The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-01-18
HEROINE OF FIRE
NEARLY LOSES LIFE

NEW YORK Special Flames
swept upward so swiftly from the
cellar OF the three-story building at
Park Avenue and One Hundred and
| Twenty Street Sunday night
| that eleven women and children i'm
rooms on the top floor became ter
| ror-strlcken as they sought to save
themselves. The burden of escape fell
on Mrs. Mary McCabe. the oldest OF
ed to her for guidance. They and
three other persons were saved
through the heroic efforts of Mrs
McCabe, but at the last she became
hysterical and. failing 10 do for her
self what she had done for Others
nearly lost her life.
The building occupies the premises
AT 1860 Park Avenue, and on the first
iloor is the grocery store of Frank
'Nssenler There are two extensions
oil the one Hundred and Twenty-sev-
ehth street side of the building, one
as hlgh as the second-story windows
ana the other as high as the third.
Police TO the Rescue.
Sergeant John Mclaughlin, of the
East one Hundred and TWenty-sixth
street Station, was the first TO see
smoke and flames darling out OF the
cSIlar, lie ran TO the house Of En-
glne 20, block distant, and then
turned in an alarm. Hurrying back
TO the burning building he met Po
llceman Schleuter. They smashed
through the doors leading TO the store
and the apartments above il. but
were driven back by flames. Through
the sitting air of the halls dashed
Loretta and Mary McCabe. aged eigh
teen and seventeen, respectively. AS
they reached the street. unable to
speak. they pointed to the windows
above.
Mclaughlin and Schleuter saw many
faces at the windows. They rushed
across the street to unlock an iron
ladder from a fire escape and return
ing with il. mounted to the roof of
the ladder after them they raised il
TO the third story windows, where
Mrs. McCabe and her party were Dre-
pairing to jump as the flames were
mounting toward them swiftly.
Mrs: McCabe, directing the work. |
turned first to her cousin, Mrs. Lizzie
CarVlll, who held in her arms her
three-year-old son. James. She sup
ported mother and child on the lad |
der until Mclaughlin could seize and |
steady them. Schleuter was waiting
at the bottom of the ladder To take
them across the roof and drop them |
INTO the hands of volunteer rescuers
waiting in the street
Woman Braves Flames.
her every moment, Mrs. McCabe stood
at window and passed out her chill
uren, bernard, thirteen: Cecilia
we've; Alice. eleven; Margaret. nine: |
Dennis, seven, and Miss Mary Miller.
Wehty-hVe, Mrs. CarVill's sister. Pre-
Vlously, she had sent her two eldest :
daughters down through the halls but
they had shouted to the others not to
follow. -
Little Dennis had been handed
down the ladder among the first. but
IN the excitement his mother had for
gotten saving him. AS she stood alone
at the window, she was heard to crv
out ms name and rushed back inside
the house. Mclaughlin and SchIeu-
ter We're helping the last of the chill
CiVn' ana ala not observe Mrs. Nc
CdDeS disappearance.
Bernard Morris, engineer. of No 90 /
vas hrSt to see the imperiiled woman
' men en- she returned to the window,
rs called for a sixty-foot ladder from
LOOK and Ladder No. IA. which had
r naiiieSu on the scene. and as the men
ddSeu IL MOTHS darted aloft
Inc hames were increasing so randi
y LA. .ildt lhere was no time for Morris to
M cCebee IL the ladder Supporting Mrs.
resting on his shoulders he Rrip6ed
I iese sid eS or the ladder with hands and
crowd which had assembled snran9
LorWard and checked Morris as he ap |
- ~ odCaSu Ihe ground, so that neither |
Mrs. McCabe nor her rescuer was in
lured. Mrs. McCabe had swooned, but
sHe was revived and found little Dem
=, l,S "a W.dhtchlng over her anxiously. She
salu that after returning to the burn I
insS P,9iii,dlng she recalled having saved
~, IttIe son, but her strength failed Il
as she regained the window.
II was not aScertained how the fire
'tarted, but hremen said il apparently
iau sAi0 uIdered in the cellar for some
81 900. vas ""ou'