New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-18

up laccer, WIN SMOKE ana H0Hes ~
around him. to perform his duty TO the
woman IN peril was known to Mr.. John
son. and he appointed Father Mclean as
the clergyman BEST fitted for the position.
was decided while the work Jagged - run
2 bamboo tube down through narrow
crevicc and bv this means convey coffee
stimulants and liquid food. Through the
same narrow chink in the piled-up wreck
are-l was a. eve Witness-Father Smith
managed 70 make himself heard he re-
ceivod the mans confession and ne gave
dissolution. administering tho final rites ot
tho Church so far as II was possible 20 do
so Eight hours after Jack Seiferi WAS
first discovered his fellow iremen succeed
ed in getting him out Of the hole alive.
and he is up at Headquarters to-day, a de-
tailed man in tho Bureau of Repairs and
Supplies 7 may add that Father smith
a most able and interchangeable worker
never left the post Of duty from the third
alarm Of that fire until the hour that they
dragged the imprisoned fireman out Of the
cellar wreckaEe.'
The cleavage Of creeds counts FOR little
with ministers called so frequently into the
presence OF the grisly King Of Terrors.
Smith and Knapp were chums. Theological
differences were never mentioned. HUI
manitv bridged the gap. or horror and the
exigency Of time led TO the performance
OF religious functions that would have
startled the oldtime bigots. Thus al the
shirtwaist factory fire in Washington Place
the Christian prayers for the dead were
said over the body OF many Jewish girl
n was impossible 70 distinguish Jewess and
Italian. the terrible fact was there. de.
handing the instant office ~ the Church
The chaplaincies Of the Fire Department
were instituted in 1899 following the terrible
Windsor Hotel fire. which occurred on St
Patrick's Day Of that year. The Roman
Catholic chaplaincy had the one incumbent
the late Father Smith--for twelve years
but the Protestant one has been held sue
cessivelv by the Revs. James lie Baron
Johnson. Charles T. Walkley. Charles b.
Ackley and Edward NJ H. Knapp, the first
three assistant ministers Of Grace Church
and the last named assistant minister Of
the Church Of the Incarnation. Nomina-
tions are made by the heads Jf the Roman
and Protestant Episcopal dioceses and con-
frmed by the Commissioner Explaining
his duties the other day. the Rev. Mr.
Knapp said:
II go 10 all third alarm fires and ] also
cover all second alarm fires in the daytime
and at night all second alarms below 18th
street As chaplains We have nothing 90
do with the putting out Of fires nor need
we face danger our duties being purely 10
administer spiritual consolation and Chris
tfan rites 10 those sorely hurt or dis
tressed We also look after the moral and
spiritual welfare Of the men in the are
houses visiting each Of the stations at
least once a year. We see 10 the injured
fremen in the hospitals. We supervise the
fund whereby sick or disabled fremcn are
sent 10 the country 70 recuperate, we offer
help and sympathy to bereaved families.
and in emergency We are prepared TO give
Christian ministry 20 any member or the
department requiring it.
About five months ago ] started me
idea Of libraries for the hrehouses The
plan met with the warm approval of COM
missioner Waldo, and is progressing ia
yorably. We have got the New YORK PUBIC
Library to send every two months 10 each
OF the frehOuses Il fresh collection or books,
including history, fiction and light reading.
Besides these circulating volumes 1t was
also my IDEA 10 put permanent Libraries Of
/ civil service textbooks into the nfe sta
/ lions The matter was brought 10 the al
! tention Of Mrs Russell Sage, and she gen
/ erously gave $4,000 for that purpose 5he
! pays the bills, officers Of the New foih
! Public Library purchase the books ana
Father McGroucn. the Brooklyn Chaplain
/ and myself IN Manhattan, act as inc
/ librarians.
The Sage gift viii enable w. to put III