Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-01-02
\ FIRE CHIEF KILLED.
Firemen Go Down with the Floors
of a New York Build
ing.

| New York Dec. 29.-Battalion Fire
Chief John ]. Bresnan and Fireman John
L. Rooney of truck company No. II,
were killed today by the falling of a floor
during a fire which Quilted several stories
of the Gas and Electric Fixtures factory
of the Cassidy & Son Manufacturing
company, 124-12S West Twenty fourth
street The fire did 100000 damage
Assistant Foreman William Hennessy of
engine company No. Is had a leg broken
and three other firemen were slightly in
jured.
At 4 o'clock, an hour before the fire
was discovered, the Waterman made his
rounds of the building, accompanied by
one of the managers of the factory, Mr..
Howard. The latter had been out of the
city for some time on business for the
firm and wished to make an inspection of
| the premises before the WOrkmen came on
duty. When the fire was discovered it
had made considerable progress.
! The building is six stories i'll height and
extends through from Twenty fourth
street to Twentythird, where it occupies
the numbers 1873 and 49,. On the ground
| floor the building extends through with
out a break, but above that there is a we'll
hole which leaves a space of twenty-five
| feet between the two buildings directly
in the center of the block
| When the hremen arrived the flames
were bursting through the three upper
floors of the building. All the fire was
on the Twenty street side, and
did not cross the well opening to the
IWenty-thlrd street building at any
time. The flames must have started in
the fifth floor, where the Chandler arms
are made. A number of buffing ma
CHIMES were on this floor, and it may have
been a Smouldering spark from one of
| these that caused the outbreak. Except
| ~ l.. .,lD
the furniture manufacturers, III. r. Horn
er Il Co., the Cassidy company occupied
the whole building.
Chief Bresnan was on the fourth floor
/ directing the movements of his men.
when suddenly the upper floors came
down, There was a hey water tank
on the roof, and fines having
weakened its support. it came tumbling
down, carrying with it the fifth floor.
| The whole mass of blazing debris fell
on the hremen, pinning Bresnan and
Rooney under the Orders. The other
men were near the head of the stairs,
and with the first cracking of the tim
bers FASTENED toward the stairs. They
reached them III safety, but the stairs
fell as they were hurrying dow, and the
men fell in a heap on the thN'd floor
Assistant Foreman Hennessy's right leg
was broken, and Fireman Amman was
also injured. Their companions dragged
them to place of safety: then a heroic
effort was made to rescue BreSnan and
Rooney. The flames were kept from at
lacking the bodies of the two unfortunate
men, but they could not be reached by
| their comrades.
Bresnan was really the active command
ing officer of the New York fire depart
ment, Chief Bonner devoting most of his
time to executive work. Bresnan had
risen from the ranks and in the line of his
duty he had performed hundreds of heroic
acts which won for him the esteem and
gratitude OF New York people Next to
Chief Bonner and Chief Swenie of Chi
cago he was probably the best known fire
chief in the country. He had invented
many articles of fire department apparat-
u.s. including the roof hose hoist" now
used in almost every city in the country