The sun., 1901-04-04
MADE NARROW
ESCAPES
Two Women Climb Out Of Win
dow at a Fire.
ANOTHER WOMAN SWOONS
Assistant Engineer Wiley Stunned
by an Explosion -Firemen
Soon Extinguish Fire in
Smith Building.
ANOTHER WOMAN SWOONS

inS.
He noticed, upon going into the hall
way, great deal OF smoke coming be-
low He FASTENED to the ground floor,
notified the employees of Mr.. Hawkins
cigar factory, which is located in the rear
| II the store. The foreman made hasty
examination. Going to the cellar he dis
covered fire among some bales of tobacco
ind the alarm was Immediately given
| from box No. IL, in front of the City
Hail.
| Superintendent Buchler as soon as he
discovered that the building was actu-
Tally on fire returned to his Office, which
IS on the second floor, and quickly in
/ formed the clerks, Misses Edith Stapler
and Edith Parmalee, and told them to
prepare to leave. Mr.. Buchler and the
| two young women started through the
hall door, intending to descend the stairs
u the fire escape, which is in the rear,
but the smoke was SO dense that they
were almost overcome and found it
necessary to retreat.
| Upon entering the office they realized
| that all avenues of escape were cut off
except the front and rear windows, and
running to the rear of the room Mr..
/
rot out OH a ledge which had consider
able slant and was slippery from the
rain.
He managed to get out and by holding
On to the window frame lifted the young
women, one at time to the tin roof Of
| the one story back building in the rear.
| The roof was steep, and had it not
bafm for assistance of DR.. Hallett of the
/ "tIhrican Dental Parlors, ON the south
t,% of the hallway, who got out Of the
window of his office and assisted
Young women, they might have fallen
fhe yard.
/, .hey escaped uninjured, but were
4 pretty badly frightened and for a time
almost overcome by smoke. Mr.. Buch-
er was also badly choked by the
smoke and after he had made an unsuc-
eessful effort to reach the hall was so
nearly overcome that he could only get
back on his hands and knees
| Miss Dolly McCaulley of Fifth and
Searles streets, an amploye of Mr.. Haw-
kins'. upon learning that the place was
on fire, ran to the street and swooned
lust as she reached the pavement.
| Police Capt. Black had reached the
building by that time, however, and
Icaught her as she was about to fall, and
arried her to II nearby store. and after
she revived sent her to the police station,
where she was cared for by Matron Wo-
San until she was fully recovered, when
she was sent home in n coach.
| II. NJ. Wiley. first assistant engineer
Of the fire department made ii narrow
escape from serious injury. He was one
/ ~ h,, H., Il
ment to enter the basement and went
to the heater to ascertain whether mat
ters We're all right there.
| Just rs he approached the furnace,
water which had entered the fire box
caused an explosion. which blew the
loor open and knocked Mr.. Wiley across
the room, TO the middle wall He was
stunned and bruised, but not seriously
| injured.
.Ianitor MacDonncl was on the third
tloor when the fire broke out and when
he started downstairs the smoke was
very thick and he had narrow escape
from being overcome. He succeeded,
FINALLY, in fighting his way to the street.
The chemical engine of the Washing
ton Fire Company first played on the
lire. Afterward it became evident that
matters were very serious in the base
ment and it was found necessary to turn
il stream of water III that portion of the
building.
The fire was soon under control, not
withstanding the fact that the basement
Was very dark and it was with difficulty
hat he tiremen and officers worked.
The fire is supposed to have resulted
From spontaneous combustion among
| some h;lsswood bark in the basement
Of the building, under that portion of the
ground floor occupied by Samuel Haw-
kins, cigar manufacturer, and damaged
the building to the extent of probably
81 900 and Mr.. Hawkins raw stock,
stored in the basement, probably $4,000.
There was little damage above the
first floor, and admirable work by the
fireman prevented the flames from
spreading beyond that portion of the
building in which they originated. The
building is owned by Charles A. Sparks
of Philadelphia and is insured, as is also
Mr. Hawkins stock.
The only damage above the ground
ioor was from smoke. In the American
Dental Parlors on the second floor, DIR.
Hallett and AIillard Brobst were at work.
| HeS Hdu TINE 10 Sel OUT OI rear VIII
dow. The third floor is occupied by the
Machinists'. Union, United Labor Lea
gue and other labor organizations, and
also by the Young Mems Single Tax
Club, and the fourth floor by lodges.
The rooms We're pretty well filled with
.iiioke.
Chief Welsh of the fire department,
in speaking of the fire said its origin was
a mystery to him. When he reached the
lplace he found blaze among Mr.. Haw-
kins' raw material in a hallway in the
basement between the northern and
southern portions of the building, and in
the lower rooms, some distance from the
fire, he saw sparks on the pipe cover
ing.
He gives all of the fire companies and
his assistants great credit for their fine
work
William j. Fisher is the agent for
1.-THE building, which is insured through