The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-25
PRIEST UP A FIRE LADDER
HELPS StTE WOMAN FROM
ROARING TENEMENT.
Edward shaskey Daes TrStng 60 neach EsIs
Family-FHremen Rescue children ny
Crawling Through FIame Many Hurt
An From q Plumber'S Torch.

Fsmlly-Faremen Rescue children by
Crawling Through FIame-Many Hurt
An From . PIuWSer's Torch.
One man was burned to death. another
man and two women were severely in
jured and several women and children
were overcome by smoke when a fire
which started from a plumbers torch
swept through an old fashioned five
story tenement house at $50 East Ninety
first street a little after noon yesterday.
Twenty families lost everything. The
flames spread to the house adjoining on
the east and burned out the upper floors.
The plumber who upset his torch in a
first fOoT kitchen at $50 was Philip silver
man. Trying to avert a catastrophe he
made one certain by kicking the blazing
torch into the hall. II landed under the
stairs aud set them on fire at once. He
tried To beat out the flames. hut they were
quicker than he After being severely
burned he stumbled out Of the house and
was taken to Bellevue Hospital.
Pulled upward by the draught through
the ventilating hole in the roof. the fire
reached the upper floors before slovenian
gave up fighting 10. When iremen came
from block away il was shooting out at
the roof. had mushroomed at the top floor
and was eating into the adjoining house.
The front fire escapes were crowded
with women and children. While FIRE
men helped Theses down the men Of Truck
10 ran up an extension ladder. Firemen
Hamburger. BontZ and sullivan jumped
for the post of honor. Hamburger won
II and the danger that went with II. AZ
the third floor he heard some one calling.
and pushing his way through the murk
he found Mrs. Dora SteiRer lying across
a trunk in the rear fat. He carried her
to his companions AZ the window. who
passed her down the ladder. In addition
TO being unconscious from smoke she was
badly cut and bruised from falling ~ she
CROPPED her way She was taken Co the
Presbyterian Hospital.
Again the firemen heard faint cries.
Hamburger duCksd under the smoke and
crawled along the floor and hall To the
rear apartment There the smoke.
thicker than ever. was shot through with
a red glare that told its own story.
A. Hamburger hesitated for q moment
he heard the cries again-very faint this
time lie got a chestful 81 half clear
air close to the floor and crawled on
in the darkness Soon his hands struck
the side Of a bed Reaching underneath.
Hamburger found five children. He got
hold Of two % them and started back.
trying not TO breathe and shielding the
children's faces IN his coat. A wisp 81
fame struck his face and he gasped
His hair and eyebrows were singed and
in that effort 10 get a breath he inhaled
a mite Of fame. He struggled on and fell
unconscious near the fire escape.
sullivan and Bontz heard Hamburger
fall and drew him and the two children
out TO the fire escape A they passed
the children down the ladder Hamburger
revived His burned tongue made speech
difficult. but the other men made out
that ne was saying more children in
side 80 sullivan and Bontz travelled
the same perilous route that Hamburger
had fOllowed-monc perllouE now. for the
fire was nearer But they made IL and
dragged out the three remaining children.
by this time the men Of Engine 80
were trying TO drown the fire from the
roof and the stairs They made quick
work ~ IL and ON reaching the fourth
hoor found the mother of the children
rescued hy Hamburger and his com
panions lying unconscious and cut N
a room next to the one in which the chill
dren were found. Apparently she had
reached a window and going then back
for her children had lost her way
The woman was Mrs. Bslle SEarkey
She seemed 20 h. dying when the men
As they supported her on the fire escape. /,
the Rev Father Mc6iean II IN" Church |
Of Our Lady Of Good Counsel IN last |
Ninet iesh street who had been passing |
and had heen told that the woman was I
dying, climbed the extension ladder to 4
administer the last rites Father Mclean |.
weighs more than 2OO pounds. After I.
has Office ne helpcd carry /
Mrs Sharkey to the street she was /
taken TO the Presbyterian Hospital. !
The doctors thought she would get well
With Mrs Sharkey went her daughter /.
Edith, years old. who had heen over I
come by smoke while crOuchlng under the .
bod with the others and an infant ShaTEey. !
Firemsn az work on the stairs stumbled !
over the body - a man. IL was that OF /
Sharkey, Mrs. Sharkey's hur- |
band who worked IN the Fast River |
Lumber COmpany'- yards at the foot 81
last Ninety SECOND street.
In - believed that Sharksy returned ]
home 20 find the house on fire and that /
he died while trying TO force his way up /
the burning stairs 20 reach his family.
When the fire spread To 352 u invaded |
the rooms Of Mrs Annie Hermes and her |
eleven -year-old daughter Jenny. Mrs. |
Hermes IN an invalid and her daughter /
" asted precious minutes in trying to I
dress her They were overc ONE by F,
smoke. hut were found by Peter Stem |
wall. who lived on their floor. and dragged !
20 rho roof
Mrs Julia Tarr. who lived across an |
airshaft from Mrs Hermes. cut her hands I
in breaking a window IN an effort to warn !
her invalid neighbor Mrs. Ethel Yu- |
bari was BADLY burned and went TO the |
hospital Several others were slightly /
hurt IN escaping from the two HOUSES.
When the firefnen were cleaning up
they stumbled on a bIg heap Of excelsior |
IN the cellar Of the house az 352 What |
they said vas TO the point.
GtILET TESTIFTFS FOR WIFE.