The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-04-19
FIREMEN LOSE LIVES
IN NEW HAVEN JAIL BLAZE
Three Others Are Saved by OAR
ing Work of Their Comrades.
TROOPS GUARD THE PRISONERS
All Are Returned to Their Cells at
Night in Undamaged Part Of the
Building--Many Firemen Were
FearfuIIy Burned.

BuIlClng--Nlany rlFe1Icu WCAO
Fearfully Burned.
New Haven, Conn.-Trapped by
metal doors and barred windows, six
firemen who were fighting flames in a
workshop were caught by a back
draft and burned to death during the
partial destruction of the New Haven
County Jail. Three of their comrades
were saved through the heroism of
other firemen outside. The bodies of
the six men were found late after the
ruins cooled. Many other fremen
were fearfully burned, but remained
at work.
The dead are: Captain G. L. Chap
man, of Truck No. 1; Lieutenant
William j. Doherty, of Truck No. /;
Ladderman John Buckley, of Truck
No. L; Hoseman James T. Cullen,
James Mortell and Thomas J. Nc
Grath, of Engine Company No. A..
The seriously hurt: Laddermen A. e.
Wilcox and Thomas j. Waugh, of
Truck No. 1, and Hoseman John E.
Hussey, Captain Charles H. O'Neill,
Of Engine Company No. 4 and Cor
nelius Shugrue, ladderman of Truck
No. 1.
six men from Truck No. 1 were
fighting their way through the cell
room of the Jail into the workshop
when an explosion of gasoline tank
caused a back draft and slammed
behind them the iron doors separat-
ing the two buildings. Three of the
men we're hemmed in corner and
burned to death, while the other
three made their way to a barred
window, to which they chung, with
streams of water playing on them
from the outside. Soon after reach
ing the window the roof fell in, and
ladders we're put up from the outside
and down the inside and the men
taken out. The other dead firemen
were caught by the same back draft
as they were working at the other end
of the building and carried down by
the roof when it fell in.
Shugrue, who was found lying at
the foot of the wall of the workshop.
told how Doherty, Cullen and Mortell
met their death. When they found
themselves hemmed in by the closing
of the door they made for the cellar
in search of air. The flames already
licking their clothing, they reached
the cellar, and searched for a place
to get out, but there was none. IS
up to the roof, boys" said one of the
men, and the four crawled up the
stairs again. By this time the build
ing was a mass of flames. Shugrue
was the first to reach the roof, and
holding his head in his coat, reached
down to Lieutenant Doherty to pull
him up to the roof He got hold OF
the Lieutenant's wrist. but the others
exhausted by their efforts to reach
the upper stories, were unable to
help, and Shugrue held on as long as
he could and then let go, Doherty
dropping into the flames The two
others he could not see. Shugrue
crawled to the edge of the roof anc
jumped. landing at the foot of the
building, where he was found two
hours later.
Waugh, who was caught in the
building, was rescued by James
Cronogue, who crawled into thu
building, put his helmet over Waugh:
face and pulled him out.
The fire was discovered by a pris
oner, and the IT'S men in the work
shop were sent to their cells Wher
it was seen that there was danger O
the fire spreading to the main build
ing the 246 male and forty-two fe
male inmates we're taken to the pc
lice stations and the Foot Guard Ar
mory. Under authority of Governo
Weeks, three companies of the Sec
ond, Regiment, Connecticut Nationa
Guard, took charge of the Jail grounds
and patrolled the surrounding streets
The prisoners, under military es
cort, were returned to the jail. TIL,
buildings destroyed were two three
story brick workshops and severa
adjoining sheds and two DWELLING
houses in Hudson street.