New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-08-17
FIRES REVEAL A HERO AND A HEROINE.
FORMER IN TENEMENT, LATTER IN APARTMENT HOUSE
WOMAN MAY DIE.
TRAPEZE RESCUE AT FIRE,
HUSBAND CATCHES WIFE WITH ONE
HAND AS SHE DROPS.

Benedict Beck who lives with his wife and
sixteen -year-old son, Benedict Beck, jr., on the
third floor of the apartment house at No 80
East One-hundred-and-f fteentfl-st, at Lexing-
ton-ave.. rescued his wife and escaped himself
from fire in thrilling fashion early last evening.
Mrs Beck had just recovered from serious
illness, and the family was engaged last evening
in cleaning with naphtha the mattress she had
lain on for some weeks. 1t is believed that the
boy stepped on a match, igniting it, but what
ever the cause, the naphtha caught fire, and the
blaze spread like flash. The liquid IN the
bottle exploded setting fire to Mrs. Beck's dress
and burning all three.
With the bedding and furniture burning about
him, Mr. Beck acted with GOODNESS and precision
First tearing off his coat and wrapping IT about
his wife he then dragged her to a WINDOW
They were in the parlor, or front room OF the
apartment, at the time. Lowering himself lioH
the sill. Mr.. Beck kicked in the window or the
floor below and managed TO Chamber down 10
the sill of the second floor Then, pulling down
the upper sash of the window, he chmoeo
up until he could extend a rescuing hand to MS
wife She grasped the hand and let herself drop.
Thanks to his great strength and the firm hold
he had on the upper part of the second story
window frame, Mr.. Beck withstood the shocA
of his wifes fall and succeeded in passing her
through the window.
The boy had managed to get to a door. had
made his escape through it into the hallway and
had descended the stairs Great alarm prevailed
among the other fifteen families in the house.
and most Of them descended to the street on the
fire escapes smoke having filed the Railways
Policeman Wood, of the East cne-hundreo-
and-fourth-st. station, sent in an alarm ana the
firemen extinguished the fire in the Beck apart
nnents though they found the blaze a stubborn
one Policeman Wood also called an ambulance
and Dr. Buckner of the Harlem Hospital at
tended to Mr. and Mrs. Beck and their SON
Mr. Beck had been painfully burned about the
arms and his wife about the back The boy had
caught the full force of the explosion, ana ms
face arms and chest suffered grievously All
remained in a neighbours rooms after pelhS
treated.
In the excitement woman who lived on one
of the upDer floors created Juror in the street
by screaming that her baby was in the mousse
Joseph Burns janitor at No. 1o4 East one
hundreds nj -sixteenth-st. hearing her cries,
dashed into the house and up to the womans
home where he found the baby. with the child
in his arms he descended fire escape TO the
street while the crowd cheered
On the top floor of the house lives the family
of Jacob Dethoffer, including two boys, fifteen
and seventeen years old, said by neighbors TO be
dumb. Their father had instructed them TO
stav at home and not TO answer the door should
literally that when policemen and hremen
knocked at the doors in their attempts TO alarm
every one in the house, the two boys did not
answer They remained in the rooms all the
time of the fire and excitement, and were un-
hurt.