The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-22

Highest Honors, Worlds Fair
Gold Medal, M;dwinter Fair
the lives Of two persons. and again at the
Meyer Schultz fire, when, by clambering
from one window to another, ne was en-
abled to rescue a man who without aid
must have persisted.
Seven Truck" has a good standing in
the department for bravery. There was
some pardonable pride about the house
yesterday when "WiP' Clarke's exploit
was talked about, but it was not Clarke
who voiced it. He is a strapping fellow,
built from the heels up. an athlete in every
line Of him, and better looking than the
run Of mankind. But he has. for ali that,
the modesty which seems to be the inevi-
table possession of New York fireman.
when we got othe scene Of the nre,"
he said, they had a ladder part way up.
1 took the scaling ladder and went up 10
the fifth floor, where Mrs. Joseph Howard
and her maid were sitting on the window
sill. As / hooked the ladder over the sill
Mrs. Howard stepped upon it and started
10 come down. 1t swayed out with her, as
those ladders are apt 10 do. 1 stopped her
and made her climb back into the room.
The maid, who was a coIored girl. was
stubborn. She said she wouldn't go Ia.
and l had to push her. think 1 used some
pretty strong language, for Mrs. Howard
criticised me for it, and said I ought 10 be
ashamed to talk so, or something like
that.
81 told her never liked to offend a lady,
"By this time the men below had got
Hayes extension ladder up, and 1 got the
two women over and passed them down.
in the next window to Mrs. Towards
was a lady whose name l afterward heard
given as Mrs. Schuchard. She was help
less, and it seemed as if she could not
keep her hold there much longer. Her
maid was beside her, and was preparing
to jump. Captain Donohue, who was be-
low, kept crying 20 them to wait just
minute longer. I think that was what
saved their lives, really, for one Of them
was about falling, and the other was all
ready to spring into the air.
''They were 5oth fairly out of my reach,
but Ford, Of Hook and Ladder No. 20,
went up and got Mrs Schuchard out and
passed her to me-"
Bartholomew McDermott, Of hook and
ladder company No. 81, rescued Mrs.
Henry Wichelmann from window on the
sixth floor of the hotel kover the Forty
sixth street entrance. He was assisted by
Foreman w. T. Begin and Fireman
Leonard Gerhard and Lawrence Mcclure,
of the same company.
McDermOtt is a member of the exhibition
class of the lifesaving corps. He has given
exhibitions of life saving from roofs and
the upper windows of high buildings, and
is considered one of the most expert mem
bers of the department in climbing walls
by means of the scaling ladders or ropes.
The fire at the Windsor hotel was the
first in ten years at which he was called
upon TO put to practical test the ability
he had been acquiring for years for ex-
hibition and drill purposes.
McDermOtt's company was the first hook
and ladder at the fire The truck is one
of two in use in the department equipped
with Diedrich aerial ladder. 1t was
swung into position in front of the Forty
sixth street entrance, and twenty seconds
later the extension ladder was resting
against window on the third floor
Mrs. Wichelmann appeared at a window
on the sixth floor, and started to climb
out of the window.
"Get back there" shouted Foreman Beg
gin. and in the same breath ordered Nc
Dermott to go to the woman's rescue with
a scaling ladder to reach the sixth floor.
In affixing it to a fifth-story window the
glass broke and the falling pieces cut the
fireman over the eye and on the hands.
With his eyes filled with blood McDer-
mott continued the ascent and was soon
on the window sill Foreman Begin and
Firemen Mcclure and Gerhard had fol-
lowed quickly after NcDermott and took
position in window on the floor below.
The crowd in the street watched the
rapidity with which the men clambered up
the walls, and the applause that followed
turned into groan as the woman was
seen 10 fa,ter and then disappear from the
window. She was only gone for a mo-
ment as AIcDermott caught her as she
fell and. pulling her through the window.
began the descent on the flinsy-looking
scaling ladder with the dead weight on his
left arm.
The ladder was steadied and held in po-
sition by his companions on the floor be-
low. When he reached there McDermott
rested his burden for a moment on the
sill and then continued the descent 70 the
street, where willing bonds relieved him Of
his charge and assisted Mrs. Wiche-mann
who had partly recovered from her fright.
into one Of the houses opposite the en-
trance.
1T was the first time in years that I
was at a fire where II became necessary
70 use the scaling ladders n save life
said McDermott 70 Journal reporter. 81
have carried fremen weighing ao9 pounds
down a scaling ladder from the tenth story
Of a building and did nor feel half as tired
as I did when reached the sidewalk with
Mrs. Wiche'man1. SUPPOSE that was be-
cause THAI was because she collapsed when
she realized that she would be saved
After the CAPTAIN shouted al her she be-
came cool and watched ne climbing up 70
her.
As soon as 7 sat fl The wir6ow 7 tod
her q keep COO, and she would be on the
Sidewalk in a minute. Then I reached Tor
her. and as did she faI backward.
caught her By the vast and pulled her
through he window just az the flames
reached the door As soon a. I was safe
on the ladder the rest was easy. ss am
- accustomed to running M and down
those scaling ladders that Cd rot mind
=. although ms arm vas stiff when 7
reached --a ground