New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-19
WESTERN UNION STOPPED.
ITS OFFICES BURNED OUT.
THE COMPANY QUICKLY GETS on IT'S FEET
AGAIN

GERS CARRY DISPATCHES TO JERSEY CITY
AND OTHER POINTS, WHENCE THEY
ARE SENT FoRwARD-PLANs FOR
THE FUTURE-SEvERAL MEN
AND WOMEN RESCUED.
Thousands of men stood in lower Broadway yes
terday morning and saw flames destroy everything
OF value In the upper part Of the Western Union
Building at Broadway and Dey-st. The big Oper-
atinC rooms and the battery room Of the telegraph
company on the sixth and seventh floors the Asso-
ciated Press rooms and restaurant on the eighth
floor and the kitchen, storerooms and servants
rooms in the top story were burned out. At
time the fire made a splendid and awc-inspiring
sight, and the excitement Of the spectators was
increased by the peril Of men and women the
roof of the burning building. Brave nremen and
fire patrolmcn, however, prevented loss Of life.
Night Manager Tobin, Chief Operator Robinson
and about forty operators were at work on the
sixth and seventh floors OF the building at : q. m,
when the flames started in the battery room.
Smoke warned the operators of the danger. and
most Of thcm including few women. lost no time
in escaping 10 the street. Mrs. Adams one Of the
women operators, carried with her the dispatches
which she was about 70 send, being too much
cited to know what she held in her hand. The
elevators, which only to the fifth floor carried
down the operators who first escaped, and
thoughtful messenger boy who sounded alarm
TO call the fircmen.
HAND GRENADES USELESS.
Manager Tohin. Mr. Robinson and some OF the
other men remained for a time and tried to eXtin-
gush the flames in the battery room with hand
grcnadcs, hut they soon found that their efforts
useless. They joined in hasty flight
from the building by few persons who were in
the restaurant and Associated Press rooms above
when the fire started. Mike" Sherman one of
the operators. kept at work at his kcr, sending
dispatch 10 the Grand Central Station. until the
smoke nearly chokcd him. Mr.. Tobin was one Of
the last persons to leave the operating room, ana
Nc thought everybody else had left the upper part
Of the building, forgetting that some Of tho men
and women who worked in the restaurant and
kitchen had rooms in the top story.
Before the frcmcn had arrived the flames had
spread through the operating room, and escape
by the stairs from the floors above il was made
impossible. Half dozen women, employed in
the kitchen, and several men were obliged 10
climb through n scuftlc 10 a balcony the
French roof. hiyh above the roofs Of the ad-
Joining buildings. There they stood in the sight
Of the multitude below, crying for help, while
the smoke poured ont Of the windows below
them and flames curcd mp under the cornices.
Their rescue later seemed almost miraculous.
\ LIFE LINE FROM AZ ADJOINING ROOF
Fire Patrol No got to the fire from Murray
st in advance Of the engines. As the wagon went
down broadway the fire patrolmen saw five men
NJ scvcnth-story window on The north side Of
the burning building The men were shouting
y. 81
Lieutenant McCann. who was in charge OF the
wagon ordered the driver TO stop In front
Of the adjoining building, No. POI Broadway. the
fat roof of which about twenty feet below
the window Only glance was needed 10 tell
NcCann that the place from which 70 reach the
men m the window was the roof below it. lie
led the way 70 this roof followed by Fire Patrol
men Groves. La Cour. Shields and Sullivan They
carried lifeline, coil Of rope and n springgun.
Against thc north wall OF the Western Union
Building was a ladder which had been used AT
one time bv lincmcn who were strnCing wires
there II was about dozen feet long, and was
nailed to the wall far beyond the reach Of the
men ~ the window. The fire patromcn wrenrhrd
the ladder away from the vail and ST il in place
below the window bat il was too short 70 reach
tine imprisoned men. Two of the rcscuerS went
10 the top Of the ladder and helped the hv' men
down. Smoke was pouring ont of AL the win
do,ys and flames we're shooting from some OF thch
when the men were taken down the ladder
"Thcy were lively young fellows McCann
said later. but they looked as If they h'd ah"ut
lost hope when wr reached them, ana they were
thankful enough when they reached the roof oi
No. 20l.~
Before the five men were saved another man was
socn appealing for help at window Nl'' Miner
above the roof where thc rescucrs We're Ihat
window also was nearer the west end Of the
buiIdino and McCann saw that 4 would 'c u-'-
los, to try to get ladder near him. The lifeline
md gun were used promptly, and al first tr'l
tlc man canght the line II was hurled close 10
,hc window He hauled mp part of the rope ana
oncyinQ NlcCanp's orders passed 1t over pro
.ccting beam which had been used aN cro'S-arm
Tor telegraph wires. Then the man SIid down the
rorc which the fire -patrolm"n held aut.
NcCnnn did not inquire the name of the SlN
mon who were rescued. His attention wos turned
to several men and women on balcony of the
slantinp roof Of the burning building, hfty fr't
,bo,c INN. He saw them through the clouds of
smoke and tongues Of fire that already issued from
the windows below the balcony and made an inn
u,ssablc barrier between them and the roof on
which bc stood The men the balcony were
>houting for help, and the women were wringlng
thcr hands and crying. In describing the scene
afierward McCann said Il really thought they
,,ore Toou;cd TO die before my face. II would
have been useless to throw rope or raise ladder
If we had been able - get one long enough, from
;hc roof Of 30 2Ol, because no person '"uld
pas, alive from the balcony TO the roof through
the flames which were shooting out OF the WIN
do,ys below the balcony. Some of the hremeh
came ON the roof and shot our lifeline over the
balcony 10 the roof Of "A Dey-st. building thlhk-
ing that the people on the balcony mlGht ca''n
fine line and pull up rope on the other side
HELP COMES AT LAST.
Help came TO the men and women on 'ne o'i-
cory from the Dcy-st. side, but not by the HE
line. Hook and Ladder Company NO TO- from
rnIton-,t.. had reached the Western Union BuiId-
inc and had gone in at the Dcy-st, door soon after
Fire Patrol No ! stopped in Broadway and toie-
man Binns had led his men up an IRON stairway
in the rear OF the bnilding to the siN'h S'o'N,