The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-08
CRUSHED AMONG THE RUINS.
NINE FIREMEN UNDERNEA I'll THE DE
RRIs or A BURNED BUILDING.
m. of them, John w. Irving, Taken out
mead, and seven seriousIy Injured-Their
C,lls for Help Answered by their Comrades
.,,h Noble Enorts-How the Walls Fell.


C,,,. for Help Answered by their Comrades
9TH Noble Enorts-How the Walls Fell
Anrivato watchman, who looks after sew
.ral stores In Greenwich street. near Vesey.
,sW smoke issuing from tho doors and win
dows Of Il. W. Bauors grocery, at 10 Vesey |
street little after o'clock yesterday morning. |
He at once notified Police Onlcer Skully OF tho |
nhurch street police. who gave the alarm that |
at eighteen minutes past aroused the men OF |
Engine %. in Fulton street and OF Hook and |
Ladder $ in North Moore street.who at once came |
galloping down to the fire. There was little |
delay in getting the pipes laid but very soon
Engine % had a stream playing upon tho
hRmcs. that we're blazing nercely. The four
story bu,li ling was surrounded by old and In
dammablo structures. and consequently Sec
end alarm was soon sent out. and at 1855 o'clock
shird which brought to the scene Engines 4.
$40 oil. ~. II. u. so. 81 and 81. and Hook
and Ladder Companies I. and 10. Chicf
Batos. Assistant Chief Shay and Commission
ers King, Perley. and German, also hastened 10
tnc fire.
Form time there was great danger that the
flames would communicate with the adjoining
premises. Tho building in which the fire
originated was situated nearly In the centre OF
the block between Greenwich and Washington
streets on the south side OF Nescy street. Ii ex-
kNuNHl IN n 10 CiNlNl o AiNaNfli y ilNNtls Oh
The west was the establishment Of NJ II. Moses
ACo dealers in teas. cofrces. and sugars. and
adjoining on the east was the grocery OF J.
Richards 70 4 Co. The roofs Of all these build
ings are peaked with steep incline,
md are timed over. so that il was impossible
for the nrcmcn to get upon them and fight tho
hre from above Lines Of pipo were got into
tho luilI.ne through tho front doors and the
Winlow- oi the second story. and then the fire.
men getting upon the third building from the
cjrncr OF Nssey street. on Washington street.
we're abir 30 throw streams II water from above.
The flames did for little gain a foothold in the
Moses building but they were subdued. as was
The fire in Baucr's place. alter they had destroy
sd almost all Of its contents aud burned them
selves out
by o'clock the fre was completely under
control. Then all the men were relieved with
he exception OF those belonging 10 Engines
- and o. and Trucks 10. :. and G. and the Chief
Of the First Battalion. William Rowe. took men
from Engine 30 and Truck and went into the
building TO superintend the clearing up of tho
ruins and the washing down OF the building
Meanwhile the other engine and the two trucks
wore getting ready to depart. expecting to be
Immediately relieved.
Chief Rowe began work on the second story
Of tho building Tho stairs were OF course
DAEutA AMA1s bAk a ltsAl'A was hhA W NAANN-h
the opening in the noor AMI another to the win
dows from the street. and fifteen or twenty men
won't 10 work. The members OF Engine % got
shne NJ 70 the second story and played on the
walls and wherever there was the least sign OF
smOulderag fire. This is called washing down.
The members Of Truck began TO remove the
debris from the room. There were barrels Of
spice four and other groceries. and burnt
hmbor- which mad fallen down. This was Just
before 6 o'clock.
Suddenly. without warning. the roof fell in.
The wall toppled over upon II. and the whole
mass Of tmbers and bricks. accumula,lng as II
fell. crashed down through the fourth and third
stories upon the men on the second story. a
part Of which gave way. carrying nine mon.
down to the first story. where they lay covered
BY great mass OF timbers. bricks. barrels. and
cher debris. great cloud Il black dust from
the eharred tmbers. nj smoke from smoul-
dering fire Gned the uliding. and from this
same tho pitiiul cries OF the poor fellows i'm
prisoned within.
For minute there was panic among the
hremen without Then with one accord they
rushed to the rescue. Engine9 and Trucks l0
and did not depart their members remaining
and working like heroes. At first there was
some confusion. as the men crowded upon each
other in their eagerncss to aid their COM
raies. Some began digging from below others
rnsbcd uton tho nile of brieks and timbsrs as
n - " ~ - Ill p,
hough hey would chrry u on pouily' bu'
Chiefs Bates and Shay quickly restored order
and set the mon systematically at work. Fore
man James Monroe Of Truck TO- distinguished
himself bY bis cOolness. and twas owing largely
10 MIN and his assistant " Jake" Van Orden
may we v ork progrrssel SO Wei; M Mlel pnths ne,
oIlerru JACK lruck uliu ul' "a 'lull ~
Company ampulanees. am soon, brlShl i.Sll
was lnfown upon NE runs hNi uie men HeIe
Norklh. pu!"uy ,hhu syet nlu ully, ! T. ',ir ~, =
W. no cess htion however l9r rom. TT u e
PIE eame plulll CREE Ior ,hrlp' 1lnt 1oI
sake make insic! Herm hin. heie' mere.
Por Gods sake help US There were many
tae IA '7 among the men az ih'y W Ihcu w u
sem p"'k encouraging answers 10 thclI sullvf-
inE comraIes .,...-.
II was ut, lew mlnui's i'loIe one 9i ~ tliril M !
was rehfh"d ana rescued. II NHa IliIoi Hp".r
n9,ay h'hr the "1ter .usi oI He p@e' @ re Tne MnS
baily Guy HH4ut the hrhd' iic Was, ~ ,,ih'.
hken o. the Chambers sirstl lipsp.ial w Chl"l
Bues buggy. ms wound crossed hhh tleh ne
was Mkeu 70 ms none AZ rs Mirlnn s'r''i i,ir.,
Uti lurtheI on Irt,nnh i'Nra ol IruN
eWhs "'oNered; men JoAh h'hco"n OF lhi
same Ul'N. ana mus, on" hy one ne IN u
were cAiri'1tei, II WIS TWO h9urH IRON tu'
Nmc t,lut me r'ol leH uhll thr lhsl HNlnc
man, Dennis ltnHgdu, YVES tlken our. JUST