The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-03
DIVE TO ESCAPE HAY FIRE.
TWO MEN AND A WOMAN GO
OVERHEARD ABLAZE.

Water. Water. Quenches Fire In the Skip.
per's Nightsfirt-N olas Hyer, Com.
posed Outsider, Extracts Mrs. Burke,
Hay Barge Cook. From the Deep
The hay barge Sarah Smith lay along
side her dock at West Thirty street
yesterday morning at clock. Four persons
we're sleeping aboard her-Capt. Perry
Finkle, Deokhands Dewitt and George
Burke and Mrs. George Burke the cook.
Tom Hickey, Waterman and special officer,
finishing his 8 o'clock round sat down on
abale of the hay. which was piled up on the
Sarah Smiths bows, dangled his lantern,
and rested.
A glare in the windows OF the Italian
line passenger shed, at the next wharf.
made Hickey sit up and take notice. Then
he heard a whirr and cracking behind
him. He turned and saw that the cabin
OF the Sarah Smith was furnace. Hickey
knows how fire on hay barge can travel.
He ran to the pilot house and woke Dewitt,
who jumped to the pier; then he rushed
below, hauled out Capt. Finkle, whose
quarters we're already thick with smoke,
and made for Mr. and Mrs. Burke, WHO
we're asleep in the hold. BY that time
the flames we're running down the COM
panionway. Hickey ran for it and jumped
for the pier, just as Capt. Finkle tumbled
into the water with his nightshirt afire,
and struck out for land with the fire in
his nightshirt out.
Hickey looked for Mr.. and Mrs. Burke.
They had not followed him. 1t turned
out afterward that they had stopped to
pick up their clothes. Between Hickey
AL lo.- G -l.l-
feet high. He knew that If they got away
at all they would have to jump into the
water from the port side. away from the
pier.
Hickey had small skiff moored further
down the dock. He dropped ten feet into
it. threw of the painter and started for
the port side Of the Sarah Smith. just then
the wind changed. blowing the flames in
a solid wall between pier and pier. Hickey
brought his skiff about and pulled away
just in time to save his hair.
Meantime. Nick Hyer, Waterman on
the next wharf, had got into action. From
his side of the burning vessel he saw a man
and woman, all ablaze, take flying leap
into the river and struggle there like
drowning puppies Mrs. Burke cannot
swim at all. Burke can just about keep
himself up. Yet he was fighting and strug-
Cling like demon to reach his wife. Hyer
dived on the instant, came alongside Mrs.
Burke, stopped her struggles with good
punch on the neck and towed her toward
the wharf.
Gan you keep yourself up?' he yelled to
Burke.
Yes, but for Gods sake "a We the woman!'
yelled Burke.
shes as safe as a cat in a corner, yelled
back Hyer. The police we're there by that
time. They threw out line. to which Hyer
made her fast. Burke got himself alon gside
somehow. and was rescued in turn. They
were chilled, weary, scared and scorched
couple.
William Conroy of the dock force had sent
in the alarm. New York Central tug
was first alongside. The Sarah Smith was
sending up a column of fame which lighted
the whole water front. and the dock was
beginning to burn. The tug lassoed a
stanchion and hauled her out into mid
stream, where the freboat George B.
Mcclellan put her out" The upper wpfks
and hay were gone. but theMcClellan saved
the hull. The fire engines, responding to a
double alarm, got streams on the pier and
put out the fire there before the damage
became serious.
Capt Finkle was scorched little about
the arms and body, He was patched up at
the Roosevelt Hospital and was about
yesterday looking after the hull, This is
the fourth barge fire he has been through.
Mr.. and Mrs. Burke were treated at the
hospital for chill and few small burns.