The evening world., 1911-06-30
lAHEARN'S HER0|SM
DCREATES OBSTACLE
! TO HIS PROMOTION
Deputy Fire Chief in Trying
d to Rescue Child Was Ter
81 ribly Burned. -
Nm HOSPITAL 10 MONTHS.
His Hearing So Impaired He
Cannot Enter Competitive
Examination for Chief.
I'm HOSPITAL 10 MONTHS
An act Of heroi.m prevent, rhom.,

An act OF heroism prevents Thoms.
y. Ahearn, . Deputy Fire Chief. from
Eligibility for promotion to the chief
1phip of the Fire Department to succeed
Former Chief Edward Croker. The fac
was called to the attention Of Mayol
Gaynor to-day by President Jamei
|Creelman OF the Municipal Civil Ser
vice Commission. Mr.. Creelman wrote
Dear Mr.. Mayor:
Acting upon reports OF medical
experts this Commission has been
compelled to refuse to permit Mr..
Thomas J. Ahearn. a Deputy Fire
CHIEF. to participate as a candidate
In the forthcoming promotion exam
ination for Fire Chief OF the city.
on the ground that his powers of
hearing are too much impaired to
make II possible for him to per-
form all the duties OF that ex-
tremely important position.
As Mr.. Ahearn's disability. which
90 deprives him of a chance to full
NIL his legitimate ambition, was
partly incurred through a heroic
deed done in the service Of the city,
! feel II proper to call your atten-
ton to the case. On April 3. 1894.
Mr.. Ahearn. then a chief OF battalion
In the Fire Department. was pres
ent In h regular performance OF his
duty at a fire in the ground floor
fiat at No. 20 Rivington street at
midnight. He was informed that a
child was cut Off In a back room in
the burning part Of the building.
cRAWLED THROUGH FIRE
AND SMOKE TO SAVE.
without q moments hesitation he
began to crawl on his hands and
knees through the fire and smoke to
the room where the child was said
to be: but when he got to the room
he found that there was no child
there. BY that time II was impossi-
BILE for him to get back to the street
by h way In which he came. He
was overcome by the smoke. but
managed to struggle TO his feet and
tried to kick down the door leading
TO the hallway. He was overcome
= second time.
When the fremen reached him
they found his foot sticking through
the hole he had made In the door.
His head had been roasted by the
flames and his helmet was COM
pletely burned except the metal
Darts. For thirteen months Mr..
Ahearn was in the hospital as . re-
suit Of his frightrul injuries. and
during SIX months OF that time he
was irrational.
h permanent result OF Mr..
Ahearn's brave act was the aggrava-
ton OF a slight defect In his ability
to hear. One OF his ears was almost
burned off. Medical evidence shows
that but for the sacrifice made by
him on that night for the sake of the
life Of a little child he would now be
competent to take part in the pro-
motion examination for Fire Chief.
1t seems to me-and my fellow
Commissioners join in the SUCCESS
tion-that this Is a proper case
and a proper time for the city to do
something to recognize Mr.. Ahearn's
heroism. and to partly compensate
him for the loss he suffers in being
shut out of tho examination for Fire
Chief.
Sincerely yours.
James Creelman.
Mayor Gaynor wered as follows
SIR:
/ am in receipt OF your letter with
regard to the disability of Deputy
Fire Chief Ahearn, the result OF in
1uries received by him In the heroic
performance of his duties. and
which now excludes him from com
peting for the place of Fire Chiet
OF the city. / agree with you that
his case Is one which should receive
special consideration. and am re-
ferring your letter to the head or
thA Fire Department.
Very truly yours,
w. j. GAYNOR.
Because OF the unusual features
the case, DR.. Warbasse, the medical e'
aminer of the Civil Service Commits
sion, after examining Deputy AhearI
consulted with DR.. Richard Jordan {
No. 1876 West Fi~fty-seventh street. an
DIR. z. b. Demon Of No. 10 Cast FIT,
third street. They %concurred with ID
warbasse that the hearing OF Deput
Ahsarn was sufficiently defective
embarrass decidedly his physical Ell
ciency."
While Deputy Chief Ahearn will m
participate In the promotion examine
ton, he will be permitted, proba bly,,
retire on full pay.