The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-27
PLUCKY GIRL HAS
THRILLING ESCAPE
Miss Cederbera Rescued From
Window Ledge of Burning
GiIfiI!an Block.

Fourth and jackson streets, by a sud-
| den burst of smoke from smoldering
fire, Miss Ingrid Cederberg, a slight
fair girl, walked yesterday afternoon
along a three-inch ledge of brick, five
stories above the street to another
window; stood ten minutes before the
closed panes, which the flames within
were already cracking; and looked
down calmly at the 1000 people yell
ing on Jackson street far below.
/ Don't jump! Hold on, little girl!
You're all right! Wait minute more!
| Where's those firemen? Where's that
ladder! Good God! they'll let her
/ burnt"
| Presently a fire chief, peering out of
a third story window Of the burning
building, saw that the crowd had dis
covered somebody in danger. He went
] down and persuaded the police to clear
| the street. Then the fire department
/ ran up ladder towards the young girl
standing before the smoking window
with half her high-heeled shoes pro-
| jecting over the window SILL
The girl did not scream, or even
speak, as the long red ladder rose to-
| wards her, not even when rush of
hair and blackened her shirtwaist. But
she crouched over as if about to jump.
| Then the crowd, struggling with po-
licemen down below, yelled up again:
Don't! Don't! Don't jump! You're
all right"
Then She Leaped.
Perhaps she did make a quick, short
leap towards Lieut.. Edward Low, of
Hook and Ladder Company No. @,
| when he got near enough to stretch
out his arms from the long, jerking.
swaying red ladder. But as soon as
she had reached the street she stepped
firmly to the pavement and said moth
ing. The crowd made t'the appropri-
ate remarks"
The firemen, expecting her to faint,
as all girls they've ever rescued al
ways did faint, when the danger had
passed by, inquired abruptly, How do
you feel?"
Miss Cederberg, pale put not at all
faint, answered, with a small, grim
smile: why, Pm-Pm just as they
said-Tm all right"
Then, refusing assistance, she walked
over to the Merchants hotel, rested a
! bit on a sofa in the ladies' parlor and
was soon looking out Of the hotel win
! dow at the engines putting in the street.
Miss Cederberg's escape from horri-
bic death by jumping was due more to
her own nerve than to the quick action of
the fire department. which was openly
criticised by the crowd. The fire started
two floors below the young woman, and
as she sat at the desk, unaware of the
danger that threatened her life, she
thought she detected the smell of burn
ing wood. Thinking little of it for a few
moments more she continued to work at
| the typewriter.
Suddenly the smoke began to pour into
the room through the door and window
in the light shaft. Her first impulse was
| to gain the elevator and try to get down
that way, but dense smoke filled the hall,
! and almost before she knew what she
| was doing she pushed up one of the front
windows of the Office and climbed upon
the ledge.
A Perilous Position.
From one window to another, along
the outside of the building, there is a
| narrow ledge about three inches in
| width. By this time the apparatus had
arrived and amid frantic yells of-the
crowd, the policemen and the firemen did
all in their power to warn the girl not
to jump. Apparently she understood that
help was at hand, for she deliberately put
her right hand under the raised window
and tried to close it to prevent the smoke
overcoming her. Not succeeding in this.
she turned, and with her face to the wall
deliberately chung to the walls of one win
QOWn anu SuCc60U6Q IN T6dCnlnR the next
window, which was closed The crowd
below was so terrified at this, 1t was
speeches.. When the plucky girl had
| reached the protection that the closed
being raised to the fifth floor and as soon
as the top run had reached the level of
the window Lieut.. Edward Low, of Hook
and Ladder company No g climbed the
ladder, and before long the brave girl was
in his arms and safe.
A mighty cheer that was heard for
blocks arose. Miss Cederbergs soon dis
appeared into the Merchants hotel near
by and the crowd then turned its atten-
ton to the fire department.
Chief jackson Explains.
Chief Jackson, questioned last evening
about the behavior Of the fire depart
ment said:
BOX 49, Fifth and Jackson was pulled,
and the box nearest the fire was box "a,
at Third and Jackson. There was no de-
lay in getting to the fire. We were as
quick as we usually are at getting to a
fire. When 1 got there we did not know
of the building. The first thing we did
was to go in and put out the fire, which
was on the third floor.
81 looked out the third story. window
on the Jackson street side, and noticed
the people in the street acting strangely
and pointing up to the fifth story. These
people-a rabble-were in the way of the
firenen and asked the police to clear
the way so that my men could work. AS
soon as possible ladder was run up to
the fifth f1oor.''
]. K Hoffmen, the agent of the build
ing, was led down the fire escape in the
rear of the building, and was soon out
of danger.
The first started in a store room on the
third floor ard the damage done to the
building will be about ST, 900, fully COW
cred by insurance. Only three rooms We're
damaged and the fire did not last an
hour
Miss Cederberg could not be seen last
evening at her home, $50 Bedford street
but it is thought she will be at her desk
again in a few days none the worse for
her narrow escape, for which she can
thank an unusually plucky disposition