The Washington times., 1904-05-12
Borne Down Ladders
From Rooms Full
of Smoke.
PROMPT AND FEARLESS
Two Have Figured in Other
Rescues, and Are Candi-
dates for Times Medals.

Had it not been for heroic action on
the part OF Jack Nangle and Michael
Frawley, OF Truck c Company, and
Ernest Padgett, Of No. / Chemical Com
pany. Of the District Fire Department,
two aged women and ]. Orville John
son. a photographer. would have per-
ished in the fire which oecasioned loss
of about $4,000 at the photograph gal
lery. 465 and 467 Pennsylvania Avenue,
about o'clock this morning.
Mrs. Virginia Emerson, seventy-five
years old, and Mrs. Margaret Tully,
sixty years Of age. were sleeping in
rooms on the top fioo- when the FIRE
was raging below and back of their
apartments. 1t was with great difficulty
and at the risk of their lives that Fraw-
ley and Padgett brought the women
from the burning building and landed
them safely % the ground.
Padgett carried Mrs. Emerson down
the ladder on hk shoulder and with Mrs
TuIly on one of bis arms Frawley made
his way to safesy y.
Johnson dn Second Floor.
Mr.. johnson va 5 sleeping on the see
ond floor He Nhas awakened by the
smoke and would have jumped to the
ground had it not been for the warning
of Jack Nagle. who assured him that
he would be saved. Nangle then took
the photographer in his arms and car
ried him TO the ground
The trio OF candidates for the gold
medals offered by The Times for acts
OF this sort were chcered on and warmly
applauded by the admiring throng and
received many handshakes and congrat-
ulatiOns for their timely action.
* - frcr 1.T -,
IN which Nangle and Frawley have
figured Less than a year ago Nangle
rescued Mrs. Haldemar from a burning
ocildirg, near Eighteenth StreeJ and
Pennsylvania Avenue northwest, and
within the present year. he and Fraw-
ley eXunguished the flames in the cloth
ing OF little Greenfield, the son of Il
prominent physician upon whom gaso-
line had been poured. and afterward set
afire by companions.
Padgett's Brave Act.
Padgett has also assisted in several
rescues. but the most important was
that OF this morning. when he brought
Mrs Emerson safe from the burning
building. He is twenty-seven years old
and has been in the department only
three years
Upon Investigation this morning II
VAS learned that the fire had its origin
in the rear room on the second floor
OF the building Several cans of coal
oil and gasoline We're found in the
room, but no one connected with the
ire department would state positively
whether any Of these fluids figured in
the origin Of the blaze. While Police
man Mckeever was patrolling his beat
* saw smoke Issuing from the second
floor of the building and turned in au
alarm from box T..
Lines OF nose We're run up the steps
leading from the street to the gallery
Cn Il y
and spread IN so many different direc-
tiOns that the nremen scarcely knew
where 10 begin 10 fight them. Their
efforts We're finally concentrated on the
room where the fire originated, while
companies on the outside protected the
adjoining buildings and kept the flames
from eating the front out OF the struc-
ture in which they began.
Attending to Inmates.
Immediately upon the arrival of the
frcmen II WAS learned that persons
were sleeping in the building, and had
not been seen coming out Ladders
were run Up 10 the third floor, where
the two women were sleeping. and {
The same time Mr.. Johnson was scts
at the second floor wlnCcw A. Eoys.
employed IN the gallery. was compe lied
10 use all has physical strength TO keep
the pho oerapher from jumping out.
aud NanElc finally went To his assist
aHcc and helped him 10 the ground
Two other men. named Evans and
Earnest. were also rooming IN the
building. but they made their escape
without injury. The others suffered
from swallowing smoke and the intense
heat and shock, but were not seriously
injured.
Mr. Johnson's Photographic apparatus
was destroyed. The developing room and
every other room was gutted and wreck
Cd almost beyond repair. leaving only
the four walls standing. He estimates
his loss al s. 0o0. and il Will take an
equal amount 20 repair the building.