New-York tribune., 1903-01-20
BRAVE RESCUES AT FIRE
NAN JUMPS INTO NET
Factory an Madison-st. Burned
IlCO Men Injured.

progress of fire last evening. which destroyed
the chair factory of the Hayward Brothers &
Wakefield Company. at No. 392 to 396 Madison
St Five alarms sent in for the fire. which
was made exciting by falling walls. brilliant
rescues and the jumping into net of one of the
victims Acting Chief Purroy. who responded
to the second alarm and took charge of the fire,
estimated the loss at $4,000
The fremen did excellent work. and saved a
cigar box factory Immediately in the rear;
seven story double deck tenement house at No.
800, and the factory of George E. Eddy, at No.
39S Madison-st
The injured are Frederick Zimmerman. TWEEN
ty-three years DID, of No. 80 Franklin-ave.,
Brooklyn. who jumped from the sixth story into
life net and who injured by the net
breaking and letting him fall to the ground. and
John Duffy. fireman. of Engine No. IL, who
fell from the roof of an extension of the cigar
box factory while running to escape falling
walls.
EXPLOSION STARTS FIRE.
The fire started on the fourth floor rear of the
factory, which is a six story building. from
explosion of benzine. The cause of the ex-
plosion is not known. No was injured by
it. In moment of consciousness, according to
DR.. Harold of Gouverneur Hospital. the man
who jumped from the sixth story window said
tnat ne ndO iSII lDGee men DenlHu HIS
gave rise to a rumor that three men had been
burned to death in the flames.
About the time that Zimmerman jumped three
men We're rescued from the rear of the building
by iremen and an emplOye of the cigarbox fac
tory of George Stutz, Immediately in the rear
Of the chair factory. and Acting Chief Purroy
thinks that this accounts for the three men
mentioned by Zimmerman No one was reported
being missing last night. and Mr.. Purroy said
positively that he did not believe any one had
perished in the flames The lives of many, how
ever were imperled. A small panic was created
among about $50 employees of the Stutz fac
tory 100 of whom were women, but as only an
extension of the building was damaged tney
really in danger.
Immediately after the explosion flames began
to shoot from one of the windows the fourth
story rear of the factory. About fifty employees
were in the building most of them the three
lower floors and several of them ran out shout
ing "Firer' Policeman McGrder, of the Madi-
son-st station, to the box at Jackson ana
Monroe SITS. and turned in an alarm Then ne
hastened back 20 the building The fire had
gained rapidly and the three upper stories in
the rear were then mass of flames
Three engines truck and Battalion Chief
Langford responded to The first alarm. AS the
men of Engine Company No. 10 swung into
Madison-st. they saw man, who afterWard
proved to be Zimmerman. standing on the ledge
of n sixth story window Smoke was pouring
out over his head. and little jets of flame ap-
peared close behind him.
There would not be time to UP a ladder. so
the iremen. assisted by some citizens, got ME
net from the hose wagon. This was held over
the sidewalk and Zimmerman was told to jump
He studied the net for moment as If gauglns
the distance, and then stepped from the ledge
He kept his balance well in the air. and as he
neared the net threw himself backward and
landed in the net on his back Those who were
watching expected to see his body spring up
again. but to their dismay the man crashed
through the net and struck the ground He was
removed to Gouverneur Hospital suffering from
shock and probably internal injuries
Edward Knoll an employe of the Stutz fac
tory saw a man appear the fourth story win
dow of the chair factory The man seemed
dazed Knoll climbed up the fire escape and
rescued him. The mans name was not learned
CLIMB DOWN FIREMAN's BACK
Just as Knoll reached the ground with his
man two more heads appeared at another win
dow on the fourth floor. but away from the
fire escape. Lieutenant Ruckholt and F1remen
McCabe and Hubben. who had been sent to the
rear of the building saw the predicament Of the
men They secured a 2J-foot ladder and placed
il against the building. 1t came short One of
the iron fire escape ladders was then obtained
and spliced to the end of the other. This also
ran short Time was precious, Lieutenant
Ruckholt ran up to the top of the ladder and
stood on the top round. McCaDe followed him,
while HubbelI held the ladder at the bottom.
The men in the window climbed down over the
back of Lieutenant Ruckholt, and were caught
by McCdbe and assisted to the ground. They
were Paul Jossier. of No. 41I West Nineteenth
St. and Henry Pein. of No 900 Division-st.,
West Ho5oken
As soon the three alarms were sent in the
reserves of the Madison-st- station were sent
to the fire in charge of Sergeant Ryan The ser
geant at once ordered his men into the tene-
ment house at No 800 Madison ST. and the
twenty-four families living there were ordered
out There was a great deal of excitement
among them. but all got out in safety.
Acting Chief Purroy deserves credit for saw
ing about fifty firemen and water tower from
a falling wall. The front wall of the factory. In
Madison-st.. began TO weaken by the intense
heat About fifty men were nghtlng the nre
from that point and directly in front OF the
wall was a water tower Purroy oroered the
men back when he signs Of the wall weak
ening. and ordered the water tower pushed
up the street Twenty men jumped TO the
sides of the water tower. and started it
in motion Scarcely minute elapsed af-
ter the water tower was clear, when the two
miner stories Of the wall fell to the ground with
a crash No one was injured
Deputy Chief Binns. who responded en- the
third alarm with Acting Chief Purroy. was
sent TO take charge of the fire fighters at the
rear of the building. When the walls in the
rear of the buildn~ began TO weaken Binns sent
a warning to the men. Captain Graham or
dered the men out Of the alIe~ and from the
roof of the extension. Just the left the
alley the top story of the wall fell Captain
Graham called TO the the extension to
hurry The roof was slippery. and in running
hack Fireman Duffy slipped from the roof and
J1lf mir "a lara he e
from the fourth and fifth stories fell with a
crash badly damaging the roof of the extension