, 1897-11-05
IN DEADLY PERIL,
A THRILLING EXPERIENCE OF THE
NEW YORK FIRE PATROL.

Charles L. Hill, in a series of arti-
cles 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 a big business house will give IN
idea OF what the members of these pro-
tective departments have to face at
times i'll order to save property. The
fire broke ont about midnight in Il c
basement of IN immense fireproof build
ing on Greene street, extending u whole
block from West Fourth street to Wash.
ington place. When the tiremen arrived.
half the basement, or practically halt
the block, was i'll flames, but on account
OF the iir2proof construction of the
building the fire was confined to the
basement part.
The basement was occupied by Il
straw hat manufacturer, and the cap
tain of No. , fire patrol Zone of the first
companies to ~arrive) felt sure there
must be Il subccllar stored with a most
perishalle stock. How to reach it be-
fore the tiremcn 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,
II to venture III while the fire was
raging as it vas seemed almost foolhar-
dy, but he determined to reach the eel
lar at any cost and find out what it
contained. After considerable effort he
succeeded i'll making an entrance Oh 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 deroured
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 u door
about midway i'll 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 i'll
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 p%erspiration
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 q relief! The
Transformation was almost marvellous,
for the change from the heated atmos-
pherc of the basement to the cool air OF
the cellar was like stepping out Of a
redhot ovcn into an iccboX.
He descended the cellar stairs rapidly,
and holding his lantern aloft looked
about him. 1t was as he had suspected.
The cellar was filled with immense
cases of straw hats, and although, ow-
ing to the tircproof 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
the patrol, who had arrived by this
time, the fact that he had been i'll the
basement and his discovery i'll the eel
lar, and told him he could do Il 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 locked too
dangerous, but finally he gave permits
sion and the captain gathered his patrol
men about him and arn.cd with covers
they followed him to the subccllar to
''cover up"
By this time the companies that had
responded to the second and third
alarms sent out were ut work, as well
us 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 snbcel-
lar was filled with IL thick, murky
smoke, while a constant, scalding drip
was falling from the ceiling.
In this dim, sitting atmosphere the
patrolmen went to work with u 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 a dull
crash u. -ome heavy piece of masonry
was crun Died away " the heat. These
were conditions under which few mel
would care to labor.
At any moment the fire raging in the
Easement over their heads might get
beyond the control of the tiremen bat
Ting with it, and, spreading, cut off all
means of eicape, or the steel and iron
structure of the building, warped IL
twisted by the dreadful heat it was be-
ing subjected to, might give way II
send floor after floor loaded with heavy
merchandise crashing down upon them.
This and u hundred other possibilities
menaced them while they labored in the
murky cellar, and when the work was
done l0i covers had been spread and
property valued at over 800, 900 had
been saved from destruction.
When Nc. 2 patrol returned to quar-
tiers the next morning tfor it was nearly
morning before they were through),
there wa scarcely a memler whose
neck, hands and wrists were not5caldod
and blistered to u painful degree, for
they had worked during nine hours in
,,n~sx.b1, l,,~r,rl,th ~ boiling watpr