Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-27

the sidewalk cellar doors. The burst
OF smoke almost overcame the officers
who accomplished the feat. Into the
face of the torrent of smoke the firemen
of No. forced the hose. Down into the
cellar they went, falling from the ladder
in their mad dash.
Breathe Through Sponees
Soaked sponges were tied about their
mouths so that they could breathe. The
smoke, an enemy they could not fight
back at, filed their eyes until the eye
balls stood out from the sockets and the
skin of the face puckered and wrinkled
and great salt tears lined each crack
and crevice But they were used to
that, those boys. They were known as
No. 9; their names never appeared In
print unless they were killed.
Twice the members of that company
were dragged from the smoke oppressed
basement then sent back in again "
begin the work all over
In the upper floors the smoke was
playing havoc. Men and women rushed
about blindly, humping into one another
in the thick darkness with startled
shrieks, sucking great gasps. of the
smoke into their lungs with each shrek
ing breath. Some CROPPED along the
walls, some crept along the floors to the
guided by the shouts reached the front
windows of the building, and coached
by the crowd got out onto the fire
escapes and came down.
Boy Saves Old Man
An old man. pitifully helpless, stood
in the window of the sixth floor of
the building and gazed quietly down
on the crowds below and the
swirling smoke and the throbbng
engines. The fire escape was near him,
but he toyed with his cane as helpless
as a man may be who has not the use of
his limbs. A young man appeared at
the window behind him. He looked to-
ward the fire escape, then upon the old
mans helplessness, and then he caught
him in his arms and jumped He
alighted on the topmost platform of the
fire escape. He got beneath the old man
and caught him by the arms and pulled
him across his shoulders, and the boy
and the man came slowly down the
ladder, the boy staggering at each step
until he reached window below the
smoke line, and he and his burden dis
appeared within to safety.
John G. Brubaker, a mining broker,
was caught in the swirl of smoke and
overcome. He weighs fully 300 pounds
and is a cripple, and after a frantic
eIlOrl 10 escape ne Iell TO tne HOOf ana
was later. discovered by firemen. At
that time the broker was out of mis-
head and was moaning that he would
cut his throat rather than be burned
alive. He was carried to the roof of the
building and swung by rope onto the
Newberry building adjoining and thence
to safety.
Newspaper Man Finds Woman
e. o. Sawyer, newspaper man hurry
through the corridors of the top floor of
the building, came across the uncon-
scious form of Miss Stewart. The
woman was lying across the threshold
of the Germain real estate Office. She
had evidently remained in the room as
long as possible until frightened by the
shrieks of those in the halls, and dazed
by the clouds of smoke she had at
tempted to escape through the door.
The sudden rush of smoke had blinded
her and the consequent fright brought
on the fainting spell that left her an
easy victim to the smoke Sawyer, upon
stumbling over the body, dragged 1t to
the first men at the fire. He crowled
out on the fire escape and shouted for
help. Drs. Bonynge and Freedman