THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
New York had a very stubborn fire to fight on Saturday last on the West side, foot of Thirteenth street, and three men lost their lives. It was near two o'clock when Chief Bonner had a close call for his life. He was standing under the western wall, when it was seen by Deputy Chief Reilly to totter. The latter gave a warning cry, and the chief, by a quick run, escaped the falling bricks, but was nearly smothered by a shower of grain. Four alarms and two special calls were sent out during the first half hour of the fire. This brought out every engine below Fourteenth street and the fire boats William F. Havemeyer, New Yorker and El Toro. The boats got ten heavy streams on the flames from the river front, while the firemen on shore played on all four sides of the burning buildings.
The conviction and sentence of Hatris Plitt for arson is gratifying. No crime can be more fiendish than to set fire to a house full of helpless inmates. No crime has been perpetrated more frequently of late without the appearance of detection than incendiarism in East side tenement houses. The stinging words of Recorder Smyth, as he imposed a sentence of eighteen years and six months on Plitt, ought to be a warn'ng to all intending incendiaries. It may be remarked that the credit of this conviction is practically due to the uniformed branch of the fire department. There are always immense difficulties in the way of the fire marshal and his assistant securing a conviction, except the culprit, as in this case, is caught redhanded.
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