New-York tribune., 1916-07-15

stairs his eye caught the CLEAN Of fire
through the smoke. II was coming from
the repair snop, where men had been
at work on cots during the day.
One thought filed Cummings mind
the magazine. Ii was in the north
cast corner of the building, more than
100 feet from the stairs on the Thirty
fifth Street side, by which he had de-
scended.
Shielding his face with his coat from
the blaze. which was already uncom-
fortably hot. Cummings gained the iron
sheathcd room in which were stored
the artillery and rife ammunition
which the guard did not take 10 the
border
Half blinded by the smoke he reached
the door and began 10 tumble for the
wheel. a few turns Of which would
send gallons OF water cascading into
the magazine. When at last he found
il. the contrivance stuck from long dis
use, and it seemed TO him like hours
before it Welded 70 his heaves.
His wife, Catherine, and his son, Ed
ward. five years old. were upstairs IN
the living quarters assigned by the
state. In the emergency Cummings
first thought was OF his charge as GUS
todian.
When the welcome sound of splash
ing water reached his ears through the
walls Of the magazine the private ran
the gauntlet of the fire again and
dashed out into Thirty-ffth Street.
Patrolmen Garvey and Delany were
standing at Seventh Avenue. As they
turned 10 run for the fire alarm box
there came a tattoo of exploding cart
ridges from the building.
ut sounded like the roll Of a ma
chine gum said Garvey later.
Cummings Thinks of Family.
Thoughts Of his family flashed over
Cummings at the sound. As he turned
TO reenter the building his wife met
him. She and the boy had got out
safely with the Office force, which was
on the second floor Besides the clerks
and stenographers, there were Lieu
tenant Colonel Bostwick, Lieutenant
Colonel John T. Treanor. Colonel OIL
yer B. Bridgman, Colonel Eugene H..
Austin. Major w. A. Niver, Major John
l.. MacCumber and Major Henry T..
Hotohkiss. They carried with them IN
their flight such records as they could
lay their hands on quickly.
McNally was talking at the Seventh
Avenue curb with Andrew Moran,
Colonel Bostwick's chauffeur. AT slght
of the exodus from the building they
ran to the wagon entrance on Seventh
Avenue, threw the door open and began
10 get out trucks. Moran saved two,
but was driven back when he attempted
TO 90 in again. Nothing was TO be seen
of McNally, nor had any other trucks
been rescued.
II flashed across Moran's mind that
no ArnNn
first truck out, and doubtless in the
smoke McNally had struck one of the
pillars and perhaps was lying injured
among the flames. Policemen had TO
hold Moran to keep him from going
back to certain death. Two hours
afterward they found McNally's body
where he had crawled for shelter under
the stairs.
Cartridges Often Explode.
Before the firemen arrived employees
in the arsenal had tried to fight the
blaze with buckets. They were led by
Charles LEM. chief engineer, whose
hand was cut during the futile strug-
gle. Flames began TO pour out Of the
windows and the rattle of exploding
cartridges became frequent
Deputy Chief Martin. who arrived
with the first firemen. sent in two more
alarms in quick succession. Ladders
were run up on the Seventh Avenue
eide. where the smoke did not seem
quite so thick, though for two blocks
around it was hard to breathe.
Beneath the hremen stretched an
iron fence whose sharp pickets menaced
them as they swayed, strangling, on
the ladders. Fireman after fireman
was bowled over and carried down by
his comrades. After lying for few
moments on the sidewalk, most Of
them staggered back to their line.
Anthony King, of Engine 81, had en-
tered a second floor window and was
directing a line of hose when he drop
ped. The others on the line picked
him up and started down the ladder
with him. On their way, stream Of
water crashed through a window above
and shower of glass descended. They
got King to the ground, but most of
them were cut. He was taken to New