The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-10-25
in DEADLY PERIL.
A THRILLING EXPERIENCE OF THE
NEW YORK FIRE PATROL.
In the Face of Awful Danger the Men
Spread Their Covers and Saved a Big
Stock of Goods-worlsing In a verita-
BILE shower Bath of Boiling Water.


Giles ON the New York fire department
written for st. Nicholas, tells the fol-
lowing story of the fire patrol:
An incident that occurred at a severe
fire in big business house will give an
idea of what the members of these pro-
tective departments have to face at
times IN order to save property. The
fire broke out about midnight in the
basement OF an immense fireproof build
ing ON Greene street, extending whole
block from West Fourth street to Wash
ington place When the fremen arrived,
half the basement, or practically half
the block, was in flames, but on account
OF the fireproof construction of the
building the fire was confined to the
basement part.
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 subcellar stored with most
perishable stock. How to reach it be-
fore the firemen began to throw water
upon the fire was the question. 1t SEEM
ed well nigh impossible to get into the
basement through the regular entrances,
and to venture in while the fire was
raging as it was seemed almost foolhar-
dy, but he determined to reach the cell
lar at any cost and find out what it
contained. After considerable effort he
succeeded in making an entrance ON the
north side of the building (the main
body of fire was ON the south end), and
cropping his way through the smoke and
darkness, lantern 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 before he could discover any
thing that looked like the entrance to
the cellar, but finally he spied door
about midway in the basement that he
felt sure must lead to the subcellar. 1t
was dangerously near the roaring fur
mace ahead of him, and he thought to
himself, "Can l reach that and get in
to the cellar and back again before the
fire cuts me Off" He made up his mind
at least to make the effort. So he walk
ed cautiously across the basement floor
toward the door, keeping his eye on the
fire all the time. 1t grew hotter and hot
ter as he advanced, and the Precipitation
was pouring from his face in great
beads, and he was almost 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 atmos-
phere of the basement to the cool air OF
the cellar was like stepping out of q
redhot oven into an icebox.
He descended the cellar stairs rapidly,
and holding his lantern aloft looked
about him. 1t was as he had suspected.
The cellar was flied with immense
cases of straw hats, and although, ow-
ing to the fireproof floor, the fire prob
ably could not descend, when the many
streams got to work the damage by
water would be enormous.
He hastily assembled. Peering eau
tiously out of the door, he found the
fire had not advanced any farther. He
then made his way quickly through the
dense smoke to the street.
He reported to the superintendent of
time, the fact that he had been in the
basement and bis discovery in the Gel
lar, and told him he could do great
deal of good if he could only take the
men down and cover up the stock. The
superintendent was at first loath to let
him do so, for the situation looked too
dangerous, but finally he gave permits
sion and the captain gathered his patrol
men about him and armed with covers
they followed him to the subcellar to
"cover up"
BY this time the companies that had
responded to the second and third
alarms sent out were at work, as well
as the companies that had been ordered
into the basement, and the air in the
cellar was not as pleasant as when the
captain had first descended The fire
had begun to SETTLE" and the subcel-
lar was filled with q thick, murky
smoke, while constant, scalding drip
was falling from the ceiling.
In this dim, sitting atmosphere the
patrolmen went to work with will,
spreading their waterproof covers over
case after case Of valuable stock, while
overhead they could hear the roaring
and cracking of the flames, the splash
ing of the many streams as they were
dashed about, and now and then dull
crash as some heavy piece of masonry
was crumbled away by the heat. These
were conditions under which few men
would care to labor.
At any moment the fire raging in thee
basement over their heads might get
beyond the control of the firemen bat
Ting with it, and, spreading, cut off all
means of escape, or the steel and iron
structure of the building, warped and
twisted by the dreadful heat it was be-
ing subjected to, might give way and
send floor after floor loaded with heavy
merchandise crashing down upon them.
This and n hundred other possibilities