The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-02-09
A DISASTROUS FIRE,


At 10 O'Clock in the morning the large five
etory building on Beckman street, extending
from Park row to Nassau street, Now York,
was discovered to be on fire, and in about ten
minutes the whole structure was in flames.
The building WAS commonly known as the
World building, part of it having been occu-
pied until recently by that newspaper 1t was
old and peculiarly constructed, having large
well in the center, up which the tlsmes rushed
with fearful rapidly, cutting off msny of the
tenants from escape by the stairs. Tho story
OF this fire one OF tho most disastrous that
has visited the metropolis in many years--is
told as follows: About five minutes after tho
smoke was first observed the flames shot up
from the basement through an elevator way at
the Nassau street door, spreading i'll every one
Uf the five stories, reaching the top in an in
stant blazing right through the roof, and
mingling lnridly with the column of smoke.
To most of the $50 to IT'S persons in the
many offices which occupied the struc-
ture, the fire itself gave the only warm
ing. Few heard any outcry. Flames
cracking at the doors were in some instances
the first sound of the danger; and instant,
deadly danger it was, for the Railways and
stairways were filled with fire before two
thirds of the inmates could escape through
them. The rest got out by the wir1ows or not
at all. The fire had other ways Of rising and
spreading than by the pine boarded elevator,
though that would have been sufficient by it
self to distribute the flames quickly. In the
center ofthe building was hugo well, reach
ing Fl ON the second story to the roof, and hay
ing windows opening into the adjoining rooms.
In this the fire roared as in chimney with
mighty draught, kindling the woodwork of the
windows and shivaring the glass. The large
square openings made by the well in two Of
tnc floors were rallied around with wooden bal
ustrades and formed galleries from
which offices opened and all this space wes
speedily ablsze. Those who escaped with
out hindrance did so in the wild
rush down the small row of stair
ways into Park row. They were men, women
and boys. Many of them were bareheaded and
without oyercoats or wraps, so hasty was their
ilight A few carried books and bundles
caught up on the instant. There were similar
stairs leading down to Nassau street, but along
side these was the elevator, and egress was inn
possible by them within two minutes after The
fire gained headway. 1t il said that there
wolo 100 persons in the building, and that
nearly, or quite, fifty were still inside when no
further hope Of escaping by doors and stairs
remained. These imperiled persons were
scattered on all the floors above the lower one.
They were chiefly the editors, publishers,
clerks and printers of the Scientific
American, tho Observer, the Scottish
4lmericdn, the Retailer, the TMJ, Field and
Farm, and Thompaon's Bank Note Reporter,
s. NJ. Pottengill & Co., the Paine Brothers, and
several patent solicitors also had employees
there. The World establishment had lately
been removed, and twelve carpenters wero al
terinS the vacated rooms for other occupancy.
The adventures of the imprisoned fifty were
varied in their degrees of peril, from COM
plratvely easy climb down ladder all the way
10 horrible death.
fallen horse or car off the track will
cause a crowd in Park row. 1t may be realized,
therefore, that the spectacle OF a five-story
building all sblsze-half a block Of led flame
reaching solidly to a height OF $50 feet, and
topped with 200 feet more of dense smoke
drew multitude which filed Printing House
square. The heat drove everybody out Of
Nassau and Beekman streets, but on the Park
row side there was plenty of available space,
and its eariier occupants were Mortified by what
they saw.
After the first outpour of panic stricken per-
sons from the doorway on Park row came sew
cral straggers, singed by the flames which had
touched them as they stumbled down the stairs,
chokcd by the smoke and wild with terror.
Ihcn q big blaze burst out, and the spectators
knew that no more could come out alive at that
point. general cry of sympathy and alarm
arose as the figures Of men and women appeared
st the windows of the fourth and fifth stories.
Firemen had arrived, an alarm at 10:l5 having
been promptly responded to, but their longest
ladders only reached well up to the third story.
A girl tainted at sight of these seemingly
doomed prisoners, and eYclamations of pity
wero couched IN the strongest terms. From
the third story it was easy to climb down the
ladders, and many did 80, with the assistance
of the fremen. But there were not ladders
enough for all who were on that floor even, be-
cause the fire was already in the rooms, catch
ing in the p les of paper with which nearly all
the newspaper offices were incumbered, and
the utmost haste was requisite to escape burn
ing or suffocation
Two men threw mp window of the Observer
Office, and climbed out on the narrow sill.
red glare behind them, with black back
ground of smoke showed how hotly they were
nursued. They were the Rev. DR.. S. lrentpus
Prime, editor Of the Observer, and the Rev. DR..
Stoddart. wide signboard served as guard
for them, and they edged along behind it until
they got to the Times building adjoining,
where they entered window. AT the same
time Edward L. @. Bruce, of the Turf, Field
and Farm, clirabed from window OF his Of
fee in the next story above, and by means of
handy signboard reached Thompson's adyer-
tising agency in the Times building, but not
without burned hand and face. A cheer went
up from the crowd.
But the cheering was only for an instant. 1t
was silenced by horrifying sight. Mrs. Ellen
Bull, colored, the janitress of five offices in the
building aged about fifty years. came to
third-story window and called loudly for help.
Some men held a large sheet for her and she
jumped, but missing the sheet, fell with terri
bic force on the sidewalk. She was raised and
taken at once 10 the Chambers street hospital,
where she died in about an hour.
Richard 3, Davy, printer, q native OF Eng
land, forty years old, was seen on the roof
running wildly up and down and calling loudly
for "Holp! heipl" Suddenly he was seen to
slip and fall. On his way he struck against
the telegraph wires and was badly hurt. Re-
bounding Fl ON the wires he fell to the sidewalk
with crash, breaking his leg and injuring
himself badly in the face. He Was taken to
the Chambers street hospital, whore he died.
While these scones were being enacted BY
the tiromen in Nassau street similar ones were
going on III Park row. Hook and Ladder Com
pany No. 10 was stationed thoro, and the
daring and bravery Of private John J. HON
commanded the admiration of the spectators.
He ran up the ladder in Park row, near the
Deekman' street corner, and rescued two men
and one woman. To do this he had 10
10 supplied with another ladder ten feet
long, which was held by one of his com
panions on the first ladder. After that
Horn placed the ladder against room
on the same floor near the Times building. Two
faces had been seen to disappear from the win
dow. He could see nothing whom the window
was reached, as the room, which was nearly
fifty feet square, WAS thick with smoke. Inside
he heard grosps lie jumped through the win
dow and in minute afteIward reappeared
with man in his arms. The man was foand
almost unconscious, lying on the floor. Horn
went into the room twice afterHard, and each
time he found man almost lifeless from suffo-
cation. AS he descended with his last man the
crowd cheerod Justify.
Another OF the rcscuers of Hook and Ladder
No. 10 was John Z. Nolan, who had charge of
ladder on the Park row side. He had a ladder
that reached to the third story, and from there
he passed out two Women. On the floor above
in the windows were others VINO were crying
piteously for help. Nolan wound his legs in an
astonishing way in the rungs Of the ladder and
sz1 .A1 ~.