Evening journal., 1902-02-24
MR. CONRAD In
NEW YORK FIRE
Escapes With Difficulty But
Roommate Loses Life
CRAWLS ALONG ICY CORNICE
Former Civ Solicitor Describes His
Thought as Death in Horrible Form
Confronted Him
.CRAWLS ALONG ICY CORNICE

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staring him in the face. Former City
Solicitor H. c. Conrad was rescued
from the burning Park Avenue Hotel
Ion Saturday morning by brave fremen.
He was compelled to crawl for 150
feet along an ice-coated cOrnice fifteen
Inches wide. He then went down a
scaling ladder, held by firemen, who
risked their lives TO save his. Mr.
lCOnrad's cousin and room mate Lee G.
Conrad, Of New York, was burned to
death.
Mr. Conrad had been attending the
dinner of the Delaware Society in New
York. He went to the hotel with his
cousin about midnight and was as
lsigned to a room on the fifth floor
About o'clock they were awakened
by the fire in the Seventy-first Arm
,ory Regiment building. After Watching
the flames for awhile they turned and
found the hall filled with smoke and
flames They then started to get dress
ed. Mr.. Conrad did not finish. but his
cousin did, and was burned to death.
Mr.. Conrad Describes His Escape
In telling Of his escape. Mr.. Conrad
said. Il went to a window, and raising
it found there was a cornice that ran
larOund the building. started to climb
out, and as l did so my cousin called to
me. Cousin Harry, don't jump of.
That would be instant death. ! sup
Ip0se he had an idea That l would jump
but nothing of that nature entered my
mind
Il had no idea where the cornice
lead when | got ont ON it. ! found that
III was iron, and thought that such be-
ling the case. it would be he last place
TO be affected by the fire. / then
Thought the best plan would be to reach
Ia corner, as / knew corners We're ire
lquently the last place flames reach, and
then also that, being on corner.
might be seen sooner. i reached up my
hand and found that at each window
there was a sort Of pillar or column
with ornaments at the top ! found
could grasp these ornaments and steady
myself. and then I commenced my wall
around the cornice. ! could not hold
on with my hands all the time. for the
pillars with the ornaments only occur
red at each window. The cornice hat
sort of a zigzag course, going in anc
cut at each window.
Before starting ON my walk ] stop
ped for a minute or so and Thought oi
' tried TO think The thought that flash
ed through my head, as l now recol
lect, was that il was the end. l won
dered If l would die by fire or fall from
n the cOrnice. | Thought that If the fire
. came through the window the impuls'
o would not be stronger to drop over tn,
q edge to DEATH than to fall a victim L
!. the flames. I don't know what prompt
q la I ff.u hl
o centre of the hotel. / should judge tina
h it was fully $50 feet from my window. l
o was tedious work going along that mar
S row footing, partly coated with ice an'
lunevenly shod as ! was, for on on
j. foot was a shoe and on the other wa
l. lonly q stocking. During that walk
d did not meet a soul. Every window
d passed was closed tight
r. After walking. what seemed to me
It long distance, l reached a point direct
II lly over the main entrance. was sool
v seen by some firemen, who immediate
It ly shouted not 10 jump. After som
S time the fremen got a ladder ON toI
It of the portico over the main entranc
o to the hotel.
n "Glhis ladder was extended its great
lest Length and then only reached to tlh
T. fourth floor. In a few seconds fireme
e came running up it, Evidently the
n had ben used to dealing with panic6
+ people, and supposed that ! might b
i nervous. for one of them. looking a
. me over the cornice. called out Your
= all right! Don't jump! Stay righ
u where you are! Well get you off, Jus
~ wait minute and you'll be all right
Il looked over the cOrnice and sa
y them take two persons from the wiz
" dow below me.
=, "In a few seconds firemen came u
III the ladder again and brought wit
them a scaling ladder. It is like
stick with small cross pieces on it.
one end is a large hook fitted wit
teeth. Handing this up TO me the firl
"a mentold me to put il Through the viii
dow and catch it on the sill. AS / d
$50 I smelled the smoke and felt Il
heat. indicating that There was fire baC
ID lCf me. | found that the cOTnice was
in broad that 10 would not permit u
e. scaling ladder to be hooked thrOua
re the sash. I reported this TO the fir
ee man below. and he then told me tn
SO L would have To put the hook flush {
A. the cornice. and that HE would The
u hold il so IL would not slip. l did thi
-, and then the fireman got back Of it an
\. by bracing himself with his back
N, the wall of the hotel. he held that sms
aS scaling ladder crawled over the co
'i- nice. and was just able TO reach q
or first rung Of the scaling ladder.
"All the time I was climbing the fir
men kept calling 10 me to encouTa
me My only thought was of stead
ring mysof TO reach the main ladder
ST. going over the cornice I once thong
as ,of grasping the hook, but i'm an insta
m- j knew that IL 7 did that the chanc
ey were that IL would slip off he corni'
because none Of its teeth could get