Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-04-21
WONDERFUL RESCUE.
HOW SERGEANT VAUGHAN SAVED A
LIFE AT A HOTEL FIRE.
4 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.

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 "How the
Other Half Lives" writes of Heroes
Who Fight Fire" in The Century. The
article is one of the series Heroes of
Peace" Mr.. Riis tells the following
story Of 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
be heard cry for help and made out
the shape of man standing upon a
window sill in the fifth story overlook
ing the courty ard 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
There was absolutely nothing. But |
| 1.,t > l, m, he
| after, when he had come out of the hos
| pital a whole man again and was back
| at work, 81 just couldn't, standing
there so quiet and brave" To the men
he said sharply:
| 81 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 "a heavy overcoat, and had
already laid his plan.
Don try, - urged the man. "You
cannot save me. | will stay here till il
| gets too hot. then | will jump.
"No, you won't, " from the sergeant,
IA be lay at full length on the roof, look.
ing over. "It is a pretty hard yard down
there. Twill get you or go dead myself.
| The four sat on the sergeant's legs a.
| 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.
"Hoistr' 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, weight OF
| 203 pounds suspended from and holding
| if down. The cold sweat started upon
| his mems foreheads as they tried and
tried again, without gaining an inch.
Blood dripped from Sergeant Vaughan 1
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
I, the coats of the two. For an instant be
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. Ht
could swing him upl a smothered shout
warned his men. They crept nearer thu
edge without letting go their grip OF
him and watched with staring eyes tn,
human pendulum swing wider and wild
er farther and farther, until now, witt
mighty effort, it swung within theil
reach, They caught the skirt of the coat
held on, pulled in, and in moment
lifted him over the edge
They lay upon the roof, all six
hreathless. sightlesS, their faces turned
to the winter sky. The tumult of The
street came up as faint echo. The
spray Of "A score of engines pumping be
low fell upon them, froze and covered
them with ice. The very roar of the fire
seemed far off. The sergeant was thu
first to recover. He carried down tn,
man he had saved and saw him sent Of
10 the hospital. Then first he noticed
that hewas not negro. The smut haC
been rubbed of his face. Monday haC
dawned before he came TO, and day
passed before he knew his rescuer. Ser
geant Vaughan was laid up himself
then. He had returned to his worl anC
finished il, but what he had gon,
! through was too much for human
strength. Ii was spring before he re
turned to his quarters, to find himsel
promoted, petted and made much Of