The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-05-09
A FIRE CAPTAINS HEROISM
Ahearr.'s Kealth Completely Wrecked By
His Heroic Efforts In Saving Life.

Ahearr's Eealth Completely Wrecked BY
His Heroic Efforts In Saving Life.
Jacob A. Riis contributes to the
Century an article on Heroes Wl3
Fight Fire" in the series ON "Heroo
of Peace" Mr.. Riis says:
In the chiefs quarters Of the
Fourteenth battalion up in Wake
field there sits today a man, :. J
young in years, who in his main
body but unbroken spirit bears such
testimony to the quality of New
York fire fighters as the brave Bres-
nan and his comrade did in their
death. Thomas J. Ahearn led his
company as captain to fire in the
Consolidated Gas works on the east
side. He found one of the buildings
ablaze. Far toward the rear, at tie
end of narrow lane, around which
the fire swirled and arched itself,
white and wicked, lay the body OF a
man, dead, said the panic stricken
crowd. His sufferings had been
brief. A worse fate threatened all
unless the fire was quickly put out
There were underground reservoirs
of naphtha-the ground was honey
combed with them-that might eX-
plode at any moment with the fire
raging overhead. The peril was IN
stant and great. Captain Ahearn
looked at the body and saw it stir
The watch chain upon the man :
vest rose and fell as if he were
breathing.
He is not dead" he said. II am
going to get that man out. - And
he crept down the lane of fire, IN
mindful of the hidden dangers, see
ing only the man who was perish
ing. The flames scorched him. They
blocked his way, but he came
through alive and brought out his
man, SO badly hurt, however, that
he died in the hospital that day
The board of fire commissioners
gave Ahearn the medal for bravely
and made him chief. Within yeaI
he all but lost his life in a gallant
attempt to save the life of child
that was supposed to be penned in Il
burning Rivington street tenemen,
Chief Ahearn' quarters were neaI
by, and he was first on the ground
A desperate man confronted him in
the hallway. my child! My child!'
he cried and wrung his hands. Save
himl He is in therel" He pointed
to the back room. 1t was blau.s
with smoke. In the front room the
fire was raging. Crawling on hands
and feet, the chief made his way in
to the room the man had pointed
out He CROPPED under the bed AID
in it, but found no child there. S.;
isfied that it had escaped, he started
to return. The smoke had groa. i
60 thick that breathing was no len
ger possible even at the floor The
chief drew his coat over his bead |
and made dash for the hall door.
He reached it, only to find that iht |
spring lock had snapped shut The
doorknob burned his hand. The Gre
burst through from the front room |
and scared his face. With a Las |
effort he kicked the lower panel Out
of the door and put his head through
and then he knew no more.
His men found him lying so wher |
they came looking for him. The
coat was burned of his back, and Of |
his hat only the wire rim remained.
He lay ten months in the hospital |
and came out deaf and wrecked |
At the age Of 45 the
board retired him to the quiet Of the |
country district. with this formal |
resolution, that did the board more !