Reminiscences of the old fire laddies and volunteer fire departments of New York and Brooklyn. . became insensible ashe reached the window, and was seen sitting motionless there untilswept away. A few lowered themselves from the second-storywindows on the Floods Alley side; but the great mass stood help-lessly blocked in. The smoke became unbearable, and the policeand firemen who had been able to penetrate the crowd at all wereobliged to retire. They seized as many of the paralyzed bodies asthey could and dragged them into the street, passing on their wayout over piles of insensible men and bo
Reminiscences of the old fire laddies and volunteer fire departments of New York and Brooklyn. . became insensible ashe reached the window, and was seen sitting motionless there untilswept away. A few lowered themselves from the second-storywindows on the Floods Alley side; but the great mass stood help-lessly blocked in. The smoke became unbearable, and the policeand firemen who had been able to penetrate the crowd at all wereobliged to retire. They seized as many of the paralyzed bodies asthey could and dragged them into the street, passing on their wayout over piles of insensible men and boys. Fifteen minutes after thefire broke out the interior of the theater was wrapped in after, the roof fell in, and at 11:45, half an hour after thefire started, the broad east wall fell with a terrific crash. The fewwho had reached the first flight of stairs from the street were takenout and carried into the First Precinct Station-house. The crowdthat had escaped from the theater remained in the adjacent without hats or coats, with clothing torn and faces bruised;. 724 Reminiscences of the Old Fire Laddies. women bonnetless and disheveled, weeping convulsively — everyface was a picture of woe and fright. The crowd was quickly and largely augmented by the anxiousthrong of sight-seers, and to keep them within the proper limitsrequired the efforts of nearly the entire reserve police force of thecity. The police commissioners and Superintendent Campbell andInspector Waddy, the Chief of the Fire Department, Thomas , and Fire Marshal Keady, had been telegraphed for andcame promptly to the scene of the conflagration, and did everythingin their power to provide for the sufferers,—for many had beenbrought out bruised and burned. The firemen had not fairly beguntheir labors before it became evident that it was impossible to savethe theater or any part of it; the entire attention of the force was,therefore, directed to the surrounding buildings whic
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookidldpd63166850, bookyear1885
