New-York tribune., 1911-01-14
deaf MUTE CHILDREN
ESCAPE FROM FIRE
One of Them Spells Out Danger
to Superintendent on Her Fin
gers. the First Warning.
NO SUGGESTION OF PANIC
Children from Burning Instltu,
tion CHARTERED in 7th Regi-
ment Armory as Guests
of Militia.

Obcying the silent commands Of their
instructors nearly two hundred dear
mute children marched 10 the street In
safety while a fre was raging that de-
stroycd the upper floor of the Institution
for the Improved Instruction OF Dear
Mutes NJ Lexington avenue and 6sth
street last night Members OF the star
Of the institution. policemen, members OF
the 7th Regiment, whose armory Is near
bv. and several citizens carried seventy
or more Of the smaller children To the
Ctrcct.
The fire started from some unknown
cause I'm the rear of the hospital dormi-
tory on the top floor Of the five story
building soon after supper. Mrs MARY
Caldwell. who was IN charge Of the hos
ritaI. first saw the burst of flame. Fanny
Rubin. Lena Harrison and Ida Lehrer'
three little patients who were In the
ward. were carried 10 safety by Mrs.
Caldwell william Gear an employe or
the institution. who was also confined
10 the ward. managed to escape without
aid.
a citizen passing by sent In an alarm
and a sccoyd was sounded when the
flames shot through the roof Patrol
man Fitzpatrick, OF the East 9th street
station. rushed into the burning build
ing before the arrival OF the fremen. and
was overcome by smoke In attempting TO
rut out the fire. He later recovered and
carried several children to the street
from the fourth and third stories Mabel
Stone, one OF the little inmates, ran TO
the superfntendent's office when she saw
the smoke in the Railways, and flashed
the alarm from her fingers.
In silence. naturally. the fire drill sig
nal was obeyed. and most Of the chill
dren on the third and fourth floors
marched To safety before they knew
there was a fire. Some OF the larger
boys and girls helped in getting the
smaller children down from the upper
floors.
Thomas Andcrton. armorer OF the 7th
Regiment. who was on the 67th street
side OF the burning building. ran To the
fourth floor and carried children, three
AT a time, from danger. Quartermaster
Sergeant Schultz. Sergeant Fitzgerald,
Sergeant Ferguson, Sergeant Meyers and
Corporal Murphy. Of the 7.h. followed
the armorer 10 the upper floors on his
second trip and carried many little ones
10 the street
The doors Of the armory were thrown
open and the rescued children brought
In. Colonel Daniel Appleton. command
ing the regiment. gave permission for
the quartering OF all the children in the
armory and they were fed and cared for
by the commissary.
In rear Of the burned building on the
Park avenue side Is the Hahnemann
Hospital The nurses and attendants
went quietly to their fire stations and re-
assured the patients.
A number OF the children were carried
To the building Of the New York Neuro-
logical Institute, at 9th street and Lex
ington avenue, and there was consider
able nervousness among the patients.
on the East 6Sth street side Of the Deaf
Mute Institution is the Chaplin Baptist
Home for the Aged. and there the at
tendants had some difficulty In quieting
the frightened inmates.
Patromen Lay and McCaffrey. OF the
East 67th street station. and the teach
ers and supervisors rounded up the chill
dren after the fire and brought them to
the armory. While they scampered over
the big drill floor photographers using
flashlights. caused another scare, which
was soon quieted.
Deputy Chief Callahan of the Fire De-
rartment, who was in charge at the fire.
estimated the damage at $4,000 The
Lexington avenue cars were blocked for
more than an hour.