The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-08-30

is there to-day outside OF
Immediate relatives and friends 10
whom the name George Wells sug-
getss anything? Yet the time was
when the name OF George Wells was
1pon every lip. George Wells was a
hero, and the fact that to-day his
aame is nothing more than a name
to all but a few people simply goes
10 show how fieeting n thing fame is
and how quickly forsetful the people
are Of one whom they once delighted
to honor. George Wells, with Her
man Stauss, was the hero Of the New
hall Hotel fire, which occurred in
Milwaukee. January 10. 1888.
When the fire broke out on that
winter morning ii might have be IN
extinguished with hand grenade. In
five minutes time the old trap was
mass of flames. and seventy-fve
people were doomed TO death. The
servants quarters OF the Newhill, as
In nearly all hotels, were on the up
per floor of the structure. Herman
Stauss, city fireman, saw at a glance
that there was one way and one way
only to save the women there penned
In by the flames. He cut loose tom
the department and from orders. and
went to the roof OF n building di-
rectly across an alley from the New
hall. The thought Of the possibility
Of saving the servants had struck
George Wells, an onlooker at the fire.
the same moment that IL had come
to, the department member. Wells
and Stauss met on the roof. They
had secured a heavy ladder, almost
too heavy for them TO handle, but no
other help at that moment was at
hand. BY mighty effort they raised
the ladder in the air, and then. di-
recting its upper end as well as they
could, they let II crash outward and
downward through the sash, frame
and glass Of n window in the hall
where the imprisoned and almost suf-
focated servants We're. The end which
rested on the roof had an insecure
hold. The working Of the ladder six
inches outward would have caused
~ w iot w 'hN EtNthts ittN
below. Wells threw himself prone on
the roof and, grasping a round of the
ladder, made an anchor Of himself.
while Strauss, with swaying body,
walked across the precarious bridge
into the burning building. There he
grasped n woman who, crazed with
fright, fought him who would save
her like a tigress. Strauss grappled
with her and. pinning her arms, car
ried her back across the rocking
bridge to safety.
Strauss was exhausted. He threw
himself on the roof and took Wells
place as anchor. Then Wells, with
out the training of the experienced
fireman. and thinking only of the i'm
prisoned and slowly perishing crea-
lures beyond, made n perilous trip.
He brought back woman. She
struggled from his arms just as he
was about to reach the safety place.
He fell to the ladder. and with an
almost superhuman effort regrasped
his burden by the arms. She swung
like a pendulum below the ladder held
from above by strong but slowly
relaxing grip.
Strauss lest the end of the lad
der to care for itself and crawled out
to the rescue. The swaying Of that
frail bridge threatened every mo-
ment TO dislodge the end and precipi-
tate two men and woman 10 death.
af h. Of
ward explain how it was that they
succeeded i'm getting their helpless
burden and themselves back to safety.
They did IL. however. and had re-
serve nerve and strength enough left
to rescue five other women before
the window ledge foundation of the
ladder burned away and their bridge
dropped to the pavement.
1t was only the work of a few
minutes. IL was done in the sight
of thousands. but so rapidly that by
the time other help had arrived IL was
all done. The fearful strain of those
few minutes utterly broke the health
of George Wells. With Strauss, he
was honored by the people with med
ais and with presents of value. II
was said at the time that no such
act Of heroism marked the history
Of previous fires. The papers Of the
Old World told OF the deeds Of these
two men. Yet, perhaps. were 1t not
for what is written here none would
know that George Wells. now lying
Ill, was ever a hero. for like all true
heroes. the task Of the telling Of what
he did he left 20 others.-Edward y.
Clark, IA the Chicago Record-Herald