The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-02-02
THE FIRE FIEND.
= Destructive Blaze in Park Row, New


/ In the same block with the Times build
ing, but separated from it by an inter.
vening building. Strenuous efforts are
being made to save the Tunes, but the
| fire Is spreading rapidly and it is feared
| ii cannot be controlled short of the cor
Her where the Times office is located.
There is an unconfirmed rumor of the
loss OF several lives. AmbuIances are
on the spot. There is a slight snow
falling but the air is dry and crisp with
| a light breeze from the north which in
creases the difficulty of controlling the
fire. The block in which the fire
is burning in an irregular shaped gore,
with the building formerly occupied by
the World on its southeast corner and
the Times building occupying the en-
tire northern angle of the gore. The
Tribune office is diagonallY across Mas
sau 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 f1ercely for an
hour, taking hold in the tops of build
ings and sending up large masses of
flames. Sirenus Prime sends the fol-
lowing note to the associated press:
The New York Observer has been
burned out and this weeks issue
will be delayed. The Observer Office
was at No. 81, Park Row, in the old
World building. There were a large
number of offices, stores, and advertIs-
ing agencies in that and adjoining
houses. In one of these Offices there
were a number men employed and it is
reliably asserted one woman fell or
| leaped from the roof over Pettingill's
advertising offices and was killed.
| There are rumors of other women being
burned in the Offices, but these cannot
yet be Verified. The pecuniary loss
will be very heavy both on buildings
and stock in stores, including
wholesale supplies of rubber, machin-
cry etc. AT II O'Clock the southern end
of the gore is mass of ruirs, but it is
now thought the Times office will be
saved, though the danger is not entirely
| over.
NEW YoRK, Jan. 31.-The Times
building is saved, but Is considerably
damaged. The flames are confined TO
the Beekman street and Park Row cor
ner of the block. Only one life is lost,
that of the woman already referred 10.
Among the occupants of the burned
building were the Scientific American,
| the Scottish American journal, the
| Turf, Field and Farm, Thompson's
Bank Note and Commercial Reporter.
and the following advertising agents:
S. NJ. Pettingill 8 Co.; Jno. F. Phillips
& Co, Chas; Meyer & Co, Walter
Thompson, Nicola Monachesi, A. R.
Leander II. Prall. The top floors
OF the burned buildings were
occupied by various manufacturers
and by weekly newspapers which en-
| ployed women as compositors. A. wo-
man and two men are said to have been
| seen on Nassau street and then to dis
appear IN the flames. The following
statement regarding the origin of the
fire is made by one of the occupants of
the building:
was passing down near the corner of
the Nassau street stairs of No. 30 Park
Row, and when near the foot of the
stairs the flames burst up through the
new elevator shaft from the basement.
Nothing had occurred indicating an eX-
plosion up to that moment. The flames
rushed up the shaft like flash of light
ming and almost as quickly up the stair
ways IN terrible torrents of
fire with dense, black smoke which al
most instantly cut off all possibility of
egress Passing back through the
Building and calling the alarm | came
out on the Park Row side. The engine
room adjoins the bottom of the elevator
shaft and the fire must have begun
there and gained its impetus before
rapidity with which the flames and
smoke filled the narrow stairways cut off
escape for many occupants in the upper
stories. An old gentleman with white
hair got out of the Fourth story window
on the Beekman street side. He stood
on the siIl for fully five minutes hold
ing on to the narrow top piece with his
hands. The flames were approaching
him, but he saw no chance of escape.
The f1remen raised the ladder, but it
only reached to the story below
him.A crowd in the street got tarpaulin
and score of willing hands braved the
ders and a shout went up plainly heard
by the old gentleman, to jump. Jump
for your life! we'll save you" but he
looked at the go feet of distance below
him and could not muster up courage
enough to make the attempt. He turn
ed forward facing the street and with
his hands behind him stood like a
statue Drawing death. Meanwhile two
brave men got short ladder and went
up a long fire ladder and held it up to
him and steadied 1t while he slowly
climbed down. Just as he reached the
long ladder flames burst through the
window where he had stood, but he
reached the sidewalk in safety amid
the cheers of the crowd.
1t is estimated that the damage to the
Times building will not exceed $4,000.
This is the estimate of Mr.. Jones, the
Times publisher and principal owner.
The World building is complete
wreck, and except the tottering frag-
ments of the walls, is heap OF ruins.
The front of the Morse building,
standing at the rear and on the opposite
side of Nassau street was badly injured
tho uTyindnuyo hofnnr hT1rVnd m
occupants of the front secti0 ns lost con-
siderable in furniture, books, etc.
The editorial and publication rooms |
of the Truth newspaper, situated in one
of the front Easements, have been re-
moved to another part of the block. |
The Morse building is owned by the |
Morse estate, is nine stories high and |
one of the most approved modern |
structures, having heen erected about |
five years ago at an enormous expendI- |
ture and occupied by lawyers, agents |
and private business offices.
On the south side of Beekman street |
is situated the old Lovejoy hotel build |
ing, until recently occupied by the |
Evening Mail, the publication Office |
having been IN the basement occupied |
now by hat store and offices. The /
damage to the building is great from
fire, smoke and water The Mail Offices
were removed a few weeks ago to the
Express building when the cOnsolida-
tion of the two papers was effected.
The Express building is few doors be-
low contiguous to the new offices of the
Daily News and the new building &C.
cupied by the World, separated from
the rear of the Loveioy building in
course of erection, to be occupied prIn-
cipally by the Nassau bank. This is
one of the most expensive new build
ings now in course of erection in down.
town business circles and is dam
aged to the extent of many thou
sand dollars. The building was saved
from complete destruction with
and the flames received
less encouragement than they would
have had had the windows and parti-
tons and floors been completed. The
Beekman street front is irreyOcably dam
aged by smoke, flames, and water. Mr..
Eugene Keller, the owner, states this
evening that he is unable 10 even esti-
mate his loss.
The damage to the postof1ice building
on the City Hall Park side of Park Row,
directly fronting the World building, is
comparatively light, and caused prin-
cipally by the flood of water poured
upon the roof and sides by postoffice
employees.
TIE I1tOBAbILifIESO F THE CONFLAGRA-
TON
1T one time could scarcely be estimated
rs it was not improbable that except for
the extraordinary force of the firemen
and combination of fortunate circum-
stances, that the new pOstofice, city hall,
Tribune building and score Of other
prominent buildings would be burned.
1t so happened that the particular build
ing where the fire originated was several
stories less in height than the new
surrounding il and thus the
wind did not get a fair sweep, although
It blew al a high rate and fierce snow
storm was raging
THE BURNED BUILDING
has been regarded for long time as
unsafe and a few monfhs a0n the