SAVED BY A STRING.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3829, 24 October 1883, Page 4

SAVED BY A STRING.

A thrilling incident occurred at New York during the progress of a big eightstoreyed block of buildings. To check the advance of the flames tho chief of tho Brigado sent fourteen men upstairs with a line of hose and tiro axes. The men wero only able to get to the fifth iloor. Here what is called a " back draught " suddenly filled tho room they were in with smoke. It came so fast and in such volume that the firemen, to save their lives, threw themselves Hat ou tho floor. Some distance away, overlooking a courtyard, were two windows. Towards these windows the sulfocating firemen crawled. They were cut olf from tho stairs and from the only fire-escape in tho building by the smoke. Their only hope lay in getting aid from tho outside through tho windows. They shouted for help, but tlie men below, busy ■with the fire, did not hear them. Suddenly two of the imprisoned men, Tuite and O'Brien, of the engine company, fainted and were apparently in a dying condition. Their companions gesticulated out of tho windows and uttered frantic cries. The racket made by the puffing engines drowned their cries, and tho word was passed from one to another to jump—into certain death, it seemed—when some ono below looked up. With renewed hope the twelve imperilled men repeated their cries for help, but to their horror the request wa.s misunderstood. It was thought they wanted another line of hose, and no haste was being made to get it to them, when Chief Gicquel's attention was called to the spot by seeing the men below getting tho hoso ready. Ho shouted up "What is wanted?" "We arc cut off. . Hurry up, or we must jump," cumo back tho answer.

"It's a life-lino they want," shouted I Chief Giequol to those about him, who for some reason had not been able to hear the thrilling reply to his question. All over was an excitement at once. A forty-five foot oxtension ladder was quickly brought and placed in position. It was too short by 20ft. Out on tho window-sills were two of the perishing firemen ready to throw themselves down. Chief Cicqucl motioned to them back, and they obeyed. He then by signs found that they had a piece of string, which, however, would not reach the top of the ladder. This ho directed them to lower. The two firemen went up the ladder, and with difficulty tied tlie end of the string to a small rope, by which a larger one was immediately drawn up. No time was lost in making it fast above. Assistant-foreman Heenoy started to come down first, as he was very faint and tho most exhausted of all. He began lowering himself hand-under-hand, when his strength gave out, and he slipped fully 10ft, tearing the skin from both of his hand.?. Fortunately a fireman caught him Avhen he struck the ground and prevented more serious injury.' An employe in the building was the next one down, and then came the rest. As the last man left the window- sill flames burst from it out over the courtyard. Tho exciting scene was witnessed' by a spellbound throng that cheered loudly at its successful completion.