Evening star., 1909-06-30
BRAVE DEEDS AT FIRE
Thrilling Rescues Made by
Police and Firemen.
SAVED BY HUMAN LADDER
Five Persons Cross Gap Spanned by
Policeman's Body.
NEW YORK ITALIANS IN PANIC
Fought With Each Other to Escape
From Tenement That Was
Not on Fire.
SAVED BY HUMAN LADDER
NEW YORK ITALIANS IN PANIC
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
YONKERS, n. V. June 30.-Thrilling
rescues were made by fremen and police
ct fire in the three-story tenement at
Ill and 11I New Main street at 3 o'clock
this morning. Twelve families were
driven out of bed to make dash for
their lives Policemen Walter Van Meter,
who threw himself across alleyway
between 113 and 115 New Main street,
saved the family of Mark Mahoney, and
won first honors.
Frank O'Neill darted through the
flames and his hair was burned off his
head. He grabbed Mrs. Mahoney and led
her to the rear, where he climbed down
the fire escape with her. In attempting to
dodge a sudden tongue of flame. he lean
ed backward while descending and the
weight of the woman caused him to lose
his balance. Both fell two stories. TO the
roof of an extension in the rear of the
house Mrs Mahoney was saved from
injury by falling on -O'Neill. He was re-
moved no ST. Joseph Hospital, where four
stitches were placed in his scalp.
Crowd Applauds Bravery.
Fire Lieutenant Ward Fitzpatrick car
ried Mrs. John Mccormick down seal
ing ladder from the top floor of No. Ill,
before thousand people who were ap-
plauding his bravery. The flames were
shooting from windows all about him.
Mrs. Mccormick had appeared at the
window with her baby in her arms She
was about to throw the baby to the
ground below. Fitzpatrick saw her and
yelled. Placing the ladder at her win
dow, he climbed up and carried both to
safety.
Fireman John McPhillips, in rushing
through the building. which was literally
a firebox, was twice overcome by the
smoke. When Policeman Van Meter
threw himself across the alleyway, his
feet caught in one of the fire escapes
and holding TO another with his hands
he formed the span of life. and five per
koast walked across his body.
The firemen had the fire under control
at $50 o'clock.
Italians in q Panic.
NEW YORK. June 3O.-For thirty min
Ates this morning members of twenty
four Italian families, totalins fully $50
persons, fought each other to get out of
the six-story tenement at 225 East 151st
i
come panic-stricken following the cry of
"Fire!' and every one tried to bring his
possessions with him. Some one fired off
pistol from a window, and that spread
an idea that the revolvers of the men
would explode If the blaze came too near,
so there was a regular bombardment un-
til all the weapons were empted.
After the baggage went out via win
dows, the block in the Railways having
proved impossible to force il was dis
covered that the. fire was not in the
tenement al all, but in feed store sew
eral doors away. After the ground had
been Uttered with household possessions
and many persons had been trampled in
the Railways the Italians began TO gather
up what they had thrown out and carry
IL back in again While their stampede
was on the police reserves of the Nor
sisania precinct were on hand and work
ed as best they could in the jam
Whole Family Unconscious.
Other tenements We're also given over to
panic. On the top floor of 30 East 13lst
street Policeman O'Brien found a whole
family unconscious. having been over
come with smoke from the fire He drag
Ged Pitro Jumbo, his wife Della and two
nephews. Tony and Luigi to the fire es-
cape from which firemen of engine COM
pany - rescued them.
little later. after searching the ad-
lbiuIiiS ttnsH1tHtS. inS UTGfltHn found five
horses in stable at the rear 10 which
tic fire was spreading. They Slashed the
halters. and the horses as soon as they
had been cut free. dashed into the crowd
or spectators, sending them scurrying in
all directions and giving many persocs
narrow escapes from being trampled
Boy Roasted in Factory Fire.
NEWARK. n. j., June so fire of
mysterious origin early this morning al
most totally destroyed the plant of the
Meadow Pasteboard and Pox Company
on Blanchard street. John kueber a
sixteen-year-o boy who was employed
in the factory. lost his life in the flames
and another empioye. William Mannian.
seventeen years old. was severely burned.
The factory loss is estimated at about
S5nG0
George Kueber. brother of the Young
nan who was roasted alive is locked IN
~ police headquarters here. under suspi-
Cion of having set fire to the factory He
was only recently released from the Ell
mira reformatory.
There were about twenty or twenty-five
men and boys engaged in the plant at the
time and all of them scarcely had time
TO make their escape. Some of them
saved their street clothes. others came
from the burning structure with their
clothing ablaZe.
Unable to Save Companion.
William Manning, who worked with
kueber. was one of the last 10 leave the
building. 1t was he who informed his
fellow employees, the firemen and the DO
lice about kueber being left behind
Il was down in the pit, in the middle
OF the first floor where the paper was
coming from the machine Manning said
Il was throwing the paper to the floor
where kueber was standing | saw the
flames and jumping out of the pit took
kueber by the arm and We started to
run, when he tripped and fell. / picked
him up. The smoke in the mill was get :
ting very thick and we started to run
again. when kueber fel a second time.
He laid on the floor. crying, Oh mamma
/ could not go back to him. as the
flames had already cut of my only means
of escape, and flame shot along the
floor between where kueber Law and
where l was standing"
San Francisco Block Burns.
SAN FRANCISCO. June 3o-A fire that
broke out last midnight destroyed a
block of eighteen buildings in the midst
of the new mission business district of
this city
The property loss is c0nservatively es-
timated at $1o0,000