Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-06-02
WONDERFUL RESCUE.
HOW SERGEANT VAUGHAN SAVED A
LIFE AT A HOTEL FIRE.

A Member of the New York Department
Who Endangered His Own Life to Save
a Guest of the Hotel Royal who Had
About Given Up All Hope.
Jacob A. Riis, author Of GLOW the
other Half Lives" writes of "Heroes
is VINO Fight Fire" in The Century. The
hrtlcle Is oneetf the series "Heroes of
Peace. 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 wa SO dense there
: that he could see little, but through it
ne heard a cry for help and made out
the shape of a man standing upon a
window sill in the fifth story overlook.
ing the courtyard Of the hotel. Tho
yard was between them. Bidding his
men follow-they were five all told
ne 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 n
jump away. but a jump which no NOR
tal might take and live. His face and
hands were black with smoke. Vaughan.
looking down, thought him a negro. He
was perfectly calm.
1T is no use" he said, %glancing I'D
Don't try. You can't do it."
The sergeant looked wistfully about
hlm. Not a stick or a piece of rope was t
IN sight. Every shred was used below. t
1hero was absolutely nothing. "But I
couldn't let him" he said to me months
after, when he had come out of tbeh hos.
pltal a whole man again and was hack h
ao "ofk' II just couldn't, standing v
there so quiet and brave" To the men @
he said sharply: b
II want you to do exactly as l tell t,
you now, Don't grab me, but let me- h
get the first grab" He had noticed that b.
inc man wore a heavy overcoat, and had az
laid his plan. W
Don try" urged the man. "You ii
'annot save me. l will stay here till it is
gets too hot, then 1 will jump" W
mo, you won't" from the sergeant ii,
IS ne lay at full length on the roof, look. th
ng over. ut is a pretty hard yard down or
Twill get You Or go dead myself BIZ
Inc four sat on the se~rgeant's legs as
@ swung free down to the waist, SO he tw
as almost able to reach the man on the nit
lhdow, with outstretched hands. pu
NOW, Jump-quick!' he command. tn,
l. and the man jumped. He caught str
I'M ny both wrists as directed, and the me
rgeaht got a Strip on the collar of his is
thi
"Hoist!" he shouted to the four m ant
g roof and they tugged with their and
The sergeant's body did not ach
owe. BENDING over till the back creak. all
, IL hung over the edge, a weight of ed
d pounds suspended from and holding rem
down. The cold sweat started unon wor
mems foreheads as they tried and mec
ed again, without gaining an inch. For
ood drlpped from Sergeant Vauphan's mad
'trlls and ears. Sixty feet below was gror
paved courtyard. Over against him WIFI
5 1he window, behind which he saw
PACK draft coming, gathering head.
y with lurid, swirling smoke. Now I
'urst through, burning the hair and the
coats OF the two. For an instant he Their
ught all hope was gone. they
'ut IN a flash it came back to him. have
relleyo the terrible dead weight that cove
hched and tore at his muscles he fat
swinging the man to and fro like q usua.
auIum' head touching head. He of in
"a swing him up! A smothered sbort day {
ned his men. They crept nearer the ally
without letting go their grin on when
ana watched with staring eyes tho the
an pendulum swing wider and wild. healt
arther and farther, until now, with Fiy
shty effort, it swung within their which
4. They caught the skirt of the coat the fiji
on, pulled in, and in q moment from
him over the edge. Out
ley lay upon the roof. all civ mente
Mess. sightless, their faces turned They
@ winter sky. The tumult of the shape
9 camo up as a faint echo. The have
OF a score of engines pumping DO. not Oh
ell npon them, froze and covered ell. I
with Ice. The very roar of the fire ent re
"a lar off. The sergeant was the strang'
o recover, He carried down the pered
had saved and saw him sent off ling al
hospital. Then first he noticed Gazett
10 was not a negro. The smut had
'ubbed Off his face. Monday had
'd before he came to, and DAYS Jack
before he knew his rescuer. Ser. oeorse
Vaughan wa laid up himself enough
He had returned to his work and ohere's
ID il. bnt what ha W. WIN anu forts to
h was too m,,ch fau sono full or Il
tb. II wos snrina nuinan of it.
TO his quarters, to find himself Goeor'
ted, petted and made much of. oeolt