Evening star., 1908-01-12
new YORKS FEARFUL FIRE
BODY OF PHILLIPS RECOVERED
FROM THE RUINS.
Sensational Rescue of Three Men
During the Worst of the Blaze.
Crowd Applauded.

| NEW YORK. January 1.-THE body of
| Thomas F. Phillips, one of the three fire
men whose lives were snuffed out in the
burning of the thirteen-story Parker
building on 4th avenue last night, was
| recovered late today. Search for the re-
naming dead will be continued when the
| ruins cooled.
| The tall. blackened walls of the sky
scraper threaten tonight to topple into
the street, and the police have ordered
/ the tenants in the smaller buildings in
the vicinity to leave. A dozen buildings
| have been vacated
Fire broke out again tonight on the
fifth and sixth stories of the Parker build
| ing. but the flames were quickly eXtin-
guished by the fire companies. which are
| still pouring volumes of water on the
smoldering skeleton. Phillips body was
found lying among some debris near the
elevator shaft. 1t was identified by one
of his brothers, who recognized bunch
of keys found in his pocket
Kept on Working.
Battalion Chief Langford who had been
repeatedly injured earlier in the fight led
men to the rescue. Scaling ladders were
put up and the rescuers swarmed up
| them, but the imperled men were on the
fifth floor, and the scaling ladders fell
short. Men had to go down for additional
ladders. Meanwhile, Shannon was fast
losing his strength and the other two had
to hold him on the swaying sign. When
the additional ladders were secured they
also failed to reach, and it looked as If
the men could not be reached. They were
saved by Hombeutel. During all the at
tendant excitement HOmbeutel had never
let go of his firehook, and ii was this that
saved the men. The hook. just long
enough to reach to where one of the res
cuers hung to the scaling ladder.
was lowered to the man on the lad
der, and the three men slid down it to the
ladders and so down to the ground. After
they had been patched up by hospital
surgeon they went back to work.
Search for the Dead.
With the coming of daylight large
crowd began to gather.
At one time during the early morning
the police estimated that there were 30.-
900 persons around the fire lines. About
IL o'clock this morning the flames had
been SO far subdued that the work of
searching for the missing men was be-
gun.
W men capt. oG00Sdn and his men got
into the building they found that all the
lower floors were partially gone, and came
to the conclusion that if the bodies of
Fallon. Phillips and O'Connor We're to be
found it would probably be in the cellar.
1t was too hot to search the cellar. how
ever and the men gave il up. CrOogan
discovered that a ledge of the third floor
was still standing. and the three men
cured scaling ladders. and after an hours
work in the smoke succeeded in getting
10 floor. (>rOOpa "a
the legs of man protruding through
heap of debris, and finally uncovered the
body. 1t was that of Phillips. He was
| dead and the body badly burned.
In addition to the three firemen lost
| in the building it was found today that
| in all probability Robert Boyer, one
of the men employed in the establish
ment of the Suffolk Engraving Company
| on the fifth floor. who had gone to the
roof with five others. was dead in the
ruins also. Boyer failed to return home
| today, and the other men rescued by the
| rome from the roof of the Florence
| House said today that he he had not
| come with them, and the fremen now
believe that his body will be found in
| the building.
Sensational Rescue.
One of the most spectacular incidents
| OF the fire happened in the early morn
| ing just before dawn. Capt Shannon
| of engine company 3. with Firemen
Brady and Hombeutel. went to the sixth
floor hoping to be able TO fight the fire
at close quarters.
| Suddenly. and without warning. sheet
| of flames shot up in the rear of the men.
| Without delay they ran to the seventh
| floor bu. the flames were as quick, and
| three men found themselves shut off. with
| no escape. Shannon led the way to
window so that they could breathe The
| great noise in the street below drowned
| out any efforts to make themselves heard,
| and all the time the flames kept creeping
| nearer the men.
| Shannon saw steel wire sign two
| stories below. which was turned uD so
| that it looked like a net spread below
| them.
| Boys we can't stand here longer"
| said Shannon. land I'm going to jump
| for the sign. Its our only chance. You
| fellows wait and If | come out all right
| follow but III the sign don't hold why
| / guess Its goodbye.
/ Shannon didn't wait for further words
| but jumped out. He landed squarely on
/ the sign. which swayed back and forth
/ seemingly in midair. while those i'm the
| street gulped and shouted encourage
| ment.