Omaha daily bee., 1897-11-30
A HEROIC FIREMAN.
Thrilling Rescue of u hoy from n
Burning buildinE.


During the burning of building in Balti-
more few days ago fireman performed
an act of daring in the rescue OF a boy
from the flames which stamped him hero
of the most heroic sort. The American thus
describes the deed:
The fire burst out without warning to the
employees who crowded every floor. In the
number were many young girls and boys
The stronger helped the weaker, and all
escaped by the back stairway excepting
young Sork. This lad was imprisoned on
the top floor of the building, his escape
being entirely cut off by a seething mass
of flames that was already raging in the
rear OF the building and had burst through
the skylight sending forked tongues high
toward the sky. The powerful north wind
caught the flame and smoke and sent it
sweeping toward the front of the building.
out of which there burst the most appalling
evidences of a conhagration. All this hap
pened before an alarm had been sent in.
Indeed, before young man from the build
ing had rushed to an alarm box the flames
already held fierce sway. a crowd collected
like magic.
Then it was that the imperiled boy ap-
peared. He discovered all escape by the
stairway to be cut off and rushed to the
front windows. BY that time a whirlwind
of sulphurous-coking smoke was belching
from all the windows of the front of the
topmost story, while there was success
sion Of crashes of broken glass as the
flames and smoke broke through all barriers
and were blown hither and yOn. Out from
this mass of combustion came the little boy
in shirt sleeves and knickerbockers.
He was greeted with a Mortified shout by
the spectators, and his face looked down
upon them with extreme terror written on
it. The building is taller than those sur
rounding it, and the boy YVES held a pris-
oner on the cornice, as not only were the
roofs of the other buildings far below him,
Vrn a+ gttgt, +1,n.
attempt to jump to them would prnbably
have precipitatel him to the street below.
The boys position on the cornice in the
center of the building was untenable. the
volumes Of smoke threatening every minute
to smother him. With admirable presence
OF mind he began to crawl alCng the narrow
ledge to its westward ending. To the crowd
below it seemed an age before he reached
the end of the cornice, and then it seemed
that he could hold on 0ut little longer, as
the flames were increasing at an amazing
rate. After what seemed an age to the
keyed-up spectators the boy reached the end
of the cornice, and then. hanging on with
his right hand, swung his body around the
corner to the wall of the building where the
smoke and flame could not strike his body.
There he hung, half suspended, while the
crowd sent up wild cries of encouragement.
Nelghbors fetched ladder and planted it
on tho roof Of the building over which the
buy hung half suspended. This ladder was
many many leet 100 snort, ana hence useless
cp ana 40 uo"n tne street men rushed, LOOKING
precautions against the imagined s!owness of
the hre department Many women, after
seeins tle poy hanging m tne iace Oh @ awful
ueath' ran away hldlGg thelr laces' Whlle
1t seemed an eternity before the department
arrived, it was really but few minutes.
A hCSe carriage was the hrst Gu the
sceie' put had no ladder long enough 10
reacn by half. The fireman shouted words
OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO the trembling boy, ana
were Dulsiy engaged IN stretching a blanket
IN the nope OF breaking the boys fall should
the great neat WEher ms right hand and com
pei MN to lose MS mold. This was the situa-
uon When nook and ladder company NO.
arrived me celerlty and discipline with
Whlch the hremen acted were wonderful.
without the loss OF second they yanked a
Dig LADDER on the carriage and had 1t planted
TO the ROOF OF the mouse TO the west Before
TINS ladder was well placed stream of fire