The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-02-01

u
almost Instantly cut of sll possibility Of
ogress Passing back through the build
ing calling an alarm, l came out on the
Park Row side. The engine room ad-
| joins the bottom OF the elevator shaft.
snd-the Ere must have begun there and
Gslaed Its impulse before any alarm was
given. fear the rapidity with which
the flames and smoke filled the narrow
stairways cut off escape Tor many occu-
pants Of the upper stories. An old gen.
tlemsL with white hair got out OF the
fourth story window on the Beckmsn
street side. He stood on the ell fully
| five nIinu es, holding IN the marrow piece
with his hands The flames were sp-
preaching him. but ne saw 10 chance of
escape. The fIemsn raised ladder, but
it only reached to the story below him.
The crowd on the street and q score Of
| willing hands braved the dsf gers Of
falling debris and cirders, and shout
went up plainly hearu by the old
gentleman to jump, jump, for your
life, we'll save you. But he looked at
the sixty feet Of distance below him and
could not muster up courage enough to
make the attempt. He turned forward,
Harvard facing the street, and with his
hands behind him stood like statute
Drawing death. Meantime Two brave
men got short ladder. went up the fr5
ladder and held it up to him aLd s:es did
it while he slowly climbed down. Just
as he reached the long ladder the flames
burst throngA the window where be had
stood, bat he reached the sidewalk in
safety amid the cheers of the crJWd. A
man who gained the roof and escaped by
way of the Times building shouted to MS
rescuers that other human being were
perishing there.
Carlos White, of the Poetic
Newspaper Publ hing Company,
had an office on the fourth
floor of the burned building. He said:
You can see have been pretty close to
the flames, as my hair, beard and eye
brows ere singed, but early made my
escape from the building. The fire was
not altogether surprise TO me; in fact.
an hour or two before it broke out.
spoke to the workmeR engaged in the
building and told them something of the
sort was about to happen. There was
something wrong with the heating sppa-
ratus, although can't say just what it
was. At all events the walls about the
closets were so hot that there was evil
IDENTIFY danger of some kind. I put nv
hand upon them. When the flames did
break out they ragged with extraordinary
fury. They lesped from the bottom to
the top Of the building like a fash, ard
rolled upward in great shee's.
Another occupant said: l was in the
office this morning, when l smelled
smoke. l went out into the hall and SAW
q heavy volume Of smoke coming up the
hoistwAy. l went back into the Office,
and said to two men WHO were in the
Office, THE building is on fire and you
had better get out just as quick
- you can," and grabbed my hat
and ovsrcoat and ran out into
the ball, and then the flames were rush.
ing up the elevator shaft and also up the
we'll hole in the center of :he building.
ran down the stairway on the Park
Row side Of the building, for the flames
were all about the stairs on the Nassau
street side, and it was impossible to
escape that way. am certain was the
last man down stairs, for turned about
ss reached the doorway and looked up
stairs, and the whole entrance to the
building was Apparently in flames. The
two men whom left IL the Office were
named Stell and Brown.
A score of men stratched 4 blanket
under the windows on Park Row. and
some were saved who were shut off rom
the stairs. Others refused TO iuup and
were taken down on ladders. One woman
sprang out and went through g blanket.
A girl stepped from 0 window in. Beck
man street ut the call Of fireman, but
was unable to reach him, when he held
out his hand, on which she stepped and
was safely lowered. A man who ven
tured too fsr into the theatre alley to-
ward the burning building, was over
come by smoke, but was dragged to q
place of safety. There were several in
stances of fremen being temporarily
overcome by smoke, but all recovered.
Turf, Field and Farm, which occu-
pied q portion of the burned building.
had the finest sporting library 10 the
country, some of the books being verv
valuable. The librsry was the property
OF Col. S. B. Bruce and Leslie Bruce.
The manuscript for the years stud book |
IN process Of composition was DESTROYED.
The loss Of the concern is put at $50 600. |
The loss of the firm of S. NJ. PettinpilI |
q Co., advertising agents, is estimated at |
S2dO, GEO. Among the occupants not /
heretofore mentioned are Jacob j. Stsry. |
patent solicitor; M. Tribal, schoo! books:
Frazer q Connect, patent solicitors.
One whe escaped says two men, Stall
and Brown, whom he left behind MIN in
The burning building must have persisted.
and from screams and cries on the upper
aoors and Railways he heard as he ran
along, ne fully believes ten or q dozen
women and girls were caught and unsbIe
70 escape. -Four or five hundred were in
he building when the fire began. Saw
srAl heroic deeds took place. The build
ng destroyed was the Potter building.
worth $500. 900; insured for Sis coo
The New York Betting and Packino
.sompsny lose $3.50, COO; insured fJr
'lO0, 600; Willy WEllsek's, stationery.
oss, $4,000; insured. The de-
tEuction OF patents, models. etc.
# the Scientific Americican foots
Up 800, 600. Aggregate loss, 81. OOO, 600.
otal insurance, $3.50 600. Tne secretarv
4 the board of fire underwriters said.
'Iho losses are scattered about among
. many Insurance companies that NJ
lngle company will be much affected
me building has been long regarded AZ
azsrdous, and insurance men have besi-
ated 70 accep. large risks for occu-
j. y. Gorm.n, president of the hoard
| nre commissioners, says: II: is Imnos- :
Die to begin the search for the bodies q
ow, and I'm afraid that it will bs hours
pfOra anutbs7r