New-York tribune., 1916-12-26
Builder and His Dinner
Guest Perish in Flat
bush Blaze
ONE BRAVES PERIL
TO SAVE WIFE
Christmas Streamer Car
ries Flames-Woman
Badly Burned

oliver p. Buckley. eighty years oio'
..-,. his wav into bis fame-tlled
49,. as Ienox Road, Tlstbush. last
ct 10 rescue his English setter
,,-,sr,on for twenty years. Hall an
Aogr later he was found in the house
,,i,, the dog clasped in his arms. Botn
we're dead.
ri-,-cn. working their wsy to the
- eoor of the two story cottage
..gmb,ed over the body of Frank II.
u,l,b 81 furnace manufacturer OF 200
u.,,.borne street, Flstbush. who win
IL, u,fe were guests Of the Buckleys-
n, had attempted 20 reach the second
ann 70 ssve his wife, cut OF by the
s.r.s Although he did not know IT,
Ms. Walsh had been taken 20 'he
street hy fremen.
Pgcklev was a retired builder. From
... time he constructed the Lenox
r,s5 house. thirty years ago. II mas
h.en his custom each year 70 entertain
=. Christmas for his relatives ana
clos. friends Mrs. Walsh. who was
coys.n Of Mr.. Buckley, her husband ana
.ro other women made up the dinneI
parts yesterday.
Goes 10 Light Gas
o'clock Mrs. Buckley left the
dining room and went TO the psrioi ~
rr., the gas. ss it neared time Tor 'ne
al n the only son OF the couple
o,,y.r / Buckley. q builder OF 300
r.. ru.o,tv-tbird Street, Flatbush-
-rs, room was decorated With greens
n-.,rb vbich was strung red paper
..r,s,oers and bells. running from 'ne
.t.nd,lier 10 the wall. In the corner
.,ood Christmas tree. fully trimmeu
al. F., the DAYS Of young oli7er 5 or 'e''"s
Of santa. ,.
W., buckley. who IS ffty-eignt years
od stretched up on tiptoe to reacn VIC
A.,delicr. In her fingers was i'g"'-
m.,cb As she turned on the gas
-. s.m, Of the match came IN con'"s'
with ono Of the streamers.
rse fame. with snake-like movement"
,.r.s5 along TO the wall, setting aDls1e
.., cross-stretched streamers' =
so,.lsv reached the decorations anu
-, n,-t Of them from the fastenings'
~. 80. - hrr,;rg mass dropped on her
,.,s and her hair and h4my evening
we're ignited. With scream she
=, into the dining room, where her
.n,h,,d and Mr.. Walsh met her and
quickly beat out the flames
Flames Reach Tree
y,,ntim, the Ere bad reached the
and spread TO the drapings' burst
To-. ,,-onr. n, windows. Calling 20
.., women guests to follow, the men
esrri,s Mrs Buckley TO the home OF
r,sbbor. vho telephoned in An alarm.
Mrs Walsh. who was on the secono
soor found the stairway mass OF
ssn,sss she attempted TO descend ne
IRON. Of he house is built with the
parlor and front hall as one room 'he
stairs and lower hall not being par
u,ioned from ~. The blaze had spread
across the ceiling Of the psrlor and had
eaten lis way 20 the stairs.
Grouped IN front Of the house the
Bucslsys and their guests were panic
stricken vnen Mrs. Walsh appeared IN
ne upper window. standing against
background OF smoke and glare. A mo
msnt later her husband had separated
himself from the group.
Buckley wbistled FOR his dog. There
vas no answering bark As the lower
tsll presented no means OF reachlng
~, interior o. the house, the aged
builder went 10 the rear, saying that
- wanted 20 get his "Old pal lie
had evidently become confused after
t'ding the setter and started Tor the
mont Of the house 70 make an exit.
Son Learns Of Father
With the FIRST engine companies the
bacsieys' son arrived for the usual
Christmas night reunion. he saw Mrs
Walsh carried 20 safety and then
sarned that his father had gone after
'fs cog.
The walls and timbers were dry. the
''al forcing the fremen 20 fight the
a's from the outside. Al the first op-
n'riunity young Buckley made his way
'sloe. following the frcmen.
us father was lying near the fooi
me stairs. face down. his clothes
,arred from mis- body Crooked IN his
''' arm and lying partly under the
5Say Of the aged man was the dead
ceE.
w Walsh was on the stairs al
pons level with the psrlor ceiling. Ap-
Areutly be had been caught in the
shh OF flames across the ceiling and
'ad fallen.
Nrs. Buckley was badly burned about
re head. face and shoulders. Her con
want calls for her husband were quiet
q temporarily by her son, who said
HAt his father had been slightly in
ard.
ihe house. valued at $4,000. was
fAetcally destroyed. II was In the
.anlor<e Fiatbush district. and the
attracted hundreds Of the resi-
'n". who have known the old couple
'or YEAR,.