The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-06

49, - % Hiuch grit hanging
mere SO long. I'm either going to bave
him 81 uo"h with
Ihen ne ran to the edge of the roof ana
TO me. 'e' eaHeu out
managed by putting my head in the
WINDOW and holding my breath to nre,,en,
saitoca ton, to crawl UP and stand ON the
Sue hanging on with one hand to the
side OF the shutter.
Ahen l could see Vaughn quite clearly.
ne was about four feet above me r
weAsneu then 2O5 pounds and as I saw
cried out: f-'-N9'
It's no use, you can't do it,"
m going to- shouted he. You lust
Keep cool and do exactly as 1 tell you
could not see that behind him were
lour men and that as he leaned half his
pouy over the edge of the roof they held
on TO his legs and braced themselves to
pull him back.
Don't try I cried. It's bad enough
{ 10 Iall, but | don't want to drag another
man with me-
DO as l tell YOU he shouted again;
YOU ~
There was space of four feet between
the roofs, and his hands as he stretched
mem down were still two feet above me.
Beng Obliged 10 hold on to the shutter
win one hand in order to get purchase
LOT the spring, l could only hold nv
lett hand toward him. Gathering all
my strength for the effort. l jumped
Inc slightest mistake in Vaughn's iudg-
ment OF the distance, the slightest weak
ness OF his muscular fingers and l was
a oead man. But he caught my wrist
IN grip and hung on with bull dog
tehaclty. If l fell he fell with me; if he
held me I was saved.
But it was not all over.
Pull us up he cried to the men
holding his legs but strong men though
they We're and exerting every muscle they
couid do no more than get my face up
TO the level of the roof You see thev
mad to lift me outward to the edge of
the roof projecting some distance beyond
the walls. 1 was a dead weight and
could not aid myself.
or second or two I swung like
pendulum, Vaughn hanging on grimly. al
though with his legs crossed and leaning
over the sharp endge of the roof he was
suffering the most agonizing pain and was
receiving injuries which laid him up for
some months.
BY a desperate effort I managed to
throw my right arm up toward the roof
as swung to the right, and Stokes, one
OF Vaughn assistants, caught the wrist.
Then, as they pulled 1 pushed against
the building with my feet, and after a
horrible suspense and an exhaustive ef
fort, during which the skin from nv
knees to my ankles was scraped off. the
men pulled me UP so that two of them
could grasp the collar of my overcoat
and L was jerked to the roof and saved
L felt bravo UanOhp,c
wrist relax and knew no more; nor did I
next realize anything until awoke in the
hospital
"A friend of mine who had watched
the rescue from the street below. said
that hardly minute after 1 had been
dragged to the roof, the flames burst from
the window of my room to the hight of six
feet, and within three minutes the wall
fell in l had been on the window sill
between forty and forty-fve minutes.
My story does not end here, for IL I
have told of the bravery of my friend
Vaughn, it is meet L should now tell of
his modesty.
"A day or two after the fire I was
taken to the home of my future wife and
told my story. l had not the least idea
VINO my brave rescuer was, and could see
IN none of the newspapers any account
OF my thrilling escape. l asked my fiance
if she would try to find him, and she did
1t will interest you to learn that in her
journeys TO the various fire stations she
found several who claimed to have been
my rescuers, but she had my story Of
the affair to guide her, and disproved
theirs and in the end found my pre-
server.
1T was against the rules of the organi-
cation to which Vaughn belonged to re-
ceive any gifts, but an exception was
made in my case. What did the noble fell
low do but distribute the money among
the four who had aided him, share and
share alike.
Il could tell you dozens of cases of
Jack Vaughns bravery and his modesty,
but 1 take it you want only my own res
cue at his hands
Eve have been close friends ever since.
I see him frequently every year; he often
visits me at my home in Hazleton. The
last time 1 saw him was on Christmas,
when l had the pleasure of spending the
day with him.
I'm conclusion I want to say that a
drawer, nobler. better man than Jack
Vaughn never lived, and if ever the chance
comes when L can save his life by giving
up my own. 1 shall do so willingly.
&C. w. Kline"