New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-02-01

of the building in Nassau-st The fire was then
almost beyond control and the efforts Of the men
concentrated to trying to save life rather than
property. When they took the first ladder from the
truck three persons were in the windows almost
hidden by the thick smoke which filed the air.
One was young woman, who threw her hat and
cloak to the ground with the evident intention OF
following them. The fremen mOtioned to her to
wait until ladder was raised, but the woman sud
denly uttered piercing scream. IL was then seen
that her hair, which had become dishevelled, was
tire. She threw up her hands and fell back into
the burning building. Ladders were raised on the
Nassau-st. side but it found that they were
too short and would not reach to the fourth story
Longer ladders were at hand but they could not he
used to advantage as the telegraph wires, wheh
stretched in every direction in front OF the Duiiu-
ing inerfcrcd. Tables were then used to raise the
shorter ladders until they reached the WINDOWS Oh
the fourth story Five men were rescued on these
ladders in Nassau-st near Beekman-st
One of the men VINO stood in the windows facing
in Nassau-st. was Richard Davy Several men oI
the insurance patrol procured canvas when lney
held over the sidewalk for him TO jump on Ihey
gauged the canvas properly, but when the man
iumpcd he went too far out and struck telegraph
pole. The force of the blow turned him over ne
missed the canvas and struck his head on the curb.
lie died soon afterward
FIREMAN HORNS BRAVERY.
While these scenes were beng enacted by the
fremen in Nassau st., similar ones were going O" IN
Park Row. Hook and Ladder Company NO. 10 was
stationed there. and the daring and bravery Oh
private John J. Horn commanded the admiration
of the spectators. He ran up the ladder IN Park
Row near the Beekman-st. corner, and rescued TWO
men and one woman. To do this he had to be sup
p,ed with another ladder ten feet long, which was
held by one of his companions on the first ladder.
After that Horn placed the ladder against room
on the same hooi near The Times Building Two
faces had been seen to disappear from the window.
He could see nothing when the window was
reached, as the room. which was nearly fifty ic1t
snuore was thick with smoke. Inside he heard
rroans lie jumped through the window and IN
minute aftcrvard reappeared with man in his
arms. The man was found almost unconscious
living on the floor Horn went into the room twice
afteIwarl and each time he fouId man almost
ljfeless from suffocation As he descended with his
last man the crowd choered loudly.
TIE loss OF LIFE HARD TO DErTRNiINE.
The number of persons supposed to be lost was
matter of conjecture all day. Some said that the
loss of life was very heavy while others asserted
that most of the people had escaped. On the
ffth floor when the fire started, were the
anitor and Mr. Potter son of the owner, who
were both directing the work of carpenters and
rIpmbers. As soon as the cry of fire was heard the
,o,lmen started to run. On the stairs they met
otbcrs coming from the different floors and they all
reached the street safely From this it was argued
that most of the people must have escaped. The
truth however, will not he known until the debris
is cleared away and the ruins searched. Applica-
tions were quickly made at the various station
onses for missing persons, but some of these were
heard from later in the evening.
The progress of the flames was so rapid that the
npper portion of the building was filled with smoke
and flame before the first company of firemen had
arrived. This was Engine Company NO. Z, under
command of Foreman Jones. Two other
engine companies and two hook and ladder
companies came moment later Fore
man Jones went TO the fire alarm
box and sent out third call at once. Special
calls for engines and hook and ladder trucks were
teeeraphcd III rapid succession until thirty COM
nanies Of fremen were gathered around the burning
bujldIng Chief-Engneer Bates, of the Fire Depart
ment was on the spot ten minutes after the fire
started and he directed the efforts of the fremen,
assisted by Battalion Chiefs Breslin. Gicquel,
Miller. Shay and Rowe. There had
been serious delay in sending out the first alarm,
and many persons who were in the building when
the fire started thought that the Fire Department
had been slow in answering the summons. III was
said later that the iiremen arrived as promptly as
possible after the alarms were sent out. Some OF
the engines which were called from distance were
delayed by the snow.
The fremen went TO work with their usual cOur-
agc and alacrity While the members of the hook
and ladder companies first turned their attention to
rescung persons from the building, the members of
the engine companies attacked the flames. Had
the day been calm there would have been
some hope of saving the building, but
at the very outset the violent
snow storm proved powerful factor in the work of
destruction The snow was binding and the wind
blew gale from the north. Its direction, while it
helped to save The Times Building, drove the fremen
away from the Beekman-st. side, and put in imml-
nent peril the buildings on the south side of the
street. At 1890 a. m. streams from dozen
fire engines being thrown upon the flames, but
the water seemed to have no effect. The interior of
the building then reSembled roaring furnace.
Dense columns of smoke rose upward. flames were
bursting from every window above the second floor,
and clouds of sparks and burning cInders were
whirled by the wind over the roofs of
adjoining structures Still the fire was
at no time brilliant spectacle The
smoke was so dense, and the air was filled so
thickly with snow flakes. that the flames were more
than half obscured and they could not be seen easily
at distance of three blocks. Near at hand the fire
presented scene of confusion, horror
and danger seldom equalled. Amid the crash
of falling beams. the shouts of the
fremen and the roar OF the fire engines,
were heard the cries and groans of injured persons
and the frantic appeals of persons in danger. The
firemen. who at first mounted ladders against the
building TO throw streams the upper stories were
soon compelled to seek safety in flight Famed by
the pitiless storm, the flames rushed through the
building like a wbirlwind. Old fremen said they
had never seen fire spread with greater rapdity
HALF AN HOUR AFTER THE OUTBREAK.
Half an hour after the first alarm was sounded