The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-06
gOw VAUGHN SAVED SENATOR.
KLINE OF PENNSYLVANIA RE-
LAFEs HIS EXPERIENCE.

cueSt at the AWAuA De~n rap
nd was saved by the Bravest
p,reman in New York.
FROM the Philadelphia Press.
,cpkesbarre, Pa, Feb. 27.-The Century
tbis month tells the story in an ar
~ on the bravery of New York firemen,
,be thrilling rescue of an ex-senator
pennsylvania from the Hotel Royal
in New York eight years ago by
srgt. Jack Vaughn.
rbs ex Senator is C. R. Kline of Halle
and he has given to a Press reporter
!. FIRST detailed story of the affair he has
m.r written He tells the story in his
,rn words as follows:
oas YOU may readily believe shall
ever forget the horror of the night, nor
/. bravery of Mr.. Vaughn, who l am
III "a say. houors me by being one of
- hest and closest friends. Had 1t not
..n for his heroism 1 should have been
~ of the victims of that awful holo-
,nst. he snatched me from the very
aus of death; from a position which 1
caught hopeless, in the very nick OF time,
!, the imminent peril of his own life.
81 do not desire to go into any of the
a,ns of the fire or what caused it. I
han simply and as briefly as possible
IN YOU the story of my rescue.
81 was a frequent visitor to Now York
ar some time previous to the fire-I was
men calling on the lady who has since
6ecome my wife-and I always stopped at
me- Hotel Royal. having room on the
scond floor. On the day in question
mached the hotel about midnight. having
nsnt the day with friends at Bayonne.
Tbe room l usually occupied was i'll use,
md was given apartments on the fifth,
ba TOP floor of the house, bedroom and
sitting room at the rear.
81 was very tired and slept soundly I'M
III about o'clock in the morning, when
was awakened by the sitting heat.
hmped out of bed upon hearing the crack
ng of flames and the breaking of glass
md ran into the sitting room, through
HE windows of which l saw the red glare
a fire. 1t was not until l was quite
dose to the windows that l realized the
ktel was burning.
Knowing the hotel perfectly, at once
determined that the quicker I got out the
afer 1t would be for me. 1 slipped on
nv trouserds and shoes and ran to the
sitting room door, which opened into the
wrridor AS 1 did so a great cloud of
Gnse smoke came in upon me, almost
aoklng me, and close by 1 saw the flames.
was cut off and was like a rat in a
rap.
Il knew my position was a desperate
one. l shut the door quickly, but the
nom was so full of the dense suffocating
smoke that it was death to stay there.
There was but one thing to do, that was
get to the window and open it. l did
~ and for a moment found relief with
ny head on the sill. 1t was, however,
ni momentary; the smoke was all around
me- clutching at my senses, until they
htled l was not excited and l realized
ny only chance was to get outside the
Indow and shut it after me, I might be
sen by the firemen and rescued. 1t was
desperate chance, but the only one.
The night was bitterly cold and 1 felt
ia l might become so chilled that 1
wuld be unable to hold on to the win
dow. l wanted my overcoat, a heavy one
oibeayer and to get it l rolled along the
flor to where it was hanging, slipped it
and got back to the window as quickly
as could. 1 crawled outside and sat
olthe sill, hanging on as best I could. l
o9d see the flremen below and they saw
M but could do nothing; their ladders
hnot come within two stories of where
Fas. At the next window 1 made out
man, a magnificent specimen of man.
hood He cried out to me that he was
gong to jump.
Don't do it." I cried. ut is certain
Death"
TITS certain death up here" he shout
ed
Hang on to the last" called back,
uey may be able to get to u.s.
But he cried that they could not and
Jumped. To this day I cannot forget that
sght his body whirled over and over, and
could hear, above the roar of the fire,
lne horrible crash, as he struck the
ground He was killed instantly.
Just below me We're two women at
window They begged and implored me to
saVe them, but l was as helpless as they
were. Could have given my life to save
melrs would gladly have done so, but
notnng l could do would help them.
Loor creatures they both fell back into
"er room, suffocated.
All about me heard the cries of the
unloltunates, it was horrible; they Shrek
gu and moaned in their misery and pain
'4G seemed to be dying a thousand deaths.
thought my time had about come, to
jump was certain death and to remain
"ueIe was death seemed no less GER
jump until l had to and then to make
su enort In my fall to grasp the ivy cling
lHs 10 the wallis of DR.. Welles' house some
~sul ieet distant. 1 thought this at least
,,.sh break my fan, bu l learned some
plle afterwards, that the house having
o mGn recently painted the ivy was held Up
'u n4,. oy pieces of string"
a. hdlly my position became. IL any
us more desperate, for the smoke pour
s OUT OF the window threatened to slif-
o'aIe me. There was one chance left
~, ~ I'VE a little longer, it was TO slide down
!, ,0t ~ my seat on the window sill and cling
lIe SUI with my hands. l did so, and
nv. 'Iualely found slight resting place for
,as i5.t loot on the top of broken shut
er 90 precarous was this foothold, how
W. that l did not dare 20 rest any
weight upon It.
si,,. .u!ouSh all this time looked upon my
S11ouon philosophically. l had a fear of
cs,u" nut realized that if there was ana
ana OF escape 1 should require a cool
a5r. elear brain and a steady hand TO take
"!naAiage of il.
ina, y" tH's desperate situation and feeling
very moment would be my Mast. for
frd,, mat as soon as the flames burst
Ea', 'ae window would have TO drop,
',l a voice. 1t said:
ofs...