New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-07-07
Fights Off Rescuer in
Blazing Room, Drops
Child From Window
and Follows After Her
Heroic Negro Saved
By a Clothesline
Victims, Terribly Injured,
Are Rushed to Hospital;
Many See Fight on Ledge

Mrs. Amelia Gordon. who lives on
the fourth floor Of P33 West ioeth
Street. found her bedroom ablaze yes
tcrday afternoon when she went In TO
see II her daughter, EveGn. two years
old. had awakened from her nap. The
fire had started in the clothes closet,
had eaten through the walls and flames
enveloped the room when Mrs Gordon
opened the door.
Dsshing through n wall OF FIRE, she
snatehed up her child and began 10
scream for help. Her cries were heard
by Clifford Sanford. negro superintend-
ent Of the building. He fastened to
the fourth floor in the elevator and
entered Mrs. Gordon's apartment.
The mother had her child in her
arms and was at the window, arpar-
emily about to drop the baby into the
courtyard. Needless Of flames that
scored his garments. Sanford rushed
70 her side and snatched the child
from her. At the.samc time he jerked
n blanket from the bed and tried TO
beat out the flames near the door so
that he could get Mrs. Gordon and
her daughter out.
Drops Boy from Window
Beside herself with terror. the
mother struggled with him for the
child. paying no attention 70 little jets
Of fame that sprang up on her cloth
inc. Sanford. endeavoring TO retain
possession Of Evelyn. beat out the
flames on his own clothes and those Of
Mrs. Gordon and AZ the same time
force a way through the flames. was
unable TO cope with the frantic woman.
She tore her baby from his grasp.
ran 10 the window aud dropped her
out. She was about 20 leap after her
when Sanford dragged her back. The
fierce struggle was renewed. Blazing
bits Of 10 IN and plaster fell. upon them.
setting ERE 70 their clothes and burn
ing their hands and faces. Smoke
eddied about them so thiekly that the
window was barely visible.
In spite OF Sanford's efforts the
woman dragged him toward the dim
square Of light that was the window
and with a final wrench threw of his
grasp and jumped.
He looked around. gnsping for breath
and mechanically beating his smolder-
ing clothing with his hands. The whole
wall in which is the doorway was
ablaze. Escape by that route no longer
was possible. Sanford went 10 the win
dow and looked down.
Swings TO Safety
The huddled shapes OF the woman
and her child were visible far below.
A dozen or more windows about the
courtyard were filled with horror
stricken witnesses 10 the tragedy.
A slack clothcsiine led from the WIN
dow 20 another across the court. San
ford grasped IL in his blistered hands
and swung out. He intended 70 work
his way hand. over hand across the
court. out the light rope sagged 30
beneath his 100 pounds that ne saw
he could never make the up grade be-
yond. even II ne was successful IN
ginning the middle OF the court.
He began TO swing, pushing against
the wall with his feet, and succeeded
NJ last in swinging himself TO a win
dow Of Mrs. W. x. Borden's apartment
ON the third floor OF the Monaco apart
ments. 229 West l09th Street. The
window was open and he loosed his
hold Of the rope and plunged through u.
Without pausing, he scrambled 20 his
feet and ran back 20 the fourth floor
OF his own apartment house. intent
upon getting out the hose and fighting
The fire.
The firemen were there almost as
soon as he was. Samuel Tauber, VINO
lives in the Monaco apartments was
one Of those who had been looking out
OF a courtyard window when the two
bodies came hurting out OF the next
house. He had sent in n firm alarm
and notified the police 70 send an am
bulance.
Another neighbor, Mrs. Oscar Borch-
ert, had rushed TO the courtyard as
soon as the baby was flung from the
window. had snatehed up the child and
run with il TO st. Luke's Hospital,
ii3th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
Mrs. Gordon was taken 10 the same
hospital in an ambulance. Later both
she and her child were transferred to
Knickerbocker Hospital. Mrs. Gordon
has fractures OF both legs and Is in
jured internally. The child has a frae-
ture OF the skull. q fracture OF one leg
and is injured internally.
Sanford was severely burned and
was treated by an ambulance surgeon.
The damage TO the apartment was
about 81 500. The origin OF the FIRE II.
unknown. Mrs. Gordon is the wife OF
Max 7. Gordon. druggist.