Evening star., 1924-11-23

world. 1t was reminiscent OF notnihe
so much as an armada of old-time
fireships intent upon destruction.
Doubtless, human forethought, en-
ergy. and determination In no small
degree vanquished this enemy, but
Providence must have been watching
over New York that day.
X x X Il
Out of the memories of my many
~ years experience of fre-dghting
IL is difficult to select one particular
conhagration as being more thrilling
in its incidents than any other. All
fires entail risk of life in greater
replete with that human interest which
makes special appeal TO the heart.
For even In the factory or warehouse
outbreak human lives are endangered;
the lives of the firernen employed. But
sometimes circumstances do arise
which require the pen of a Stevenson
to give them that actually and force
which alone can depict them IN their
fearful yividness.
To my dying day I snail never for
get the horrors accompanying the
burning of the Park Avenue Hotel.
At 1880 on the morning of February
22, 1902, the gong in the quarters OF
Engine Company u sounded 5-3-44o'
which, translated into bald English.
signi1ed the fact that a dangerous and
threatening fire was raging in tne
vicinity of Park avenue and Thirty
fourth street in the Borough of Man
haitian, New York City. In other
words, it was a third alarm summon
ing to the scene 13 engine companies,
four hook and ladder companies, the
chief of the department. the deputy
chief and four battalion chiefs.
Engine Company II responded on the
third alarm and in less than 90 sec
onds after the receipt of the hrst tap
OF the gong they were clear or the
doors of the quarters and on their way
to the fire. At that time l was captain
of this company, and beginning TO feel
the full weight Of my responsibility.
A fierce gale from the northeast
ragged about US as we left our com
Portable quarters. the snow and sleet
Iashing our faces and making vision
almost impossible. The driver or the
engine has since often assured me mat
for a mile and a half OF the distance
to be covered he let his horses gaiiop
without knowing his precise Wne
abouts. Yet in spite OF the storm We
reached the scene of the fire in less
than five minutes.
On our arrival we found that the
Seventy-first Regtmental Armory' Sltu-
ated at the southeast corner OF Fdrh
avenue and Thirty-fourth street. was
ablaze. The interior OF this imitatioh
fortress was Of wood and filled with
arms and ammunition of every de-
scrin,ion. Evidently the fire had been
burning for some time, Tor as We
pulled UP there was a constant rattlo
OF exploding cartridges. for all the
world as though our services mad oeen
reuuIsitioned to a field ot battle
In addition to this, the building was
heavily charged with smoke, ~hich
reached the explosive point as soon as
an opening admitting fresh supply
OF oxygen was effected. Orders were
recaiyed from the commanding officer,
Deputy Chief Duane, that line was
10 be taken into the armory by the
Thtrty-fourth street entrance.
The truck companies succeeded IN
opening these doors, but the pressure
of heated air and gas blew the men
back into the street. Almost instant
ly the whole interior of the builolns
was a seething mass of flame Noth-
ing further, apparently. could be done
here, as my instructions then were TO
cover the dwelling houses on the east
side of Thirty-fourth street. where
we fought the fire back until the wall
of this part of the armoTy fell ou'-
ward, burying our line and cutting 1t
in two.
Some idea of the difficulties con-
fronting us can be imagined when |
add that the position from which we
were fighting CO. ted Of narrow
strip of street o5 feet wide.
bounded on one ii. ) the flames and
on the other by :. nch 40 feet deep,
which was being prepared for the re-
ception Of the present subway. The
break in our line naturally shut of
the stream. and I went Immediately
to see what had happened.
MEETING the officer in charge. I
AVA was ordered to take yet another
position In Park avenue, IN order to
cover the Fourth avenue car stables.
These were to the south Of the fire
and Il was this change which brought
my company into position that er-
abled it to assist in the most har-
rowing and exciting events that [
have ever experienced on land or sea.
To begin with, this maneuyer nc
cessitated our crossing the subway
trench, which, incidentally. we were
told, contained 8 tons Of blasting
powder. It has always been mar
vel to me that this did not explode.
exposed as it was TO sparks and burn
ing embers. We managed 10 reach
our goal in safety by means Of tn
engineering shores used in the 'cn5
and cover" system of excavation.
At this moment. from some uneN-
planned cause the Park Avenue Hotel
took fire. The figure OF woman clad
only in her night clothes appeared a
a. ffth-story window, and above the
roar of the flames and the exploding
Of ammunition she could be heard
screaming for help.
Even as her voice rang out, guests
could be seen watching the confasrs-
tfon from their bedrooms. while in
the foyer men were strolling about,
cigars in their mouths, discussing
with interest the probable amount of
damage which would be caused by the
blaze. Little did they realize that the
angel of death, with wings outstretch-
ed, was lowering over the building
,, in which they were.
Our change OF position made US
among the foremost to effect an en-
trance. From the first we were ham
pered by the revolving doors, which pre-
vented our handling our line with facil-
ity. Thus valuable time was lost and
our task rendered the more difficult.
Our arrival had been heralded with the
frankest incredulity, but once onlookers
realized the grizzly danger threatening
their dear ones they had to be forcibly
restrained from adding themselves to
the human sacrifices awaiting us upon
the floors above.
AS we climbed the stairs the smoke
grew denser and denser, till our breath
came in strangling gasps and physical
endurance seemed about to fail. 1t was
impossible to see. On hands and knees
We CROPPED and felt like blind men, in
stinct our only guide.
And then the horror,
InGgina crawling Gi~btlaQE al
strange corridor. That would be a
ghastly situation. But add to it the dis
tant cracking of flame licking its way