Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-25
Sensational Performance at a
New York Fire.
ELEMENTS OF MELODRAMA
Played Pitch and Toss With the
Baby.
POLICEMEN WERE ATHLETES
Swung Their Human Burdens Over
an Alleyway With Three
Story Drop Beneath.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK. March pa crowded
Bowery saw two young policemen. neither
of whom yet wears a service stripe save
family of four in n sensational manner
at a fire which broke out just before ;
O'Clock this morning. First a baby, then
woman. and after her two men were
passed from the roof Of one house across
four-foot gap by a policeman TO a
comrade who stood braced in a window
Of an adjoining building, from which he
lifted the four to the balcony OF fire
escape. From the fire escape they We're
sa fely led down to the street level amid
the cheers of the throng.
The fire scene covered two thrce-sto
brick buildings of ancient type at 1873 and
135 Bowery. North ard south of these
buildings lowered more modern struc-
lures. their roofs SO high up that the
fire-bound persons were unable to scale
them. They were also unable to escape
by way of the stairs. The fire hemmed
them in front and rear and roared away
below them.
On the top floor of 1875 lived Jacob
Chaikowsky. a photographer: his wife.
Sophia: his baby son. Joseph. twenty
months old. and his wife's brother. Hy-
man Weissfeldt.
Policemen Dennis f. Reilly and Francis
F. Smith kicked in the door leading into
1873 Bowery. They encountered several
tenants on their way out.
Caught in a Trap.
The members of the Chaikowsky fam
lily made for the roof. and they found
that they were shut in by high brick
walls When they turned to retreat the
fire had seized hold of the staircasing
in the building. They ran about search
ing for some way out and then gathered
toge Their in a shivering, terrified group
at one end Of the roof.
The crowd saw plainly the two men
and the woman holding the baby standing
in little knot on the roof Then 1t saw
Policeman Smith. closely followed by
Reilly. cross on cornice over the ground
floor to 131. where an iron bar Jutting
frcm the building and supporting sign
enabled Smith and Reilly to pull them
selves up to the fire escape. They climbed
the ladder to the third floor. The fire
escape did not extend all the way across
the face of the building. for there was
an end window which it did not cover
bu. Smith climbed from the balcony to
this window. and from that. with Reilly's
help. swung himself to the roof of 49,
TWO feet up and four across. There he
Quoted the Chaikowskys who grew more
calm when they saw the blue and brass
OF police uniform mysteriously ap-
pearing over the edge Of the roof.
Cheered by the Crowd.
Reilly had kicked out the panes of the
window in order that he might find bet
ter footing. and after bracing himself
he extended his arms to take the bur
dens as Smith passed them. The baby
was rescued first. swung like a pendu-
lum. and lilly placed 1t on the fire es-
cape with little trouble. The woman was
next taken care Of and the men followed
with the sa me handling.
When all four were safe on the balcony
Of the fire escape the drop ladder was
lowered by one of the policemen and
thev were taken down. while the crowd
cheered. Property loss by the fire was
only a few thousand dollars.