Nick, a
big black St Bernard. that belongs to
John ii. Ruschmcyer, the nea rest neigh
Dor to Shadyslde, about two hundred
feet away. Nick was locked in a room
Norman knew this, SO he said:
That's funny" AS he sat up in bed
and listened, he heard a peculiar sound
at the door.
He didn't have time to get up before
a great tongue of flame shot into the
room from above. and a second later
the flames were roaring on every side.
Alphfe and Rowe slept in the same
room with Hoffman. They awoke as he
cried aloud. and were frantic with ter
ror.
room, and as he opened II he was con-
fronted by u blazing mass that he did
not dare to rush into. The only, other
way of egress was by barred window.
In the corner of the room there was
big club. Hoffman took this up and
battered the frame from the window.
But 1t was harder work when he came
to the iron bars.
The other men stood In the centre of
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.
dow. His clothing was on fire, Hoff-
man threw him on the grass and rolled
him over and over, to put out the burn
ing clothes; Rowe came out next, and
Throw yourself on the grass cried
Hoffman
Rowe paid no attention to him, but
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
Ing down the window, so that he could
Meanwhile Jack Norton the bartender.
was asleep in another room. The
hames awoke him as they were creep
ing up the legs of his bed.
Norton Is not an excitable man, and
he thought of the days receipts that
were in drawer in the refreshment
room. There was wall of fire between
through It.. He got the money-drawer
ln his hands and then thought of get
ting safely out.
He would have got safely out. too,
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
house. exhausted
and rolling in the grass out of the way
of the fire.
There are few residents in the vlcin-
lily Of Shadys;de but those few, slep'
pavilion, half a mile away, and had an
alarm sent out. Mounted Policeman
Mcnamara had seen the reflection in
the sky and came galloping up. When
he learned that the inmates were badly
burned. he ran his horse at break
neck speed to the one Hundred and
Fifty-second street station and sent a
lance.
The nearest engine company to Shady
side Is at One Hundred and Fifty
fourth street and Ans terdam avenue.
first engine got there the fire was a
thing of the past
When 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
body. Alphfe and Norton were burned
about the body, but not so badly.
1t is believed that the men when they
went TO bed left kerosene torch burning
in the new pavilion. which was filled with
shavings left by the carpenters, and
that It spluttered sparks on the shavings
and started the blaze
The damage is estimated at $500. be-
sides the $50 receipts, of which not a