The Washington herald., 1907-01-08

;.
hours under hundreds Of tons of smoking
debris. in the lower floor of the big paper
warehouse, 81 Roosevelt street unable
almost TO breathe as the result Of the
smudge of smoke that came from smol-
dering paper and cotton. and ever threat
ened with death by drowning from the
tons of water poured by his comrades
into the building 10 smother out the
flames. Fireman John Seufert. Of engine
company No. %. one of three caught"
last night was restored as from the dead
late tonight. and is in the hospital. where
II is declared he has a good chance 10 re-
cover.
It was a rescue unique in the annals of
the New York fire department filled as
they are with tales of heroism and dis
aster. and small wonder that firemen and
citizens alike were crying with JOY as
one OF tJe men for whose bodies an all
day search has been going on was carried
out Of the ruins on a stretcher and taken
in the waiting ambulance to the hospital
anu not TO the mOrgue
Il was nearly twenty hours after the
three men had disappeared with the sink
ing roof and upper floors. when a faint
tapping told the searchers after bodies
that one of the men was probably alive.
Tremendous activity by the firemen fol-
lowed. In less than an hour the fact that
Seufert really was alive and probably
could be rescued was determined.
Soon stimulants were given 10 him;
absolution by a priest followed. At mid
night the firemen said that Seufert would
be rescued in from two to three hours.
At $50 o'clock tonight, when the fire
men were digging out the ruins, they
heard a mufied tapping
My Lord" shouted one OF hremen.
zone OF them IS alive."
Can Scarcely Relieve 1t.
At that time there were about thirty
men working on the ruins. They had
been Juggling out the damp paper and the
timbers since midnight on Sunday, hav-
ing begun their work before the fire was
out Of the wrecked building. They had
found the body of one of the lost hremen
Thomas Lennon. wedged under tons of
paper, on the third floor Of tie six-story
building. and TO them it was incredible
that anybody could have been carried
down in the crash and be alive. under
the immense mass. almost twenty-four
hours later.
Deputy Chief Binns. who had been
experimenting the search for the bodies
all day, hearing the shout of the fremen.
hurried to the place where the tapping
was heard and shouted at the top Of his
voice: Is that you. jack" An indis-
tinct response came 10 the call from the
deputy, and another, q second later when
the deputy chief repeated the call, ex-
cept that ne wanted 10 know whether it
was Dan" instead of Jack"
Jack" was John J. c. SeUfeTt of 297
President street, Brooklyn, and Dan"
was his feliOw-freman in Engine Com
pany - Daniel J. Campbell, of S32 East
Nineteenth street
The deputy chief figured that there must
BE- at least two floors and the roof of the
building on top Of the two missing FIRE
men. as they had been on the third floor
when il gave way and carried everything
from the roof down with IT,
Clear Away the Rubbish.
There was fifteen minutes of tremendous
work, during which none of the men
spoke a word. before another effort was
made to get into communication with the
voice. When the deputy chief ordered the
workers TO let up they were streaming
with perspiration. A large amount Of the
rubbish had been removed over the spot
where the voice had sounded.
as that you Jack?" called the deputy
chief again, and this time the answer came
back strongly. Yes" There was practical
ly no doubt then that the imprisoned man
was Seufert The deputy chief tried once
or twice to find out whether the man
was injured, but had no success Then he
called, with his mouth close down TO the
pile of debris:
rs Dan with y0u?"
No" was the answer
DIT. BeeuwkeS brought from the Hudson
Hospital in his white uniform stood in
the middle OF a group of workers, nerv-
ously lingering a long rubber tube Every
now and then he would lean over anX-
iously and put his ear 10 what seemed
10 be nothing but a heap of debris. There
was hole somewhere, however. and fire
men and Iaborers We're clawing at the
sides of the hole, dragging away soaked
wads of paper and things
Getting Near the Prisoner.
The prisoners voice became more dis
tinct. The doctors got up closer and
scraped away some stuff that had soaked
into the floor
You're over me now" said the voice
inside. 1ndC Was enough. Everything
stopped and there was a brief cOnsulta-
ton. It was difficult TO cut away the
floor This was done, however. and soon
a hole-not a very big hole, but big big
enough for the puTpose-was made in the
floor.
Near by was Fireman F. ". Deisseroth.
driver for Deputy Chief Binns who had
been carrying on desultOry conversation
with Seusert He threw himself on his
stomach and stuck his mouth to the hole
How do you feel, Jack?'' he asked
"Ali right" he answered. TN a little
cold. that's all. How's my wife,"
Fine said Deisseroth cheerfGIIy.
she is not around here. She is at the
home OF your friend. Harry Mills. There s
nothing the matter with her, Jack I've
talked to her over the phone, and she
knows you're all right. And you are all
right, amt you?"
sure. said Jack, in a voice clear
enough
What can I do for you?" Deisseroth
continued.
I'D like TO have a high ball of whisky, 50
said the prisoner.
You'll have it if we can get to you, %
replied Deisseroth confidently.
DR.. Beeuwkes was all ready. There was
n can Of oxygen ready. but Seufert had
Confined on THIRD PAGE