The record-union., 1897-11-04
IN DEADLY PERIL.
A Thrilling Experience of the New
York Fire Patrol.

An incident that occurred at a severe
fire in big business house some two
years ago will give an idea of what the
members Of these protective depart
| ments have to face at times in order
to save property. The re broke out
about midnight IN the basement of an
| immense fireproof building on Greene
street, extending a whole bl>,k from
West Fourth street to Washington
Place. When the f1remenl arrived, half
the basement. or practically half the
block, was in flames, but on account of
the hreproof construction of the build
| ing the fire was confined to the base
| ment part. The fire was burning so
fercely that the shutters of the base
ment windows were almost red hot and
the headlights over the sidewalk were
so heated that the tar around the glass
was bubbling and running in streams
| across the walk to the gutter. The
construction of the building was very
substantial, and it was almost i1npossi-
Die for the firemen to make an en-
trance; indeed, the windows and dead
| lights had to be broken in before thew
| could secure access to the building and
get to work.
The basement was occupied by a
straw-hat manufacturer, and the cap
tain of No. Fire Patrol Zone of the
first companies to arrive) felt sure there
must be sub-cellar stored with a
most perishable stock. How TO reach
1t before the firemen began to throw
water upon the fire was the question
1T seemed well nigh impossible to get
into the basement through the regular
| entrances, and to venture in while the
IRE was raging as it was seemed al
most foolhardy, but he determined to
reach the cellar at any cost and find out
what 1t contained. After considerable
effort he succeeded in making an en-
| trance on the north side of the build.
| ing (the main body of fire was on the
south end), and cropping his way
through the smoke and darkness, lam
tern in hand, he found himself in the
basement. The heat was intense and
the air sitting. Ahead Of him in the
corner of the basement he could see
the flames rolling about, cracking and
| roaring as they devoured case after
case OF goods. Peering through the
/ thick atmosphere, it was some time be-
! fore he could discover anything that
looked like the entrance to the cellar;
but finally he spied a door about mid
way in the basement that he felt sure
must lead to the sub-cellar. 1t was
dangerously near the roaring furnace
ahead of him, and he thought to him
self: Can I reach that and get into
| the cellar and back again before the
| fire cuts me off?'' He made up his
| mind at least to make the effort. So
| he walked cautiously across the base
ment floor toward the door, keeping his
eye on the fire all the time. 1t grew
| hotter and hotter as he advanced, and
! the perspiration was pouring from his
| face in great beads, and he was al
most suffocated when his hand finally
rested on the knob of the door. He
opened it and stepped inside. What a
| relief! The transformation was almost
| marvellous, for the change from the
heated atmosphere of the basement to
| the cool air of the cellar was like step
| ping out Of red-hot oven into an ice
| box.
He descended the cellar stairs rapid