The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-24
FIRE FINDS C~ENTENARIANS
Il WOMIN o YEARS 0LD REsoUEs
HER STILL OLDER HUADANn

street Cleaners Arouse tho Other Tenants IN,
old won,nn Remember How. when she
was Ftnecn, All Russians who Couia ue.r
Arms We're Called out - Resist Napolcen.
A frcin the tenement at las Clinton street
Unexpectedly discovered. early yesterday morn
ing, two centenarians, and very nearly fnished
them. Yankel Black was carried out BY his
wife. Mary. with his beard afro. and both col
lapsel In the gutter. II they are to DO believed.
they were lovers in Russia whom Napoleon N.
vAded the land with his great army and came to
grief.
The B~lacks-they probably got the name BY
translating Schwart into E~nglish-ivo behind
the plumbers shop which their SON keeps. Tho
old man Is childish, and the wife cares for him
as she would for a baby. While telling the story
yesterday at her son-in-law's house In Norfolk
street she fed him out Of q bowl with q spoon.
soothing him the while. He cannot uleop. aha
said, and gets up early. He was lettering about
the floor, prayer book in hand. saying his
Hebrew prayer. and sho followed him, according
to her wont. TO catch him II he fell, whom she
stepped on something that cracked under her
foot. She heard it, but paid no attention, follow
ing him into the noxt room. until che heard her
little dog bark furiously. She looked out to SEQ
what the matter was. and saw that the room
WAS on fire. She had stepped on a match. that
went of and set fire to some oakum lying near,
The partition had caught when she looked in.
1t was 1 A. M, and the tenement was asleep,
Til old man boxed stupidity at the fire; he ali
not understand the danger. She did, and sho
saw that In a few minutes tho ono way out to
the street would DO barred by tho flames. She
seized him under the arms and walked him
toward the door. still holding the hook and
mumbling his prayers. II was only q few steps,
but /. was he slowest walk OF her long life. Hc
stumbled and tottered and caught at the fire,
that was now within reach. There was the
door, but now the flames shot across and
blocked tho way. The old woman halted, pant
ing. He prayed on. uncomprehending.
There came n crash at the door. Some street
Behind them came Policeman Frey. who had
smellcd the smoke on the corner. where he was
getting u cup OF coffee. The street swecpers
beat in the door. Whether 1t was the sudden
draught, or some such freak Of the fire as ono
sometimes sees. the flames made n sweep around
waiked the aged woman. CARRYING her husband,
whose beard was burning. The dog followed at
their heels. They walked across the sidewalk
and collapsed in the gutter, both of them.
They rouEht brandy and Mrs. Black revived
promptly. She insisted that the dog have some,
from above fled shrieking down the hre-escapes
in their night clothes and the fire engines cfat.
tered up. One stream put out the FIRE in short
order, and then tho aged couple werc taken
away to the house OF their son-in.law. Mrs.
Black had quite recovered. She told inquirers
bann was several years older. They were from
adjoining villages in Russia, she said. She re.
memhered well how, when she was q girl OF Is,
all the men who could bear arms were called
out TO resist tho invasion OF Napoleon. She and
her husband came here sixteen years ago. she
among their three children. Now they have
nothing.