The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-17
REGULATING FIRE TRAVEL.
ONE OF THE TRAFFIC SQUAD
TAKES A PERPENDICULAR BEAT.
Leaves His Horse After Ringing Alarm
From the Saddle and Fights His
way Through an Italian and Hun
garian Panic Up Factory Fire Escape.

From the Saddle and Fights His
way Through an Italian and Hun.
garian Panic Up Factory Fire Escape.
Mounted Policeman James d. Cotter Of
the traffic squad was on post at Center
and Canal streets yesterday afternoon
when he heard an explosion of toward
Mulberry street. He wheeled his horse
saw smoke coming from the basement OF
the Derby chair factory at Canal and Null
berry streets and started for it on the gallop.
At Baxter street he rang an alarm from
the saddle
Smoke was coming up from the base
ment when he reached the factory and
crowd of Italian workmen were struggling
and stepping on fingers all down the fire
escape. He threw his reins to boy and
scrambled along the escape to the
Second floor, where he broke into
small panic. The window was choked with
Italians and Hungarans who had got
wedged tight. Cotter broke the jam by
main force, beat the crowd back with a
piece of board and passed the Italians down
one by one He scrambled to the third
floor, keeping on the under side Of the lad
der to avoid the rush, and Strengthened
out more trouble there. BY the time he
reached the fourth landing Foot Policeman
Martin had joined him.
There, as Cotter says. they bumped into
hell" Fifty Italian chair Gamers we're
fighting for an exit on the platform Of the
escape, completely cutting OF passage
from the fifth and sixth floors. The cops
crawled over the rail and smashed right and
left with their fists until they cleared the
opening and could pass the wild Italians
ThAr f<Ntf cot
through window to the fourth floor, which
was filing with smoke by that time. I'm
mediately, he was buried in rush Of men.
One Italian got leg over his neck; another
grabbed him around the knees. Cotter
shook them of, put bis back against, the
until they backed off. Then the cops went
on showing them out one at time.
And if you go too fast III shoot you
on the run" threatened Martin.
On the fifth and sixth floors there was less
confusion, The cops took quick look
around to be sure that every one was out;
and then Co ter, having regulat ted the per-
pendicular travel Of the fire escape slid
back to earth through the smoke, mounted
and went to work forming fire lines.
foor-John Pente, a workman. He had
gone back to ga We his street clothes. When
he appeared at the corner window OF the
building. black smoke was rolling up the
nTe escape. COacneo Dy INC ponce, ie
rawled along the sixth story coping to
point above the next and lower building.
where he made ten foot jump and sprained
his ankle.
When the fremen unlimbered, the base
ment, which is packed with excelsior boxes
and other infammables, was furnace. and
the fire was bursting into the upper floors.
Thousands Of chairs and tons OF cane-seat.
ing fed it. The wind turned little, sweep
in q it southwark and threatening the adjoin-
ing tenement on the Mulberry street side.
The water tower and three streams from
engines we're turned on the third story at
this point. They kept the fire to the chair
factory and saved the tenement
Fireman William Beck was carrying
hose up the ladder OF the water tower,
when it got out Of his grasp, struck him in tie
chc=t and shot him into the air. He landed
on his left arm. breaking it and also cutting
an artery. Beck stopped the. blood flow
battalion chiefs buggy to the hospital.
1t was a peculiar fire. Although It burned
fiercelywithin and through most infammable
material, and although the fremen were an
hour and half controlling. It. no flames
reached The outside of the building. At ore
for a hose line threw from the third story
hundreds of dining room chairs, which
broke on the asphalt pavement.
The small explosion with which the fire
began is supposed to have been from
keg Of varnish ignited by burning excelsior.
stand in the entrance of the chair factory.
Last week they started small fire by drop
ping matches on paper. This was put out
with few buckets Of water. The manage
ment. ruling that the bootblacks were dam
gerous, ordered them out. From their new
fire yesterday with expressions In which
there waa no nelanChOlY