The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-25
A WONDERFUL RESCUE.
How Sergt. Vaughan Saved a Life at
the Hotel Royal Fire.
From the Century.

FROM the century.
Jacob A Rits, author Of How the 9th
er Half LIVES" writes of Heroes Who
Fight Fire" in the February Century. The
article is one of the series, Heroes of
Peace" Mr.. Rlts tel the following atory
of an heroic rescue at the Hotel Royal
fire in New York six years ago:
sergt. Vaughan went up on the roof.
The smoke was so dense there that he
could see little, but through it he heard
a cry for help, and made out the unape
OF a man standing upon a window sill in
the fifth story, overlooking the court yard
of the hotel. The yard was between them.
Bidding his men follow-there were five,
all told-he ran down and around in the
next street to the roof of the house that
formed an angle with the hotel wing.
There stood the man below him, only a
jump away but jump which no mortal
might take and live. His face and hards
were black with smoke Vaughan looking
down, thought him a negro. He was per-
fectly calm.
1T is no use" he said, CHANGING up.
Don't try. You can't do it,"
The sergeant looked wistfllly about Inn.
EVERY shred was used below There was
absolutely nothing. But L couldn't let
MIN, he said TO me, months after, when
he had come out of the hospital whole
man again, and was back at Work-"I just
Couldn't standing there SO quiet and
brave To the men lie said sharply:
i want you to do exactly as tell you,
now Don't grab me, but let me get the
hrst grab" He had noticed that the men
wore heavy oyercoat, and had already
laid his plan
Don't try" urged the man. "You cam
not save me. 1 will stay here till it gets
too hot; then I will jump"
mo, you won't" from the sergeant. ~
ne lay at fun length on the roof. looking
over IT'S pretty hard yard down
there. l will get you or go dead myself"
The four sat on the sergeant's legs as he
swung free down to the waist; so he was
almost able to reach the man on the win
dow. with outstretched hands.
NOW, Jump-quick" he commanded,
and the man jumped He caught him ny
both wrists, as directed and the sergeant
got a grip on the collar of his coat.
Hoist, he shouted to the four on the
roof, and they tueged with their might.
The sergeants body did not move Bend
ing over till the back creaked II hung over
the edge, weight of 20S pounds suspend
ded from and holding it down The cold
sweat started from his mems foreheads as
they tried and tried again without gaining
an inch. Blood dripped from Sergt.
Naughan's nostrils and ears Sixty feet
oeiow was the paved courtyard, over
against him the window, beyond which he
saw the back draft coming. gathering
Roadway, with lurid, swirling smoke. Now
1t burst through, burning the hair and the
coats of the two. For an instant he
thought all hope was gone.
But IN a flash it came back TO him. TO
relieve the terrible dead weight that
wrenched and tore at his muscles he was
swinging the man to and fro like pen
dulum, head touching head. He could
swing him up. A smothered shout warn
ed his men. They crept nearer the edge
without letting go their grip on him, and
watched with staring eyes the human pen
dulum swing wider and wider, farther and
1ather until now, with a mighty effort IL
swung within their reach. They caughs
the skirt of the coat, held on. pulled IN,
ana in moment lifted him over the edge
They lay upon the roof. all six, breath-
less, sghtless, their faces turned to me
winter sky. The tumnlt of the street cams
up as a faint echo. The spray of a score
or engines pumping below fell upon them,
froze and covered them with ice. Inc
very roar of the fire seemed far off. IHe
sergeant was the first to recover. He car
ried down the man he had saved, anu
saw him sent off to the hospital. Tnen
first he noticed thst he was not a negro.
The smut had been rubbed off his face
Monday had dawned before he came TO
and days passed before he knew his res
cuer. Sergt. Vaughan was laid up HIM
self then. He had returned to his WoiA
and finished it, but what he had gone
through was too much for human
strength. 1t was spring before he return
ed to his quarters, to find himself promo-
ed, petted and made much of.