New-York tribune., 1899-04-30
FTREMEN IN DEADLY PERIL.
HEMMED IN BY SHEETS OF FLAME ON EV-
ERY HAND, THEY FOUGHT A DEs-
pERATE BATTLE.

ro or,ira crows Of FIRE companies were caught
in a fierce back draught yesterday morning on 'iis
top floor OF the sx-story building at NO. 40 Yves.
Broadway Every man. including Battalion Cnci
Kenny Captain Robert Oswald and Captain Ora
ham threw himself on his face 10 escape the ter
rible burst OF fame, and all except three escapeh
the blast These were Captain Graham, OF HOOK
and Ladder No. 90 and Firemen Henry sohweckert
and Daniel Mcdonald OF the same truck Their
faces were burned and their hair singed by the
flames. Captain Graham had his face treated py
surgeon and he remained oil duty The two other
men went TO st Vincent's Hospital were treated
and went to their homes. The fire caused so'c"
damage before It could be extinguished
Policeman Stevens OF the Mercer-st station, was
passing the building at Ills o'clock, when he saw
flames shooting from the windows OF the top moor
of No. 495. The fire must have been burning some
minutes at that time. as the flames shot out with
force. Stevens to the corner and sent ifh an
alarm. and he then ran back to the building, as
lodged the pole of big truck In the gutter ana
rammed down the dor of the hall Of the burning
building with II just In time TO open the way Tor
the hremen OF Hook and Ladder No. 20 and Engine
No. 49, Captain Oswald In charge Of 1873 men,
and Battalion Chief Kenny took charge of the two
companies. They rushed to the top floor with hose
lines.
On this floor 1t was found that the fire was in
the hat and cap mandatory OF A. koshitz which
was closed from the hall by a heavy iron door The
fremen attacked this door til 1t suddenly gave way
and In an instant back draught was created. 1t
was OF great force and the fremen. who had ex-
pected IT, at fell on their faces Three OF them
little too late
The great sheet OF flame shot into the faces OF
the and the heads of the others, setting
fire TO woodwork In the hall and making the hre-
men realize that they were in "A desperate place
got up and work to fight the flames The
fire broke the windows the front and back or
that floor and burned hercely that IL broke
the windows Of the fifth floor. set fire TO a lot OF
lnhammabe stuff that floor, and crept up 10
a glass door at the bottom OF the stairs leading TO
the sixth story, where the hremen were working
like madmen. ,, -.
With another blast the fierce flames smashed the
glass in the door and crept upstairs after the fire.
men. They now hemmed In by great sheets
Of flame.
Captain Kenny ordered the men to work-a
hands-on the fire below, and the men turned their
hose lines the fifth floor flames in battle 10
fremen working against the flames, and water was
poured in streams, II at once turning 10 steam
against the sheets of fire which burst out They NAG
let the fire behind them burn, and work win HI
their might fthe flames ahead OF them.
There danger that the hose lines might pe
eaten up by the fire. and for a. time there was a
remarkable fight by the men, who were In terrible
energy proved enough to stop the names from
creeping up the stairway. and In few minutes the
fire the fifth floor was prevented from COMING
any further and then beaten back
The hremen OF Engine Company NO Sp we're now
PLAYING on the flames, and the fire on the nfth moor
was put out wholly. The grew or TrucR no ,ho ~
flames on the top floor. and they got the fre out IN
an hour and a half after the start. The total dam
age was about $4,000.