Braves Five Thousand Volts in Pit of Fire.
Patrolman John A. Swift, of Springfield, Mass., veteran of the British army, hero of a dozen fires and accidents, proved his mettle when he dashed through a crowd of 150 persons, descended into a blazing manhole charged with five thousand volts, and saved the life of Benjamin W. Martin, cable repairman, who had been left to his fate.
The blaze was the result of a short circuit of the big city power mains. Martin, deserted by his helpers, lay at the bottom of the manhole while the crowd watched. Patrolman Swift went through the choking smoke and took down a rope. His first attempt was unsuccessful, and he was hauled up unconscious. Peeling off his officer’s coat, he went down again, making Martin’s body fast to the rope. Both were drawn up unconscious.
“It was easier for me to get him than to stand there and hear him croakin’ in that hot place,” said Swift.