The Somerset reporter., 1898-02-24
WONDERFUL RESCUE.
HOW SERGEANT VAUGHAN SAVED
LIFE AT A HOTEL FIRE.

A Member Of the New York Department
Who Endangered His Own Life to save
Quest of the Hotel Royal Who Had
About Given UP All Hope.
Jacob A. Riis, author of How the
Other Half Lives" writes of Heroes
Who Fight Fire. in The Century. The
article is one of the series Heroes Of
Peace. 3" Mr.. Riis tells the following
story of a heroic rescue at the Hotel
Royal fire in New York some years ago:
Sergeant 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 shape of man standing upon a
window sill in the fifth story overlook
ing the courtyard of the hotel. The
yard was between them. Bidding his
men follow-they 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 NOR
tai might take and live. His face and
hands were black with smoke. Vaughan,
looking down, thought him negro. He
was perfectly calm.
at is no use," he said, glancing up.
"Don t try. You can't do it.
The sergeant looked wistfully about
him. Not stick or piece of rope was
in sight. Every shred was used below,
oh nfol nt
couldn't let him, he said to me months
after, when he had come out of the hos
pital whole man again and was back
ut work, II just couldn't, standing
there so quiet and brave" To the men
be said sharply:
II want you to do exactly as | tell
you now. Don't grab me, but let me
get the first grab. He had noticed that
the man wore heavy overcoat, and had
already laid his plan.
Don try" urged the man. "You
cannot save me. / will stay here till it
gets too hot, then will jump"
"No, you WON'T" from the sergeant,
as he lay at full length on the roof look
ing over. "It is pretty hard yard down
there. Twill get you or go dead myself. y
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
window, with outstretched hands
"Now, jump-quick!" he command
ed, and the man jumped. He caught
him by both wrists as directed, and the
sergeant got grip ON the collar of his
coat.
"Hoistl" he shouted to the four on
the roof, and they tugged with their
might. The sergeant's body did not
move Bending over till the back creak-
ed. it hung over the edge, a weight of
203 pounds suspended from and holding
it down. The cold sweat started upon
his mems foreheads as they tried and
tried again, without gaining an inch.
Blood dripped from Sergeant Vaughan 4
nostrils and ears Sixty feet below was
the paved courtyard. Over against him
was the window, behind which he saw
the back draft coming, gathering head
way with lurid, swirling smoke. Now
it burst through, burning the hair and
thought all hope was gone.
But in 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 a
pendulum, head touching head He
could swing him up! a smothered shout
warned his men. They crept nearer the
edge without letting go their grip Oh
him and watched with staring eyes the
human pendulum swing wider and wild
er, farther and farther, until now, with
a mighty effort, it swung within theil
reach. They caught the skirt of the coat,
held on, pulled III, and i'll moment
lifted him over the edge.
They lay upon the roof, all six,
breathless, sightless, their faces turned
to the winter sky. The tumult of the
street came up as faint echo. The
spray of score Of engines pumping be-
low fell upon them, iroZe and covered
them with ice. The very roar of the fire
seemed far off, The sergeant was the
first to recover. He carried down the
man he had saved and saw him sent of
to the hospital. Then first he noticed
that he was not negro. The smut bad
been rubbed off his face. Monday had
dawned before he came to, and days
passed before he knew his rescuer Ser
geant Vaughan was laid up himself
then. He had returned to his work anC
finished it, but what he had gone
throuuh vuas too much for humar
strength. 1t was spring before he re
turned to his quarters, to find himself
promoted, petted and made much of.