The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-01-10

TAX n hours II unlimber the kinks. They
Iel, II where /, was all day
InEEE DOOMED MES DIL REForE rHE
CROWD.
While Chief kenlou was q assembling hIs
apparatus the great crowd already col
I"ct"d on broadway north aud south Of
"a" pull,c lines saw hrrc men appear on
IN" roo, 81 tn" nor invest corner They
wer" Ma -S"na frattd, a porter employed
III the hlildiug. who lived at 22i t.ds5
fitt|-siNth street. Giuseppe tondi a
XII chen helper in the CATS Savarin, and
John Si2ZiO. also employed in the Savarin
Xii chen. These men had been prevent ed
Ivy ia" fiamcs. IL was supposed from
reaching any Of the ground floor exits
and had doubtless gone up to the roof in
an elevator hoping u be rescued by the
iircmcn.
The fire was still some' isance from the
Cedar street corner and their figures
We're silhouctted hlackly against the
leap!ng flames and the red glow in the sky.
They waved their arms franticaly and
appeared to be shouting. Two of them
krclt presently on the CorniCe. II seemed
10 people in the street as if the men were
praying.
Chief Devanny, the first fire officer to
see the refugees. called for volunteers.
Nine mon sprang forward. Chief Kenlon.
hurIying up ordered an extension ladder
| rigged in the bare hope that the mon
ladder section by section. but il fell short
two stories. II was impo sslhle to get
10 tn" three that way, Women who were
, serving coffee and sandwiches 10 the fire
men and police wept as they looked up
ward and went about their duty with
teIrs freezing on their cheeks, Fire
men were swearing, not profanely but
mechanically. Men in the watching
crowds clnched their hands and groaned.
Appeals were shouted to Kenlon, to
"a e. bot H..
roof.
For Gods sake. chief, get to them some
way" cried a young woman who was
carrying pail of coffee among the fire
men.
LIFE SAVING RCLE FAILS.
kenlon saw that scaling ladders could
not be used because of the heavy orna-
mental coping that faced the building
twenty feet or 40 below the roof He re-
solved on an eSpedient that hadn't been
resorted to since the Parker Euilding fire
From the roof of the American Exchange
National Bank small line was shot
across to tn" Equitable roof One of the
three caught il and pulled over heavier
line. There wasn't much time TO waste
The fire was travelling fast toward the
three. Below them flames were leaping
out of the windows of the sixth and sew
enth stories. wo of the men fastened
the line around their waist, threw their
arms around each other and prepared 10
swing over the side, The third ap.
parrn'ly los, his nerye when his con =
paniOns urged him Ia secure himself with
them II made no difference They were
doomed anyway, " the tirernen on the
roof OF tho American Exchange National
Bank began to draw on the line ready TO
tighten 1t w',"n the two swung clear. a
tongue of fame leaped from the seventh
story windows. enveloped the line and de-
Stroyed il The two on the edge Of the
roof overbslanced. fell to Cedar street
! and were killed instantly.
The third was Massena Fratta, the
porter As his companions fell to their
death Fratta was seen Crouching in the
smoke, hut distinctly outlined against the
fierce glow. Presently he arose, threw
his hands in the air, stepped backward
and disappeared In the afternoon his
body coated with ice, his feet and hands
and face frozen. but still breathing in spite
of desperate hurts. Fratta was found in
the wreckage of the fifth floor. He was
hurt internally. his skull was fractured
and one leg was broken The doctors
gave him brandy aud heart stimulant
and started with him for st. Gregory 8
Hospital, but he died on the way.
CHIEF WALSH MISSED NEXT.
These tragic episodes were forgotten
for the time at least in the savage energy
of fire fighting. II was not long though