New York, NY Hero Saves Woman in Apartment House Fire, Apr 1916

GIVES HIS LIFE TO SAVE OLD WOMAN

Hero Falls From Second-Story to Street After Rescuing Fire Victim

NEW YORK, April 15.—Mrs. Kenneth C. Collins, of 225 West Eighteenth Street, a bride of a few months, is a widow today through her husband’s bravery in rescuing Mrs. Sarah Ludwig from a burning apartment house at 453-457 Columbus Avenue.

Mr. Collins, who was head of Collins & Aikman, upholsterers at 135 Fifth Avenue, was passing the burning house when he saw Mrs. Ludwig, who is aged, marooned on the fire escape at the third floor. She evidently was confused.

Shouting to her to wait he rushed up through the smoke-filled hall, climbed out through a window and carried her down the fire escape to the second floor landing.

There he had to adjust the ladder intended to afford a descent to the street. In doing this, he lost his balance and fell to the street, receiving a compound fracture of the skull and a fracture of the right shoulder. He was removed unconscious to Knickerbocker Hospital, where he died a few hours later.

Mrs. Ludwig, who became hysterical at Collin’s fall, was assisted to the street by a policeman. The fire burned out the basement and first floor, causing $30,000 loss.

Trenton Evening Times, Trenton, NJ 16 Apr 1916

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Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thank you, Linda!