New-York tribune., 1916-07-15

York Hospital. George Lantelme, OF
Engine is. and George Heckel, OF En-
CINE Il. we're others who were over
come time and again and had to be
taken to the hospital. -,
John p. McNamcc, Of Engine To-
narrowly escaped sufocation; John Is,
Corrigan, of Hook and Ladder
stumbled over his body while opening
windows on the third floor. McNamee
had been steering stream from 'ne
top of thirty-fve foot ladder wneh
He weighs 175 pounds and Corrigan Is
a lightweight Bending under MS
burden. Corrigan staggered for WIN
dow. A stream was playing into every
one in sight.
To gain one he had 20 dodge and
twist and even then was knocked down
more than once by the water his
friends were directing. Not until ne
got within a few feet Of them could
he make his shouts heard. Weakly ne
dropped McNamee on the ladder and
doubled up over the window sill.
Still unconscious, McNamec began 10
slide down. Walter O'Leary. at the
head of the pipe men. caught the I'M
petus of his descent and the nose
thrashed about while the hremeh
sought to steady their hold on the
swaying ladder. Warning shouts came
from below. With an effort O'Leary
recovered his balance and carried NC
Nance down. Another trip was made
for Corrigan.
Crowd Held by Thrills.
The spectacle of the fire at that hour
of the evening drew q tremendous
crowd. The perllous ight the hfrnhen
we're making and the thrill that went
with the knowledge that explosives
were stored in the building, held them:
Deputy Commissioner Scull and Chief
Inspector Schmittberger. with the re-
serves from five police stations and
SQUAD of mounted patrolmen, at times
found the throngs almost beyond con-
trol.
For minutes they would press for
ward inch by inch, their gaze fixed on
the blazing arsenal.
Look OUT Look out! The maya
zine," would come shrek, and with
a tremendous surge the forefront of
the multitude would seek TO shove back
the weight of numbers in its rear.
so frequent and fierce were these
panicky jams that the police finally
forced everybody back for two blocks
on every side Of the burning building.
While the fremen were washing
down on the first floor they came upon
McNally's body. Thinking he still lived
they carried him to the street, while
some one brought a pulmotor. Father
Larkin, of the Church of the Holy
Innocents. in West Thirty-seventh
Street, administered the last rites.
Mother and Sister Arrive.
To the sodden grimy little group
gathered on the street corner came
woman and a girl running at top speed.
Far behind them was an indignant
patrolman whom they had brushed
aside in their frantic rush. 1t was
the mother and sister of McNally. His
home was at 32l West Fortieth Street,
and some one had told them.
"It's no use" declared DR.. Christy, OF
New York Hospital, ignorant Of the ad-
vent of the women: "he's done for"
McNally's mother and sister arrived
Just in time to hear the words. II took
several minutes TO calm them.
Besides the cartridges, there had
been fifty pounds of calcium carbide
stored in the arsenal. and some of the
explosions are attributed to this cause.
Among the supplies that were destroyed
were 5000 rifes and $4,000 worth of
meQlcdl SQDplltS. tOlOUtl DOslWiSh Hdiu
the contents of the magazine would not
be injured by the water and might be
retrieved after the ruins had cooled.
The arsenal. three story building of
dingy red brick. was built in 1859 and
was the scene of many battles between
soldiers and mobs during the draft
riots. On the second floor were many
relics commemorative of this time.
They were part Of an extensive collec--
tion of arms made by the late Colonel
Joseph +. Storey.
Colonel Storey, who formerly had
charge of the arsenal, had spent much
Of his lifetime gathering the arms with
which he decorated the Offices on the
second floor. There were fintlocks nnd
rifles which dated back to Revolution
airy days, and sabres and pistols
galore. 1t was regarded as the most
complete collection of its kind II the
city.