Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-30
REscuEs TWO FROM DEATH.
Everett Butler, Of Scranton, Receiving
Praise for Heroic Decd.

l SPECTRAL 10 IIIlES.h GpuUlICoIl
| Scranton, Jan. 30-Everett Butler is
the hero of Scranton people, who are
unanimous I'M praising his brave act
yesterday, In rescuing Charles Good
year and Vernon Dyer from impending
death on the top OF the city water tow
err, 10 feet from the ground, where
they had climbed In an effort to pre-
vent fire from destroying the water
works reservoir. They had shouted
frantically for aid for several min
utes, being almost suffocated by the
smoke and overcome by the cold. Ten
minutes after Butler had rescued the
men and returned to the ground, his
face badly burned and almost pros
trated from the cold and smoke, the
tower collapsed.
Against the supplication OF friends
and relatives, Butler made his third as
cent OF the tower in the face of DEATH
The ladder reaching the entrapped men
was enveloped in smoke and flames,
and 1t was recognized that the struc-
ture would collapse at almost any mo-
ment. the flames having been slowly
burning away the framework. Added
to these dangers was the intense cold,
the thermometer standing / degree
above zero ana fierce northwest blast
adding to the peril.
The fire was discovered by Mayor
Quinn and 1t, was soon ascertained that
bonfire started by the engineer to
prevent the water tank freezing had
spread to the framework OF the tower.
When the volunteer fire department ar
| rived, it was found that the water
pressure was insufficient to reach the
blaze 40 feet above ground. Only
smoke was emerging, but it was real
lied that the tank would soon be de-
stroyed and the only possible way Of
quenching the flames was to get water
into the casing from the top OF the
tower.
Everett Butler, Charles Goodyear and
Vernon Dyer assembled with the hose
and piece Of rope to tie the nozzle to
the top Of the tower. Goodyear and
Dyer remained at the top to see that
everything went all right. while Butler
returned to the ground to turn on the
water. Then Dyer and Goodyear dis
covered that they had been benumbed
by the cold and could not make the
descent Butler went up again to help
them, but could do nothing without 4
long rope. He called for rope, but
no one had the nerve to bring it to
him. He finally descended to the ground
again.
Meanwhile the landing on which
Dyer and Goodyear were standing
caught fire, and the flames drove them
to the farthest corner. Butler was soon
prepared to make the ascent again, al
tho smoke and flames enveloped the
ladder about 100 feet from the ground.
He was soon lost to view In the smoke
and the crowd was speeches. for sew
eral moments. Finally Goodyear APP
! peared below the smoke, slowly de-
scending the ladder, the rope being tied
around his waist and averting the dan
ger Of his falling from a misstep or
because of his benumbed fingers los
ing their hold on the rounds of the lad
der.
AS soon as he reached the ground
Butler pulled the rope back and low
cred Dyer in similar manner.
Then he descended himself. He urg-
ed the crowd to get away from the
tower. as ne realized it would collapse
in a few minutes. Less than ten min
utes later the standpipe tumbled to the
ground.