The San Francisco call., 1904-06-12
HOSemdn AuguSf
EngeLke prOOeS
His Bravery.
ReScueS Baby Lock-
ed in Blazing
Tenement.

Hoseman August Engelke of Fire En-
gine Company % played the star role
yesterday in the thrilling rescue of a
three-year-o child locked in a third
story room of a blazing tenement.
Brave as was the plucky hoseman's S
deed, it was successful only because of
the splendid discipline and fearIessness
Of his fellow firemen, who followed En-
gelke into the furnace and standing in
the blazing heat played streams of
water on the intrepid rescuer.
The fire occurred shortly after 8
o'clock a. m. in a four-story frame
lodging-house at 90 Vandewater street.
1t was evident from the start that the
property was doomed. The occupants
had been warned in time and all were
supposed to have left the building. The
firemen were devoting their efforts to
keeping the blaze within the narrowest
possible limits.
Suddenly the air was rent by the
screams of a woman. She was a resi-
dent of the tenement and had remem-
bered that Mrs. Massa, another lodger
was in the habit of leaving her three
year-old boy, Laurie, locked up in her
room on the third floor Mrs. Massa's
poverty compels her to work and pre-
vents her hiring some one to care for
her offspring. Laurie was locked in the
room yesterday when the flames start
ed to swallow the tenement, and it was
the thought of the helpless baby
plight that caused the woman to
scream.
CHILD LOCKED IN ROOM.
She pointed out the window Of the
room. Flames were leaping above, be-
low and all around:
There's a child in there" somebody
told a fireman.
There's a child in that room," roared
Maxwell, the battalion chief.
Engine Company 2S heard and start
ed for the room. There is probably not
a man in that company who would
have hesitated to do what Engelke
did, but Engelke gave none of them a
chance.
Taking a glance to locate the room
Engelke burst in the hall door and
dashed UP the blazing stairway Into
the hall, where the heat was terrific
and the danger of death imminent, fol-
lowed Company 2S with a streaming
hose. Here these brave men took their
stand and held in check the flames
that reached for Engelke. They held
their ground in the awful heat amid
flying frebrands until two streams were
brought into play from the rear.
Meanwhile Engelke mounted to the
third story. He found the room. but
flames already were licking at the
locked door, and he feared to break ii
down lest the draught should draw
into the room those blazing tongues
and render vain his errand.
To those on the street Engelke had
gone to his death. Flames were In pos
session of the trail over which he had
passed, and all around the little room,
the furnace was roaring with gaining
ferocity.
CHEERS FOR FIREMAN.
Suddenly the brave hoseman's head
appeared at a window adjoining the
room in which little Laurie was impris-
oned. 1t was the work of a moment
for the athletic fireman to swing him.
self to the window of the locked room
and in another moment a hoarse CRY
from the crowd greeted him as he re-
appeared with a squirming burden
wrapped securely in his oilskin coat.
"A ladder, quick" yelled Battalion
Chief Maxwell, and quickly as mer
that know how could do 1t the slantihp
bridge was raised until it rested on the
window sill. Streams Of water kept the
aanoas clear of the ladder as E,noeIl,e
climbed down with. his burden. When
he reached the ground he shook Laurie
out of his oilskin wrap and carried him
to the woman who had screamed. The
little fellow was unharmed but bewil-