Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-07-19
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
THE WESTERN UNION BUILDING, NEW
YORK CITY, ABLAZE.
The Immense Structure Rendered Use
1ess-The Top Stories Burned Out
The Losses Great.
By telegraph to the DispatchJ

graph COmpany'S OperatlHg-room oh tnc
seventh floor of their magnificent build
ing, corner of Broadway and Dey streets.
SO rapidly did the flames extend to the
woodwork that the escape Of the employees
by the stairways was cut off and a number
were lowered from the windows by means
of ropes TO the tops of the adjoining build.
ings. So far as known there was no loss OF
life.
The fire extended from the fifth to the
upper stories of the building. including
the operating-room. the Associated Press
Offices. the executive offices Of the Western
Union Company. and the upper floors. de-
voted to restaurant and living purposes;
The department at $50 claimed they had
the fire under control.
FULLER ACCOUNT.
The Western Union Telegraph building
caught fire at o'clock this morning.
The distributing room on the fifth floor;
the operating-room on the floor above. and
the restaurant on the seventh tloor were
com.ietely DESTROYED and seven lives
miracnlously saved.
A few minutes before7 O'Clock this morn
ing the operators began to arrive to go 70
work. About fifty men and young women
had reached the operating-roon,. A mes
senger- boy by the name of Matthews saw
puff of smoke under a table IN the dls-
tributing-room on the flooi below the ope.
rators' room. He scarcely had time to IN
vestigate the cause when the wooden tanl'
was In flames. and the fire spread With
| lightning-like rapidity. He rushed up
stairs to notify the new arrivals that the
| building was on fire. They were compelled
| to 90 through the distributing-room to get
| downstairs. A panic was the result OF the
messengers information, and the young
women screamed, while the men rushee
| pell-mell downstairs TO escape the tames
which in less than two minutes had spreat
almost over the entire distrlbutlng-room
| burning up wires. instruments, and tables
as if they were so much tinder.
THROUGH srIFLIsG SMOKE.
The entire room when the pNnic-strickel
crowd passed through it was filed will
sitting smoke. They fell over each othe
! in their wild efforts to reach place o
safety. The messenger, with an operatoo
bv the name of Skidmore. we're the onl'
| two perdOns who retained presence OF mlnC
| enough to take in the awful situation. I'M
| boy rushed down stairs and out or IN
| building and sent out an alarm, while SKID
| more got down fire-eXtlnguisher ana en-
| deaynred to auench the flames. He saw
was impossible TO be of anv service. ant
| 70 save himself he rushed for the stalrwa
before the fire should overtake him. B
this time the flames had reached the cell
ing of the distributing-room and wer
eating their way through To the operating
room, where the instruments that connec
with the wires that distribute new
throughout the country were located. Il
less time than il takes to tell it this entir
floor was ablaze and the flames were eat
ing their way TO the floor above, where tn
Western Union Company's restaurant wa
located.
| SEWN PERSONS N PERIL.
Just about this time it flashed upon Tn
minds of the frightened persons who ha
escaped that there were seven others o
the restaurant floor who had not bee
warned of their danger. All exit had b
this time been cut off whereby these pc
sons could escape. and they were nc
warned of their danger till the, smoS
rushed up the stairway leading to the opt
ratiDg-room in volumes.
APANIc.
There were four men and three wofnel
Seeing escape cut off from every quart
there was an awful panic. The youn
women were waiters in the restaurant az
the men were cooks and choremen. III
women rushed around the restaurai
screaming and wringing their hands, MOI
of them tainted. One of the men tndii
} himself with no possible means
escape downward rushed for the scuttl
hole IN the roof. The tiap-door was pusl
7 ed off and the prisoners climbed 10 q
roof. The streets surrounding the bull
inc were a perfect sea of faces OF persoi
on their way to work. The flames we
shooting out of the front windows AZ
volumes of smoke puifed heayenwar
Under the caves of the building the liam
, we're shooting. and the building seemed
be crowned with fire. when the gre
crowds on the streets saw the men al
women rushing out on the roof cry
horror went up, for 1t did not seem pos'
BILE that they could be rescued.
r "FoR aoD's SAKE SAVE Us
The women on the roof screamed al
; wrIlng their hands and the men yelle
/ For Gods sake do something 10 save us
The first engine had arrived before the u
rifying scene was presented on the 70
= and a volume of water was pouring III
, the burning building. which cracked al
| Kissed and spluttered. second alai
, was sent out. followed immediately .bS
third. In a few minutes there were for
teen engines and hook-and-ladder conn
r | MES and water-towcrs on the groun
7 Water poured in through the flaming, WI
= dows and beat down upon the root. Is
: the flames were stubborn in spite OF I
tons of water poured upon them.
: water poured from the roof to the sic
0 walk like cataract from all sides, and Z
sprav was dashed hundreds of feet in eve
: direction. Still the human beings w'
r HELPLESS. They could be seen enyelop
: in smoke and mist.
y EFFORTS Az RESCUE.
> All of the houses surrounding the 6ull
y ing were much lower than the roof OF I
u Western Union, and for those on top of
! il meant DEATH Two lines OF hose W
:. v run up through the building in Dey sire
! and two heavy streams played on the RI
u OF the building, from which flames a
% smoke were pouring as furlously rs Ir'
% the front, still no effort had been made
% save the terrified men and women on
y roof. 1t now looked as II they eould
!. saved only by q miracle. A long ladder
h nnshed no on the root of No. 3 Dey sire
. but il did not reach within fifty feet of
,, roof of the telegraph building. Howev
!, two fremen scaled the ladder, leaving 1t
:. the top. They threw q rope 10
" roof. II was caught and tied by one
- - the brave girls, who seemed never TO Il
80 her nerve.
a. SAVED BY SPLENDID WORK.
le The two fremen pulled themselves
Il hand over hand until they reached the U
le and amid cheers from thousand thro
W below they let hem down to place
Of safety. 1t was &C ,omplished Just IN til
s. for the flames burst up through the
X nice. soon enveloped the roof. and
tower Of the building was caught by
Ie flames. The water. however, began
Q. have a telling effect.
IL BEAUTIFUL But TERRIFYING SIGHT.
1t was beautiful and at the same tim
AZ terrifying sight to see the fire shoot
o from the windows around the entire oul
ies ing fully fifty feet and blown back !
VI great fiery tongues to lick the roof OF
., building. 1t was not long though bel
10 they grew smaller until finally they q
u away altogether and left smoky and cnar
., bricks where the window-frames had oe
ed THE DAMAGE DONE
IN The entire upper part OF the puiid
Id was cutted and every instrument and
rendered useless. How the fire orlgina
IN no one seems 70 know positively, put
be slrmised that two of the company's el
Id tric-hght wires became crossed ana set
II: hooring on fire.
Id At this time the loss cannot be estima,
mt but it will be great. Had the IRE oroi
u; out an hour later the loss OF iiie mi,
sr, have been enormous. Fully seven hund
N, girls and men are employed on tnese
ct floors. The Offices OF the Associateo