The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-03-19
= flRE.cAP1A,N,s nERolsm.

\ flRE.cAP1A,N's nERo'sm. ~
Ahcarn,s Health Completely Wrecked ~
Via Heroic Efforts in Saving Life.
Jacob A. Riis contributes to the zen.
tury an article on "Heroes VINO flsnss p
Fire" in the series on HEROES o' j.
Peace" Mr.. Riis says:
In tho Chiefs quarters OF the tour.
teenth Battalion up in Wakefield tnero
sits today man, still young1n years,
WHO in his manned body butunbroKen
an;r;t bears testimony to the qual,'ty
a. of New York's fre-6ghters as the
~ hrova Rresuan and his brave comrade
did in their death. Thomas D. Ane"; ;n
led his company as captain to a me- ~; ~
t tIa Consolidated Gas Works on the
Tast Side, He found one OF the
' M,;]dinys ablaze. Far towards the
= reor st tho end Of narrow lane,
around which the fire swirled anu
arched itself, white and wlckea' 1sy
y The the bodv of man-dead, SAID al the
% ,mv c.str;cken crowd. His sufferlnss
y, %ad. heen brief. A worse fate threat
y ened all unless the fire was qnchly
- mt out. There were undergfoun9
ID reservoirs of naphtha-the grouna
~ was honeycombed with them -, t1D
~ ~ m m EXPLODE at any moment with the
as fire raging overhead. me peru nho "~n
Of instant and great. Captain Ahsa a.;
V looked at the body, and saw II sur:
a. me watch chain upon the mans !es'
y, ro nu and fell as if he were breathing
w. w. Aos "H I is not dead" he said. Il am
j. is ro;ng to get that man out" Ana an, nc
he crept down the lane Of fire, unmlnulu
II ~ tha hidden dangers; seeing on'1
nj. tina man who was perishing. Iht
'o ~ f anmes scorched him; they blocked
led his way; but he came through ANY, %na1
his md brought out his man, so oaul
I'M hnrt however, that he died IN IN
NM hospital that day. The Board OF fi r
t tho r commissioners gave Ahearn the medf
did did for bravery, and made him ,' Cn3 Il,
,ted Within q year he all but lost '3 ms u.s. N
q Of in gallant attempt to save tne no =,
;yon a. child that was supposed to
nenned in q burning Rivington sire
ono ttenemept, Chief Ahearn;s quartz
zou, wero near by, and he was first on !, =
,ple, ground. A desperate man coh ;'9, ',
Han F I;m in the hallway. "My chlld! !
from ch;ldl'' he cried, and wrung his han1
: ' tha ssava him! He is in there.
rod. ,,o;nted to the back room. IL v
Nv in Hack with smoke. In the front ro'
, !a;s- tha fire was raging. Crawling
ro o hands and feet, the Chief made
4 41,a; ,nar into the room the man
LINK 'irit , VIZ, out. He CROPPED under
like bed, and in it, but found no ca
, they there. Satisfied that it haa escap
n Inv he started to return. The smoke
u =, sun crown so thick that breathing was Is
~ t, s" {a lOa nossible, even OF the fl
The chief drew his coat over MS IL
o,r to md made dash for the hall door,
darts reachel it only to find that the spl :
steel lock had snapped shut. me q
5 aar 1 1Snol, burned his hand. Tho
ike a ,myst through from the front n
They and scared his face. Win d :, '@s
several fort. he kicked the lower panel o
wer Of the door, and put his head thro
n tnbe. And then he knew no more:
" 1870 fAn His men found HIM lying so
~ ho o thew came looking for him. me .
h them was. burned off his back, anu i
90 s thew hat only the wire rim remalneu !;
10 with viii law ten months in the Hospital
n - WI" +ha 10y ocm w. out deaf and wrecked physl
home, Attn At the ape Of forty-hve the :, Boar
= no;nt lived him to the quiet OF the co
. e f the S with this formal resol'
'n ~ th,t did the Board more credit
~ Rio i; ;E, could do him. 1t is the onl;
,at thew of its kind upon the department
''' ffteen " "Resolved, That in assigning
nA'''A 4,,;nn Chief Thomas J. Ahe'
four feet command the roul.e 1;str;c
~ "1 worn r. BOARD deems it proper to e1Pr'
merely Of sense of obllgatiou le ~, u ths y,
up and and all good c1tlzens lGa ~
q most and meritorious services ~ y.
~ Tbey Aheorn in tho discharge OF
l%a npper which will always serve as an
IS in the pie and IN lnsPll"'lon .oo. ~
", con- formed force, aud to express u
' thew thnt his future years OF serv1
e omr with lass arduous post may be as CO
lied mas bic and pleasant %S nI 1anoro
applies to have been orllll'n' 0uu wv
poles and .,os