Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-02-01

sau street entrance. Ii was IN lis snaf6 tnat
the first outbreak OF fire took place, on the
ground floor. What caused it is a matter of
conjecture.
The following statement regarding the
origin of the fire is made by E. o. Ball. l
was passing down near the stairs of No 81.
Park Row, and when near tine foot of the
stairs, the flames burst out through the new
elevator shaft from the basement. The flames
rushed up the shaft like lightning. and al
most as quickly up the stairway in terrible
torrents of fire with dense black smoke,
which almost instantly cut off all possibility
of escape. Passing back through the build
ing calling the alarm. l came out on Park
Row side. The engine room adjoins the bot
tom of the elevator shaft and the fire must
have begun there and gained its impetus be-
fore any alarm was given. Mr.. Ball fears
that the rapidity with which the flames and
smoke filled the narrow stairways must nee
essarily have cut off escape for many occu-
pants Of the upper stories
Among the horrors OF the fire were the
following: On-lookers on Beekman street,
below Nassau. saw half dozen persons
spring to the windows in different stores and
endeavo- TO swing themselves over the sill.
One man flung himself from a third story
window, struck and tore asunder a telegraph
wire in his fall. and was dragged from the
sidewalk bleeding, helpless mass. He was
found to be so badly cut and crushed that his
death is only a question of hours. Other
forms, gesticulating wildly, appeared at the
windows nearest Beekman street with gar
ments and hair ablaze. Ladders were hastily
thrown up and three or four were taken down.
Then the rescuers were driven back and their
ladders burned. Out of fourth window,
thirty feet above the pavement, swung the
body of a colOred woman. She grasped the
sill first with one hand, and then with the
other. Her wild, despairing shrieks rent the
air.
From the window burst of flame swept
over her, and she fell. Her body was crush
ed to a shapeless mass, and before she reach
ed the hospital was dead. A man and wo-
man were seen ciutching the sills of the
fourth story windows with desperate effort
more appeared in their places. On the Beck
man street side and on the Park Row side,
similar scenes were enacted.
Three men appeared in the fourth story
window, imploring aid, but none was posi-
bic from without, but negro bootblack
climbed telegraph pole and cut the wire
that fell across their window and three men
cid down in safety. Another negro lad aged
IS, jumped from fourth story window on
projecting sign below the third story. A lad
der was put up and standing upon the top he
| shouted to two white men to leap, as he had
done, to the sign. The first one upset the
sign. and was falling headlong, when the ne
gro seized and held him until the firemen
rescued him. Then five men, with the ter
rOr of death staring in their faces, clamored
for help from fourth story window, on the
Nassau street side. From the roof above
them, man sprang into the sheet, in their
sight but they shrank from following. The
firemen brought ladders, but they were too
short. number of citizens came to the aid
of the firemen, and ladders were raised on
their shoulders. which just reached the win
dow. The flames had long ago seized the
wooden frames, but stream of water was
thrown around and upon them, and so kept
them safe. Upon the ladders thus held up,
they crept down, escaping with their lives.
One OF them said that quiet number of PEG.
| pie were left in there.
The building at noon, in front of the World
building, fell in on all sides, but heaps OF
! tiercelv blazing ruins remained upon which
fourteen engines and the great water tower
were pouring great streams of water. Two
men and a colored woman were taken to the
Chambers street hospital. The woman was
janitress and died shortly after arriving. Two
men who jumped from building, aud are
now in the hospital, are Richard s. Tracy.
aged 40, aprinter He sustained fracture
of the thigh, lacerated wounds on the face,
and internal injuries. The other is Rober,
Bowie. aged 80, printer. 1t is thought that
| their injuries fatal.
| The corner of Nashua and Bceknhan streets
was occupied by Rodriguez Brothers. import
ers of Havana cigars. Their stock was, as
everything else in the building, entirely de-
strGyed. The stock in the tailoring estab.
ment of Grubins, corner of Park Row and
Beekman streets, valued at $4,000, was
lost The Scotsman journal, the New York
Observer, the editorial rooms of the Turf,
Field and Farm, Jacob J. Stone, solicitor, l.
| Nj. Pettengilfs advertising agency, A. S.
Clark, dealer in books, Poland spring
water agents, the Scientific American, The
Press, X. H..Mumm & Co., patent solicitors,
j. {. Ladd, patent lawyer, New York Belt
ing & Packing Co., occupying two large stores
on Park Row. and many lawyers and others
occupied the offices in the burned building.
The fire stopped short at the Times build
ing at one o'clock. The fire worked into the
Times building, but did not damage the ed.
itorial room. The composing room was
flooded and two large holes made in the walls
and ceiling by the fircmen.
Among the persons reported missing and
supposed to have lost their lives at the fire
are a. j. Todd, patent lawyer, whose of
flee was in the building, and his clerk, James
Hunter.
The yet unfinished Kelley building. 'front.'
ing on Beekman street was blackened and
scorched the whole extent of its facade.
From the old Evening Mail building, on
Beekman street and Park Row, the tenants
| fled IN dismav, when the windows caught fire