New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-24
A TELEPHONE OFFICE BURNED OUT
MANY UPTOWN WIRES MADE USELESS.

ELEVEN HUNDRED SUBSCRIBERS OF THE METRO
PoLITAN WILL HAVE NO SERVICE TO-DAY
The Metropolitan Telephone Company suffered
loss by fire last night to the extent of about
100000 They occupy the fourth and fifth
floors of the fvc-story building at Sixth-ave. and
Thirty -ninthst, which is the headquarters for the
district extending from the East to the North Riv-
ers and from Thirteth to Ninetieth sts. 1t con-
tains IT, 25 subscribers.
large multiple switchboard is on each floor.
J. H. Bruder is the night superintendent on the
fifth floor and George Emmonds on the fourth.
About 10: 80 p. m. Brudcr suddenly saw thirty
forty Of the indicators on his switchboard fall
together, without any apparent reason. This was
accompanied by rattling sound. and followed in
stantly by binding flash of lightning, and at
once flames burst out from the switchboard in the
operators face.
He shouted frel" and ran to the operator on
the floor below, who had observed the same phe-
nomena on his board. Together they rushed TO
the street and gave the alarm The fremen
promptly responded, but ere they arrived the top
story In flames and the switchboard there
was destroyed Before they got the fire under
control it had destroyed the switchboard on the
lower floor and had eaten its way up into the
cupola of the building, melting the main cable
which contained all the wires Of the district as
they entered the headquarters. The cause of the
fire is supposed to be the crossing of some of the
telephone wires with an electric light wire.
w. H. Eckert, of the company, estimated the
loss last night at $40 OO0 and said that it would
probably be three weeks before telephone commu.
nicaton could be restored in that district. n
few minutes after the fire broke out all telephones
on the west side of the city were thrown out but
were speedily restored, except those wholly within
the above mentioned district.
The third floor Of the building was vacant and
the first and second floors were occupied by Haz-
ard d. Hazard, druggists. who suffered loss by
wa>er of about 81 900. The building was damaged
to like amount
ELECTRIC MACHINERY DAMAGED by FLAMES.
Flames discovered in the sub-cellar OF the
building No 60 Lbertyst., under Jerc JohnsOn's real
estate agency, few minutes before m. yesterday,
and the jantor to the quarters of Engine Company
No. 4, in the same street, to givo the alarm. Extra
engines called few minutes later and the fire
worked hard for hour TO extngush the fire
which burned fercely in the cellar. Meanwhile some
Of the books and furniture moved OF Johnsons
office. The building filed with dense smoke and
tho rcmen broke good deal of glass out the windows
in order TO let the smoke out but the fire did not get
high as the first floor.
The cellar was occupied by the Edison Electric
Illuminating Company as a sub-statlon, and four
dynamos in the plant there. The station had
been closed for week President Smith. Of tho com
pany said IT was not used in the summer time. The
machinery was worth about s2Oo 900, and it was dam
aged about $4,000 J"hnson's !oss aboit 1000
Other losses by smoke in the building Will amount to
about SO 600. The building. owned by Alanson Irask
can DO repaired for ~. 600. All the property was
insured The janor thought the fire started by spOn
tancous combustion I'm somc greasy waste which had
been used to clean the machinery. No person was IN
the cellar, and it was locked up when the IRE was us