New-York tribune., 1902-06-22
GAS OVERCOMES FIREMEN.
rx TAKEN FROM APARTMENT
House CELLAR
-ESaNTs N PANIC SWARM DOWN FIRI
-U-.pEs AND SHOUT IN STREETS

--x.HTs N PANIC SWARM DOWN FIRE
rs-APEs AND SHOUT IN STREETS.
-.,orring the discovery Of a fire at : p. m. yes
=. 81 the bottom Of an airshaft in the five
t~icl. apartment house at Nos. III and I79
,,rr,s-ave at Sixty-eightfl-st-. the widest
,..r-e7t prevailed in and about the building.
1-a uvhich poured from the airshaft into the
SLOWS that lined it caused the tenants, most Of
80, we're at their evening meal, to become panic
-, Soon the fire escapes We're jammed with
So yrbile women who had tainted were carried
y r. e+reet by hrenen. While the fremen were
U,,,nq tre blaze in the basement eleven of them
- o,,errorle by Illuminating gas. and two were
". - Rooserelt Hospital. After it all over
= 5sn,are was estimated at 81 .0Qe.
.1srm was sent by Policeman Baxter OF the
=. Siv+v-eighth-st station. who saw the janitor
-. o,artrnent house rush TO the street from the
.,+ CRYING Fire. When the fire companies
.,,ed a few moments later tenants Of the house.
= ,vor1en and children. were swarming down the
- .scsres hut were obliged to cling TO them, as
-. vas no means Of reaching the street. Others.
- heads were cooler, were making their es-
- f,onn the building by way of the stairs The
- RAISED short ladders, and the terror stricken
1-ls were taken from the fire escapes. All this
- r-ies and screams resounded and the utmost
confusion preNalled-
AIRS Harrison who lives the top floor Of
n tonse having descended the stairs at the first
-, of ire rushed about the street in excitement
,s.-sne or hysteria, shouting, "Oh. God, my
n,ber is on the top floor It was her mother-in-
- Fireman William 7. Tully. of Hook and Lad
%" co-,nanv No -. when he heard Mrs Harri-
@ .-iee rushed into the house and up TO the
-, aoor He found Mrs Harrison the elder. lying
,,rconscious on the floor Of her room In a faint
- ,,oead f-,a window in the room that opened on
70 ajrshaft and in doing was slightly burned
-rben he carried Mrs. Harrison TO the roof
Fngfreer Michael Mccain, Of Engine No 80,
80 had also made his way through smoke TO the
-, floor IN search o. helpless persons, found i
,T-s sisgeL who had tainted He carried her to
a. outside window and then five stories down the
.,.si5a or -he building on fire escape Mrs
c,i-b added 70 the excitement by shriekinS In the
+-ss+- NV baby Is in the house! l want my
tsbvy' Several fremen searched for the child, but
ar not find il and for good reason. Tor IL was
cafe IN its grandmother's home across the street
while many OF the fire fighters had been devotng
their attention 10 the thirty families. comprising
-o- 9 hundred persons. who live in the house
o,b.-s had been struggling with the flre in the
basement. The Cas meters in the cellar Were en-
zaoned in fame. and the connections burned OH
Then flood of deadly gas poured into the apart
-,s,+ which not only stimulated the fire but
.srb-xiate5 the 1rernen. In the space Of few
..-+e clever, who stood their ground against
.be reinforced foe were overcome, and one by one
s,d sometimes two time, carried TO the street
nv their comrades. Those overcome We're DaEl III
Foley James NJ Murphy, James Muster faulch
Iart
Graham acting captain; P T Sheridan orlNei,
sr of Hook and Ladder Company No. >. and
George Cun and ". H Hussy. of Engine Company
No u and Battalion Chief SkulIy-
rs+ralion Chief Smith Of the 18th Battalion
tbought that Fireman McCue's condition was Iiot
serious and he sent him 70 Roosevelt f -, m
his ovT9 buggy q brother fireman holdlns the UIL-
conscious man in his as they Went an aIi t.f
s1Isnne cal had been sent 10 Roosevelt Hospital
and Dr. lThitbecE who responded, worked nke ID d
major restoring the firemen to CONSCIOUSNESS ~
,scb he va assisted by several physicians Of the
nsigbborhood Then DR.. Whitbeck took AcuIls
EsStair Graham, Of Hook and Ladder company
No q 70 the hospital Fireman Murphy was WtsS eS-
-rsreIy sick for some time after being reScQeQ.
The fumes of gas and smoke. as Wen as Ilie ao
and excitement. had curious eilecS Oh 1 oToe
minutes he struggled in a freIZied manner VIII VIII
+hnss Who were attending him, and 1t was ON!
hv the almost exertions of three or tour men mat
Skv1y y-ae prevented from rushing back 10 the
fire -, ,..o -rl,a-a
Finally the gas was shut of at the place "laea1 e
n enters the house. and the nremen then sooh
had the flames under control. ., -. -.
fjon and force Of reserves, preserved untS apVue
the burning building ana kept a big cro"o away
srorn firemen.