Evening star., 1924-11-02


~ burning continuously fol
seven years! Startling as
this statement appears, it i:
none the less true, for every
half hour of the day and night, yeai
after year, there is at least one fire
somewhere within the limits of the
greater city.
Fire engines or other pieces of ap-
paratus are continually at work. One
or more companies of our uniformed
force of 6.100 firemen are inceSSantly
engaged in putting out this perpetua
blaze.
On a single day of last year there
were 10 outbreaks of fire. This com
prised but one days toll of an annua
total of 20.043 fires. Fortunately, al
these fires did not occur simultane-
ously, thus making huge confagra
ton. Otherwise $4,000, 100000 worth
of property would have been wiped
out.
New York is a city reveling in su-
perlatives. 1t seems to have more
of everything. good and bad. than any
other city. Unfortunately, therefore
there are more fires here than any
where else in the world, considering
its population and area.
With more than 100000 residents
a large proportion of whom are for
eign born and lack a proper sense OF
fire responsibility and with a COM
muting and visiting population OF
100000 persons daily-not omittinS
some business men" who deliberately
make fires for profit from insUr-
.ance-it naturally follows that hu-
man life is often grievous,y endan-
gered Last year in New York 49,
persons lost their lives in fires, ex-
elusive of those who died in hospitals
fbf1OwinR exposure.
But let US turn the somber picture
over to the brighter side. While the
fire demon is continuously at work
destroying life and property, members
of the Uniformed force, the minute
men" of this battle against death and
destruction, are on the JOB, deVotine
their efforts . saving lives and prop
erty and risking their own lives as a
part of their daily duty.
Injured to danger, most of them face
death without hesitation Again
there are others who go through the
ordeal of fire and come out with
heroes medals only after overmaster-
ing the human instinct of self-preser-
walton. Courage does not always
consist in not being frightened. He
who fully realizes his danger and yet
performs a hazardous duty deserves
even more credit than the one who
blindly plunges into peril.
1t is an extremely difficult task for
the chief of the New York Fire De-
partment to select proper material
illustrating the various degrees OF
personal courage manifested by men,
bers of the uniformed force-to single
out heroic featS and remarkable res
cues performed by these men in the
ordinary course of their duty. The
material to choose from is composed
of what might be called an 'embar-
rassment of riches
1t is hard to mention one case
without describing all. l wish to say
in the beginning, however, that only
lack of space prevents me from men
tioning each and every one of the
gallant men who have achieved hon
orable mention and won various
medals for the great sacrifices they
have made in offering their lives in
The performance of duty.
y X X r
THE most ordinary fire often brings
out what might be called routine
traits of heroism not found in more
sensational cases. AS an instance OF
typical fire and of the almost mat
ter-o of-fact performances which fall
In the way of every fireman, there
comes. to my mind blaze that oc-
CURED at 741 Eighth avenue one April
John F. Mooney the opportunity to
show unusual fortitude.
When the fire companies arrived
the building was a blazing furnace
Excited citizens shouted that several
persons were trapped on the third
floor A 35-foot ladder was raised
and Fireman Mooney, accompanied by
Fireman Edward P. O'Connor, hurried
up it and entered the building through
a window.
After what seemed an interminabl,
time they reappeared, bearing the un
conscious form of man who haG
been overcome by heat and smoke ant
seriously burned. Through scorchinf
flames and heavy smoke they hat
plunged and CROPPED until they found
the victim and then fought their wa!
with his inert body back to the win
dow, from which he was lowered t.
safety.
Unfortunately, all of the occupant
of the building could not be reached
in time by the firemen. One of these
a man named Mordue, finding escap
cut off and terrified at the though
of perishing in the flames, jumped
from a third floor window down ;
light shaft. Presently means wer
heard from the bottom of the shaft
and Fireman John E. Doran deter
mI0eQ TO IedCn the SuHcIcI.
Lowering a. ladder, Doran foun,
himself on a level with the bottom
of the shaft, but ne was confronte'
by q passageway 80 feet in length
fiIled with smoke. through which tn
eye could not penetrate except whel
it was lighted up by flashes from
burning eabers. Plunging through
the passageway, Doran at las
reached the unconscious, apparentl,
dying Mordue, whom he placed on hi
back and carried back to the ladder
Then, with great physical effort, tn
fireman climbed to the top Of the wal
and down a drop-ladder to the street
His gallant attempt to save life wa
fruitless. however, for the man 500
died AZ q result Of his jump.
Besides several other daring feat
in bringing out other occupants o
I this building, striking performanc
was the rescue of Fireman Louis Ber
lin Of Engine Company No. 2. He wa
seen by Capt. Thomas Smith seated fl
daxed condition on the sill of q win