The morning times., 1895-11-07
DRIVEN BACK BY FLAMES.

DRIVEN BACK BY FLAMES.
Shortly after the rescue of Hackett, the
firemen and citizens engaged in clearing
away the wreckage at the rear of the build
ing caught sight or two bodies, u mans and
girls, under great heap OF beams.
boards and bricks. Ii was thought at
first that both were dead, but some one
said they could see the bodies palpitate
and could hear faint moans.
Efforts to reach them were reGOuhled,
but about this time the fire spread to the
rear OF the building, driving the workers
back. About the SAME time another man
was discovered below an immense heap
a5 another corTer. He was shouting. The
workers saw him crouchiDg in a large
barrel which was standing upright and
into which he must have fallen feet first.
Cries of encouragement were sent back TO
him, but hope failed when it was seen
the flames were slowly creeping towards
him.
All three had to be abandoned when the
smoke aud flame drove their helpers back.
John Lemon, waif, had an experience
as thrilling as that of anyone who escaped
from the ruins. A few minutes after IL
O'Clock he was hauled out OF the ruins.
There was dust on every inch of his person.
scratch on his cheek and slight burns
on his hands. He was tremblin evidently
fifteen minutes after his escape, but he
had chung to his overcoat and hat and he
could only talk in disconnected way.
COULD NOT ESCAPE.
He had started for the Journal office
to see friend, but got into the wrong
building. He was Oh the third floor when
the crash came and bricks fell around
hun. He was dazed, but looked for a door.
The floor sank and tipped SO quickly that
he could not escape. As he went down
he caught i glimpse of a girl running and
of man vino yelled Billy
After the first drop there wa sa cradual
sinking. He thinks it was three minutes
going dom. Lemon found himself pent up
in a small dark place with hole at one
side. His thoughts travelled over his
past life with the rapidity OF lightning.
He was nearly enclosed, nothing was press
ing upon him, but he knew not at what
moment an enormous weight might crush
him. He was In one of those cavities
and he was comparatively saf elf only
he could get out before the fire and smoke
should come to stifle or burn him.
i must work my way out or de-"
Lemon said tn himself.
at that smoke poured Into his small conn
p6Ttment, but not In such quantities as tu
oveEcnme him. 1t caused him 10 look
around, and he saw small hnle at his
right into which he began to throw bricks
HhN acs1N' P'SNNS ~ thN NNDA'' SAVN1N
him.
VOICE BELOW HIM.
Net long after this he heard a voice
below him beg that nothing more be brown
down. 1t sounded to him like the voice
OF the man who called for Billy at the
time o. the crash.
Lemon kept at work. however, eniargiug
the space around him. as much rs possible.
He had no idea of the time he spent in the
hole. Once in a while there was slow
sinking under him, which nearly paralyZed
his efforts. Once he touched a wire and
his hand was slightly burned By electricity.
There was an iron bar in front of him to
which he clung portion of the time. Still
he labored desperately and once he stopped
to pray, when a strong hand siezed him
he was pulled out of the bule.
FOUGHT OVER A BODY.
While the work of recovery was at its
height two rival undertakers bad a quar-
rel over the Possession or a bdoy. While
the uDdertakers were pulling at the body
the police. whose attention was attracted
to the inhuman spectacle, rushed up aud
separa ted tn men. Another assistant
came up with n coffin, put the body iu'the
box and commenced screH-ing down the
lid
Fireman Sullivan interfered. He had
assisted in dragging the body from the
ruins, and said the man, although burned
so as to be almost unrecognizabIe, was
still alive. The man in charge of the body
refused to open the coffin, and Sullivan
thoroughly enraged, thre W everybody
aside, and unceremouluusly kicked the
coffin lid off, smashing iu one end at the
same time.
A hasty examination proved that suili-
van was right. The man. for 1t was evi-
dent that the body was that of an adult
was still alive and he was taken cut and
placed in Marine Hospital ambulance
The driver and an attending physician
hastened to the hospital, but the man died
on the way.
The two buildings wreoind to-day We're
part OF u row of five-story business build
ings, with frontage of 500 feet. every
building in which has been burned Z Z
with some fatality at least once in the
past ten years and some of them twice
The death record of the whole block
itself from fire and elevator accidents
tod-ay's disaster counts about
fifty persons. The caCse of the explosion
is Il mystery.