New-York tribune., 1880-02-21
"DETAILS OF THE DISASTER.


II w;lbelm n cashier at No. 101 DuaDe-st,
wos walking ND Broadway at .. m. YESTERDAY
and when near White-st nc heard cry OF hre. Ills
,t,a,tion was Immediately attracted TO the large
sva.storv iron-front building at Nos. 3e4 ana $50
Roadway Dense volumes of smoke were ISSUING
from the windows of the upper stories. MI "iincn
had baco,ne the owner of fire key few days be-
fore and he eagerly improved the opportunity " use
IL by running TO the nearest fire alarm poX anu CIV
ing the signal The fremen who were hrst 10 arrl'e
sow at plauce that more assistance was needed
and they sent out two additional alarms. Inc haies
had already gained great headway, having started
:, tho rear of the basement and having shot up
lbrough an eleyat tor-sh to the upper noors'
The bn,ldinc had been constructed in such man.
ner "a TO make fire extremely dangerous. WIN
frontage of only about twenty-five feet, IL eA-
tepded back n distance of over 200 feet TO Cort-
londt-lane. n very narrow alley The windows in
the rear of the structure were guarded by heavy
IRON shutters and the building on the opposite slde
If the lane was equal in height, and so strongly
guarded with iron doors and shutters that the fire.
men could hardly hope to gain an entrance INTO IT,
From the rear windows of the two upper stories OF
the burning building, jets of flame were darting,
lighting up the alley, and making the cornices OF
the opposlte structures smoke Chief Bates, when
he arrived caused thirteen special calls for engines
to he sent out, and the nelghborhoOd was soon
crowded with fremen. Inspector Dilks ana Gap
tain Brogan. of the Fourteenth Precinct, soon had
large force of police on the spot and cleared
the streets of curious gazers to distance OF block
in each direction, thus giving the fremen as much
space az they needed for their work.
The burning building was next to the one at the
corner of White-st. and Broadway, and in construc-
ton similar to it. The corner building was unoc-
cupied. Through it aud the building at No. 1888
al IN ha nf q Tn-
ing building. The flames were not yet visible from
broadway and for nearly an hour after the discov-
cry Of the fire the smoke did not obscure the front
of the bnidiDg The firemeD on Broadway broke
omen the doors, and advanced as far as they could
into the building on the first and second hoors
Thick partitions, however. prevented them from
throwing streams upon the flames which were rag
inc in the rear The firemen who were gathered in
the narrow lane were not able to throw streams
upon the flames. The wall was beginning to sway
and as the fire gained in power they were ordered
out of danger. Two lines Of hose had been carried
TO the top of the building across the lane but the
water thrown from them did not appear to have
much effect. Two companies of firemen were on
the roof of the burning binding but they could not
throw anv water the flames. The order was
given TO them to cut holes in the roof.
Suddenly the fremen in the alley heard loud
crash and saw tie flames dart out more angrily
from the windows. At the same moment the fire.
mer in Broadway were blinded by thick cloud of
smoke which rolled into the street The men who
had gone into the building came running ont in
alarm, some of them falling on their way, and re-
ceiving slight cuts and bruises. 1t was believed at
Grst that an explosion had occurred but it was
soon known that the trouble was caused by the
falling in of a portion of the roof. Some of the
Grenen who had been working alOft seen at
the edge of the corniees gesiculating wildly Intense
excitement peryaded the crowd within sight OF the
fire and it was increased By the report that of
the fremen had fallen through the roof TO perish in
the flames.
SLIPPING INTO A FLAMING ABYSS
Within the fire lines the full extent of the catas-
trophe was soon known. The two companies on
the roof had made effort TO cut holes through the
thick plates of tn but feeling the roof giving way
they had been obliged to retreat. Two. intrepid
members of HOOK and Ladder Company No
/ Thomas ]. Dougtsrty and John f Cas-
sidy. were the last to desist from their
work and they remained too late to escape. Tho
roof gave way suddenly near the centre, where
they were standing and the tin plates while they
clung to the sides of the building. sank toward the
opening Dougherty and Cassidy were unable to
keeI their footing, and the other hremcn were too
much engaeedin saving themselves to give the two
men any assistance. With banched faces and cries
horror the TWO uoOnleu ihtO thS oiaH
ing abyss TO be consumed to ashes
Their comrades, who them disappear, were
nearly unnamed by the awful spectacle. They re-
maiped for a time dumb and mO;onless on the roof
of No 3SS and then, at a word from their foreman,
they descended to the ground. while the other com
pany which had taken refuge on the corner build
ing aud had also witnessed the disaster prepared to
follow them by running across the front OF the
bnilding.. The attempt TO 6gh; the fire from the
roofs was then abandoned.
The upper portion of the wall fell in at 7:3O
d. n and the rest of the wall fell outward into the
alley abou. fifteen inmates later. All nope of saw
ing any part of the burning building was at an end
The fire at no time made brilliant show. 1t
harmed slowly from the toward the 'front.' and
as the flames were fought at every step by the fire.
man they did not rise much above the roof At $50
n m the fire was under control, but the front
part of the structure was still burning 1t
was thought for a time that the falling OF the party
wall would seriously iDjGre the corner building IL
It did not cause its destruction. The building con-
tinued to stand however. and the firemen made
their way into the first floor and poured streams OF
water through the opening in the wall upon the en-
bers of the burned building. At 1890 p. IN. the
front part of Nos. 3S4 and 1856 was burning and 1T
was thought that the front wall would fall.
The water-tower, which had been brought in
front Of the building was used with. effect for the
first time during the fire. No could explain the
cause of the fire. The flames had originated near
the engine-room, which was in the basement and in
the rear of the building. But the engineer, who
was iu the building when the fire was discovered
could not give any information. He barely escaped
with his life, the fremen being obliged TO cut him
out CT the basement after their arrival.
TUE coMRAoEs OF THE DEAD FIREMEN.
Hook AMI Ladder Company No. was ordered
back to quarters, at Centre and Chambersst., by
Chief Shay Immediately after the accident, and
during the night The with sad faces sat OF
stood in groups speaking of the fire. They were
L. Al. @J.o.. roA.