The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1909-02-15
Rushed in to Warn Firemen,
Caught With -Four Others
Under Falling Wall.
ANOTHER MAN DYING.
Victims Of Williamsburg Oil
Blaze Dragged by Comrades
From Under Debris.

Michael Graham. Battalion Chief OF
the Fire Department. who lost his lie
trying TO save a company Of his men
who were imperilled by a tottering
wall. died At 10 o'clock to-day in the
Eastern District Hospital His two
sisters and his brother, and Fathers
McGronen and Handel, fire chapains
and Father Farrell. OF the Church OF
St. Peter and ST. Paul, were with him
at the end.
Jus, before his life passed, the Chie.
opened his eyes and said to Father
McGronen:
TITS all right, Father. IT'S all right"
Deputy Chic. Lally and Battalion
Chief Burns. investigating the manner
Of Chief Grahams death. found that
when the walls OF the Pratt OIL Works
building at North Twelfth street and
the East River. which caught fire In
the early morning, began to buckle
Chief Graham sent a man In to tell the
men OF Hook and Ladder Company No.
IS to get out. The messenger did not
return, the men did not come out, Chief
Graham went In himself, and the wall
fell Just as he was within reach Of the
men. His back was broken and both
his legs were crushed.
Heard the Walls Crack.
Charles Hildebrsnd. one Of the men
OF Company No. IS. said that he saw
Chief Graham's face appear through
the smoke, heard him cry: Get out
of here. you men and hurry" and then
heard the wall crack
Hildebrand said that he owed his own
life to the instinct which led him to
jump toward the falling wall instead
Of away from Il. He pulled his helmet
down over his ears and the falling
bricks and plaster buried him to the
hips He bought his leg was broken
but succeeded in moving 1t. Then he
remembered the fireman who was buried
under the debris of the Pearl street fire
four years ago and was rescued twenty
four hours later and made up his mind
that he had chance for life, He was
unconscious when he was rescued,
All the men were caught under fall
ing wall, which collapsed without warn
ing. For time they were buried under
t!mbers, and they would have been
roasted alive had not their companions
deserted their hose and gone to their
rescue. The men worked as they have
never worked bofere. one by one the
unconscious men were drawn forth and
hurried to the hospital. Then the fire.
men, many OF them with hands Bills
tered and burned, returned to the hose.
which had been left to curl and snake
and squirt water at will.
When the fire started the wind was
from the northeast, and the flames
began leaping In the direction Of sew.
eral manufacturing concerns and tene.
ment-houses In, the neighborhood. Rain
was falling, and the smoke came down
like blanket over the fremen. So
dense was the smoke that the men
could come close to the burning build
ing only in relays.
Big Tanks Threatened.
Then as the fire gathered the wind
shifted due east. and the flames were
famed out over the river. The big
Standard Oil tanks. containing millions
OF gallons OF OIL and which extend over
a radius OF mile and a quarter. were
Ordered drained. The oil was sent into
subterransan pipes leading to the com.
pany's tanks In BlIssvllle and Long Isl.
and City.
The tanks OF the Brooklyn Gas Com.
pany we're also dangerously near and
they were ordered drained, The gas
was quickly sent through buried pipes
to tanks in other parts of the city.
Battalion Chief Graham and the four
other fIremen buried In the collapse OF
the walls, were lost In smoke as they
came close to the fire with the hose.
They could not see the walls as they
hogan to shiver and then wObbe,
Deputy Chief Lally arrived in answer
70 the third alarm. Standing on one
aide o. the walls Lally could see tina,
they were about to fall. lie yelled, bu.
his yells could not be heard above the