New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-09
UNION SQUARES BIG BLAZE.
HARD STRUGGLE TO sUBDUE THE FLAMES
HEROIC WORK OF THE FIREMEN - NEAl'Ai
100000 GoNE-DEMPsEY CARROLL
HEAVY LOSERS.


s,ree,s were flled with people on their way W
worship shortly after 10 o'clock yeS"Iu"s A"oi"
;ro poEoeman Waters saw little pun Oh snloNe
Gonna curlinp through the iron grating III 'il0 sue
wall, in front of No. SO East four'ecn'h-S" iio
WON - =. -. . morent. thinking that it was
,ha engineer of the building startmg hre III 'iie
,-o.on Tho smoke rapidly increased In volume
rd hurst through the cracks IN the WINDOWS III
,ha unner mart of the building, indicating that
s,o had been smouldcrng in the structure ior
,.nr time. thoroughly charging 1t with smoke
The policeman sent out fire call rom broau-
,vav and Fourteenth-st Battalion Cher Bresln,
who is stationed in Thirteenth-st. near Broadway
arrived at the fire in a few seconds, and his OK
nerienced eve saw that there was danger OF
big blaze. which would probably take in several
buildings in Fourteenth-st. He immediately sent
out three alarms which brought eleven engines
four trucks and water-tOwer.
The building is on the southwest corner OF
University Place and Fourtecnth-st is of brick
and five stories in height, the upper story oelhs
a mansard roof II has frontage of thirty ieet
in Fourteenth-st and seventy feet in University
Place
Before steam could be raised TO pressure
which would work the engines the fire had spreau
from the cellar TO the first floor, and the intense
heat broke the glass in the large showwlndoWs
and endangered the lives of the hremen VINO
were trying TO break through the iron ana glass
vault covers. In the front of the building was
passenger elevator and in the was one uSed lor
freight The light wind which was blowing
forced the flames toward the back OF the nisC
floor. where there direct communication 10
the elevator. When the framework had Deeh
burned away the shaft acted as an immense nue
and carried the flames TO the roof with terrlnc
a., urNlAl
NAV be Judged from the fact that they went by
the second and third stories without setting them
or fire. The fire virtually jumped from the cellar
TO the roof and then gradually worked downward
The intense heat and draught made short work of
the nansard roof, and the sparks fell upon the
neighboring houses in dangerous places A care
full watch was kept on the adjoining roofs TO
check the spread Of the fire
Chief Bonner was in charge and fought the
flames from tI.e front and side of the structure,
and for time il seemed if the water from the
eleven engines would prove insufficient TO prevent
the adjoining buildings from being destroyed
1t was not until the water-tOwcr, throwing from
one nozzle the combined stream of three engines
got to work. that any visible check was gwen to
the progress of the flames The water from the
tower thrown with great force into the fourth
and fifth stories, carrying everything before IL,
and showing that sometimes at least it is of ser
vice to the Fire Department
When the fire had been controlled in a measure
on the side of the building, Chief Bonner ordered
the tower to be moved in front of the building in
Fourteenth-st. 30 sweep the upper stories from
end TO end The progress of the tower was OBJ
structed bv the electric wires wl,ich hung low ia
the street, and the standpipe had to- be lowered
before IT could be got into position. This caused
of rn=nu md thp tiPp "A
good headway again before the tower could be
started Fortunately the firemen bye this time
had been able TO get 10 the second and third
stories through the windows, and by heroic effort
prevented the fire from coming below the fourth
story TO any serious extent. The fiTemen OF
Engine No % had the hardest end of the fire TO
fight, and several of them had narrow escapes
from losing their lives While tile flames were
raging iercely they were ordered into the cellar
where the smoke seemed thick enough to destroy
life in a second The fremen went down the
ladder into the cellar, carrying their hose. The
place was waist-deep with water They suffered
greatly and every moment one or more of them
would come hastily up the ladder and fall on the
sidewalk in "a half-suiOca condition After
coughing and vomiting and getting some fresh
air they would go back TO the dangerous pit
without complaint, as if their lives were worth
nothing Fireman John J. Livingston, while hold
ing the nozzle, was overcome and fell to the floor.
He was carried out by his comrades and was
taken 10 st. Vncents Hospital He was suffer
ing from asphyXiatvn and viii recover. Fireman
Kernan overcome by smoke. and was carried
from a dangerous place by the hremen. After
being treated by an ambulance surgeon from ST.
Vincents Hospital ne went back 10 his post. lie
was eheered by the spectators. who had witnessed
his plucBy act Firemcn Cusc and La Mont were
also Frustrated by smoke, but they soon Iecov-
cred after being taken into the open air. Fire
man Jacobs, while the flames were playing hercely
in the upper part Of the bnldIng, found large
cat on the third floor unconscious from smoke.
He put the cat on the wndOw-slll, and in a few
moments the animal revived jumped to the street
and scampered away unnjured. After two hours
hard labor the flames were got under control, and
II did not take long to put Out the fire when the
hIemen got 10 work with their axes and picks.
While the fire ragged Union Square was packed
with spectators, many of whom carried prayer
books and had evidently forgotten about going
70 church. The policemen reserve of the
Mercer-st station and the West Thirtieth-st sta
ton. under the command OF CaptainS Riley and
Brogan had their hands full keeping people Al a
safe distance from the fire Even after tbp flames
hsd been put oui the police had trouble in holding
back the curOsty-seekers from the east wall OF |
the building, which was in danger of falling In |
the crowd were a large number Of insurance |
officials among them being George r Pa'tnr"on |
vee-pFesident of the German American InsHrance |
Company; cX-Alderman Morris. of the Globe In. |
surance Company and William NJ ST. Jobn |
treasurer Of the New-York Board of Underwriters |
The building was badly damaged, and most |
Of the stock was destroyed The first floor was |
occupied by Simpson, Hall Il Miller, slversmitbS
and Dempsey * Carroll, statiOnerS. These firms
also used the basement jointly, and Dempsey a |
Sarroll used the fourth floor stock and engray
ing-room and the fifth floor for printing They had
large amount OF valuable machinery and tools
ana were burned out completely. Maurice Kahn
OF Chocolate MpulpF pipd bo
second Moor, and on the third floor were r. w
oIemmier q Co. importers of silks and satins,
cOrdals Kahn. StemmIer d Co were damaccd
glIhcIpliIy ny water. The losses follows
SSllnpson, nan q Miller. $4,000, fully insured
Hyempses q Carroll. s75 600, fully insured Maurice
Ill. l. -