Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1898-02-19
HEROES WHO FIGHT FIRE
THEIR RISKS INCREASE m THE RATIO
OLA ciTY's PROGRESS.
Modern buildings and Their Convenience
Add Enormously tn the work of the
ftrcmen Nor~ Than Half the Fires De-
cur Ina Tenement Houses

cur tn Tenement Houses.
Mr.. jacob A Riis. author OF How
the Other Half Lives" and other
studies of tenement-house life IN New
York. contributes TO the Century. in
the series of Heroes of Peace. ="
an article on Heroes who Fight
Fire. Mr.. RiiS saws Of the New York
fireman:
His life is too full of real peril for
hmm to expose ~ recklessly-th Is 10
say. needleSsly. From the time when
he leaves his quarters in answer 20 an
alarm until he returns. he takes riSk
that may at any moment set him face
10 face with death in its most cruel
form. He needs nothing SO much %
clear head. and nothing Is priced So
highly: nothing puts him So surely in
the line 81 promotion: for as he adj
Nances m RANK anu responsibility. the
lives of others. a. we'll "a his own.
come 10 depend ON his Judgment The
act of conspicuous daring which the
world applauds. l. uftenest TO the FIRE
man n matter ct simple duty that had
to toe done IN that Way because there
VAS no other Nor Is u ALWAYS. or
usually. the hardest duty. as he sees
II. II came easy 20 him because he Is
an athlete trained 10 DO such things.
aud because once for all il il easier to
risk ones life in the open. in the sight
Of ones fellows. than 10 face death
alone. caught like rat IN a trap.
That Is the real peril which he knows
too we'll: but of that the public hears
when ne has fought his last night. and
lost.
How literally our every -Gay security
of which we think. II we think os n
AZ all. as mere matter 81 course-is
Quilt upou the supreme sacrifice az
these devoted men. We realize az long
intervals IS hen "a disaster occurs such
Is the one in which Chief Bresuau and
Foreman Rooney lost their lives three
wears ago. They were crushed TO
heath under The great water-tauk iu a
Twenty fourth street factory that was
ou fire. It's supports had been burned
away. An examination that was then
nade OF the water-tanks in the city
discovered eight Thousand that we're
either wholly unsupported. except 10y
the roof beams. orpropped on tam beers.
only 70 the tremeu " hen they we've
allied there. bus daily 10 those livimc
under them. ~ Il not pleasant iu add
that the department Just demand for
law that should compel landlords
either 70 bui.d tanks on the wall or on
iron supports has not heeu needed
vet. but that D.. unhaprily. au old
story.
Seventeen wears ago the collapse al
Broadway huilding during fire con-
WINGED tie community that stone pill
lars We're unsafe a. supports. The
! fire was ia the basement. aud the fire
men had turned the hose on When
the water struck the hot granite col
umu>. they cracked and Tell. and the
/ building fell with them. There were
upon the roof az the. ;ime a dozen men
/ Of the crew If rucA COMPANY No.
/ chopping holes for moke-vents. The
majority chung To- the parapet. and
! hung there till rescued. Two Went
/ down iuto the furnace from which the
| flames shot zap w. uty feet when the
! roof broke. one. Fireman Thomas
/ Dongheity. was a. wearer of the Ben
nett medal. too. His foreman answer.
an parade-dav. heu las name Is called.
; hat he died ou the field Of duty. '
These. ~ all events dad not die Dol
raiu. Stone columns are not nov
'~ed In supports for huilding- iu New
| York.
80 one might go on quoting the
Derils OF the iircmen az so many step.
Onward for the better protection al
the rest of as. IL was the burning O.
.he 81 George flats. and more re-
Gently Of the Manhattan hank. IN whicl
a dozen men We're disabled. tha'
stamped the average iire-proof con
>truciion as family and largely delu
~Ive. One might even 20 further. anG
! say that the fireman's risk increase.
in the ratio OF our progress or con
| venience. The Nater-tanks came viii
the very high bindings. which il
themselves offer problems 70 the lire
! fighters that have not vet been solved
The very air shafts that were hailes
a. the first advance IL tenement-hous
building added enormously 10 the frs
mans work and risk. as well as 10 tn
risk OF everyone dwelling under thei
roofs by acting as So many hinge chin
news that carried the fire 10 the ope
windows opening upon them ia ever
| story More than halt OF All the fire