Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-01-31
NEWSPAPER BUILDING ON FIRE
The Flames Raging in the New
York Times Block.
Other buildings and Papers In
Danger.
The Christian Observer Burned Out.

NEW YORK, January Sl,-The New
York Times building is burning.
The flames are raging fercely and no
doubt the building will be a total less.
The fire reported as breaking out in the
Times Office originated in the building
formerly occupied by the New York
World, in the same block with the Times
building, but separated from it by inter
vening buildings. Strenuous efforts are
making to save the Times building. but
the fire is spreading rapidly and it
is feared cannot be controlled short
Of the corner where the Times Office
is located. There are unconfrmed
rumors of the loss Of several lives,
and ambulances are on the spot. There
is slight snow falling but the air is dry
and crisp with light breeze from the
north, which increases the difficulty of
controlling the fire. Tire block in which
the fire is burning is an irregular shaped
gore with the building formerly occupied
by the World on its southeast corner and
the Times building occupying the entire
northern angle of the gore.
The Tribune Office is diagonally across
Nassau street from the Times building,
and the Sun Office is on the upper
corner of the same block with the
Tribune. The fire \ has been
burning fercely for an hour, taking hold
in the top of the buildings and sending up
large masses of flames. s. Irenus sends
the following note TO the associated press:
1.-THE New York Observer has been burn
ed out, and this weeks issue will be de-
layed. The Observer office was at No. 81
Park Row, in the old World building.
There were large number of offices, stores
and advertising agencies in that and ad-
jacent houses. In one of these Offices there
were number of women employed, and
it is reliably asserted that one woman fell
or leaped from the roof over Pettingill's
advertising offices and was killed. II has
been rumored that tho father of the wo-
man has been burned in the offices, but
this cannot be verified. The pecuniary
loss will be very heavy, both in buildings
and stock in stores, including the whole
sale supplies of rubber, machinery. etc"
AT II o'clock the southern end Of the
gore is a mass of ruins, but it is now
Thought that the Times office will be
saved, though the danger is not entirely
over.
The Times building is saved, but is
considerably damaged. The flames are
confined TO Beekman street and Park Row
the corner Of the block. Only one life
lost, that of the woman already referred
to.
LATER.-It is stated that four bodies
were recovered in Nassau street of per-
sons killed by jumping from windows. 1t
is feared that the loss of life will be
heavier than at first believed. The build
ing was crowded with employees, and very
few could have escaped By the stairways.
An old gray haired woman was seen in
the fourth story Of the World building
appealing for help. Her lips were seen
to move, but her voice could not be heard.
All who saw her were horror stricken.
The flames ragged about her person, ignit-
ing her hair and clothing She fell back
into the flames and was no doubt burned
TO DEATH
A young girl wearing blue dress, who
was cut of from the stairs, ran TO
fourth story window on the Park Row
side, and stood, hesitatingly, while the
flames and smoke encircied her. Jump
jumplp shouted the spectators, and cast
ing frightened look below, she threw her.
self cut and fell on the stone pavement
when she was picked up, but life was al
ready extinct, her head being crushed be-
yond recognition. A few minutes later
a negro woman appeared at the third
story window of the World office on
Park Row side and also jumped TO the
sidewalk. She was badly injured and
taken to Chambers street hospital. Several
men and women saved themselves by
leaping from windows in Nassau street.
| When the woman who was killed 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 vera saved by
the firemen mounting on one another's
shoulders, and the men let themselves
down with their aid. The scenes at the
time when the occupants OF the upper
floors were making their escape were
often exciting and touching. Men could
be seen holding the hands Of the women,
evidently encouraging them to calmness.
Three women ran on the roof and fell
through the skylight of one of the north
ern buildings, receiving serious injuries. A
bootblack, who was intently watching the
progress of the FIRE from the corner
of Beekman street and Park Row,
seeing some men entangled in telegraph
wires adjoining the burning premises,
climbed the pole and cut the wires, re-
leasing them from their critical position.
Several people descended from the burn
ing building on the Nassau street side by
reaching u telegraph pole. A boy
leaped from the fifth story and would
doubtless have been killed but for the
wires breaking his fall. lie was hurt, but
not seriously. An express wagon with a
heavy canvas covering drew up under
the windows and several men who
were about to leap to the ground
were told by the driver to jump on
the wagon, which they did, and escaped
without any serious hurt One young
woman stood upon a window sill in the
fourth story until the fremen arrived
with large piece of canvas, which they
held at the ends, and when all was ready
she threw her hands straight over her
head and jumped. She fell upon the out
stretched canvas aud escaped injury.
1t is almost impossible to estimate the
losses at this writing, but it is believed
they will exceed 81, 100000.
Among the occupants of the burned
buildings were the Scientific American,
the Scottish-American Journal, the Turf,
Field and Farm, and Thompson's Bank
Motto and Commercial Reporter; also the
following advertising agents: s. M. Pet
tengill q Co, J. s. Phillips & Co., G. Meyer
& Co., j. w. Thompson, Nicola Monchesi,
A. r. Thompson, Levi A. Desbrow and
Leander IL. Kali. The top floors Of the
burned buildings we're occupied by vari-
Gus MANUFACTURES and by weekly news
papers which employed women as COM
postors. A woman and two men were
said to have been seen at n window on