Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1896-05-20
A LIFE TO HIS CREDIT
HENRY Kinks DARING CLIMB TO SAVE
A PARALYTlC.

He Is Brooklyn Fireman-Twenty Fami-
lies Have Narrow Escapes From a Tene-
ment-spectators View a Thrilling Scene.
Two Lives Were Lost.
Henry Kirk, fireman-his name shall
be first and last in this record-risked
bis life in the performance of his duty
the other day and distinguished himself
by an act of valor which deserves more
glowing and more lasting chronicling
than the columns of newspaper can
afford.
It was at fire in big double five
story tenement house at 1853 Prospect
street, Brooklyn, in which two little
girls lost their lives, and in which
many other tenants saved theirs by a
very narrow margin.
In the misery of that moment when
the parents of the two children learned
of their loss all else was forgotten. But
when it was all over and the trucks and
engines began to rattle back to their sta
tions mighty cheer went up from the
throng of onlookers for the bravery of
Fireman Kirk.
This tenement was occupied by 20
families, four on each floor, all poor
and practically helpless, for the fire &C.
Cured at noon, when the ablebodied of
each family were away at their work,
and only women, children and cripples
were in the house.
ofa tad in, 70 n /.
liam Hotchkiss, ON the fourth floor.
Hotchkiss was in his shop, and his wife
had gone out Of the house to pay debt
to neighbor. Their children, Florence,
aged 5, and Emily. az years old, were
playing in the kitchen.
1t is probable that the dress Of one Of
the children caught fire from the stove,
and that to extinguish the flames they
ran into their sleeping room, sprang up
ON the bed and drew the quilt over
their heads, for it was in that position
that they were found dead.
The smoke soon filled the hallway,
and the janitor, who happened to be
coming up the stairs at that moment,
cried Fire p
By repeating this cry and pounding
upon every door on his way down stairs,
he soon had the whole house in commo-
tion, and this, with the screams of the
women and the crash of furniture over
thrown in hasty fight, warned the few
who were sleeping that their lives were
in danger.
So quickly did the alarm spread that
before three-quarters of the tenants
were out of the house the clangor Of
the fire engines could be heard, grow
ing louder and louder, and before the
first flame shot from the burning build
ing the sparks of fire engine, mingling
with the falling snow, fell upon the
sidewalk opposite the house.
Truck No. 3, on Concord street, is the
nearest fire station to this house. Fire
man Kirk belongs to Truck No. 3, of
which Foreman Fitzgerald and all the
other members are gallant men, as you
shall presently see.
The burning tenement house rose
several stories above all the surrounding
buildings, SO that the crowds i'll the
side streets and on the corners could
command view of the upper windows
upon all sides. Hardly had Truck No 3
swung around the corner, with none but
the driver ON the wagon-for all the
men had jumped down and run on
ahead of the horses-when great shout
went up.
He'll jumpl He'll kill HIMSELF"
cried the crowd. "He's cut off by the
firep'
And truly there was a man in a ter
rible predicament-that is, it looked
like a man, for all that could be seen
was face, pressed against the lowest
pane Of glass in window upon the top
floor, SO high up that, through the fall
ing SNOW, one could see only dimly.
Then another cry went up.
tits old Gallagher He's paralyzed,
and he's all alone.
The window was in the side of the
house. A fire escape ran from court
yard to the fifth story, but it ended three
windows away from this face that was
staring at the crowd.
Five men - shouted Foreman Fitz-
gerald. Almost before he had climbed
half way to the first story, his whole
company stood crowded below him. But
five were quicker than the rest-Kirk
was the first-and the others turned
their attention to the front of the house,
leaving their six comrades climbing
nimbly up the slender fire escape.
Upon the top landing they paused for
breath. There were no more ladders and
the roof was five feet above their heads.
From the end of tho landing they could
look into Gallagher's room, and they
saw why only face had been visible
from below.
An old man was ON his knees, press
ing against the window pane a counte-
nance so CHASTITY, SO full of mortal fear
and anguish, that. inyoluntarily, the
firemen clutched the hand rail of the
landing to steady themselves.
The foreman measured the distance
with his eye. 1t was fully 10 feet and a
cat could not have traversed it. He
glanced to the roof.
"If one of you will jump ON my
81 OBJ L.