River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-02-09

NEW YORK, Jan. 3l--I:3U p. m. The
damage to the Times building is not
great. The fire is now under control
Twelve lives are known to have been
lost. Its rumored that thirty girls EN-.
ployed in the Pettengill agency have
persisted.
FIRST REPORT.
New YORK, Jan. 31.-The New York
Times building ON Printing House
Square, is burning. The flames are
raging fiercely and there is no doubt
the building viii be to.al loss.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
New York, Jan. -Ambulances
are on the spot. There is slight snow
falling, but the air is dry and crispy,
with a light breeze from the north,
which increases the difficulty of con.
trolling the fire. The block in which
the fire is burning is an irregular shaped
gore with the building formerly occu.
pied by the World On its southeast
corner is the Times building, and the
fire is in the northern angle of the gore
The Tribune Office is directly across
Washington street from the Times, and
the San offices are on the upper corner
of the same block with the Tribune
The fire has been burning fiercely fol
an hour, taking hold in the top of the
building and sending up
LARGE MASSES OF FLAMES.
S. Irenus Prime sends the following
to the associated press:
sThe New York Observer has beer
burned out, and this weeks issue will
be delayed" The Observer Office was
at 81 PARK Row in the old World build
ing. There were large number of Of
fees, stores and advertising agencies in
that and adjoining houses. In one o.
these houses there were a number oil
women employed, and it is reliably
stated that one woman fell or leaped
from the roof over Pettingill's advertis.
ing Office and was killed. There are ru
mors of another woman being burned
the offices, but these cannot yet be yer.
flied.
THE LOSSES
will be very heavy, both On the build
ings and the stocks in store, including
wholesale supplies of rubber, machin.
cry, etc.
At IL O'Clock, the southern end Of
the gore was mass of ruins, bu it is
now thought the Times offices will be
saved, though the danger is not entire
ly over.
THE 'TIMEs" SAVED.
NEW YORK, Jan. 31.-The Time.
building is saved, but considerably
damaged. The flames are confined tC
the Brennan street and Park Row corn
er of the block. Only one life is lost
that of a woman, already referred to.
OCCUPANTS OF THE BUILDING.
New YORK, Jan. 31.-Among the oc
cupants of the burned building were
the Scientific american, the Scottish
american Journal, the Turt, Field a'aC
Farm, and Thonpson's Bank Note dnc
Commercial Reporter, and the following
advertising agents: S. M. Pettingill &
Co., John F. Phillips & Co., Chas. Mey
er & Co., J. Waite Thompson, Nichola
Monachessi, A. r. Thompson, Lev
Disbrow, and Leander H. Grail.
The top floors of the building were
occupied by various manufacturers anC
by weekly newspapers, which emplyeC
women as compositors. A woman anc
two men are said to have been seen a
a window on Nassau street, and ther
disappear in the flames.
loss, ONE MILLION.
1t is almost impossible to estimate the
losses at this writing, but it is believed
they will exceed 81 100000.
f1J che Tow ~ o,-lt
THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE
is made by one Of the occupants of the
building:
L was passing down the rear, or the
Nassau street stairs, of No. 81 FarE
Row, and when near the foot of the
stairs, the flame burst through the new
elevator shaft, from the basement
Nothing had occurred, indicating ar
explosion. Up tc that moment, the
flames rushed up the elevator shaft
and almost as quickly up the stairway
in terrible torrent of fire, with dense
black smoke which almost instantly
cut off all possibility of escape. Passing
back, calling an alarm, / came out or
Park Row. The engine room adjoins
the bottom Of the elevator, shaft, and
the fire must have begun there and
gained its impetus before any alarm
was given. I fear the rapidity with
which the flames and smoke filled. the
narrow stairway cut off the escape fol
any occupants of upper stories"
FOUR BODIES RECOVERED.
New YORK., Jan. Sit is stated thai
four bodies were recovered on Nassau
street, of persons killed by jumping
from the windows.
1t is feared the loss of life will be
heavier than at first believed. The
building was crowded with employees
and very few could have escaped by the
stairway.
An old gray-haired woman was seer
in the fourth story of the World build
ing, appealing for help. Her lips were
seen to move, bu. her voice could not
be heard. All who saw her were hor.
ror-stricken.
The flames ragged about her person
igniting her hair and clothing; she fell
back into the flames and was no doubt
burned to death.
A young girl, wearing a blue dress
who was cut off from the stairs, ran tc
fourth story window, on the Park
Row side, and stood there hesitatingly
while the
FLAMES AND SMOKE ENCIRCLED HER.
"Jumpl"" Jump shouted the spec.
tators. Casting frightened look be
low, she threw herself out and fell or
the stone pavement. When picked VI
life was extinct. her head being crushed
beyond recognition.
A few moments later negro woman
appeared at the third story window O.
the World Office, on the Park Row side
and also jumped to the sidewalk. She
was badly injured and was taken i'm
mediately to the Chambers street hos
pital.
Several men and women saved them
selves by leamng from the windows in
Nassau street. When the woman
jumped from the window, there were
two men
HANGING FROM THE WINDOW sILLS,
by their finger ends. The ladders were
too short to reach them and they were
saved by the iiremen mounting one or
another's shoulders and the men letting
themselves down with their aid.
The scenes at the time when the oc
cupants of the upper floors were max.
ing their escape were often
EXCITING AND TOUCHING.
Men could be seen holding the hands
of women, evidently encouraging them
to calmness.
Three women ran on the roof and
fell through the sky-light of one of the
northern buildings, receiving serious
INJURIES.
A bootblack on the corner of Beck
man street and Park Row, seeing some