, 1890-07-19
STOPPED THE TICKERS.
Western Union Headquarters
Burned Out.
Valuable Books, Papers and
Material Destroyed.
The Telegraph Company's Loss
About $4,000
western Union Office Burned.

shortly before I o'clock flames burst from
the switchboard of the Western Union
telegraph operating room on the seventh
floor of their magnificent building. cor
ner OF Broad way and Day streets So
rapidly did the fire extend to the wood
work that the escape Of the employees by
the stairways was cut off and a number
were lowered from the windows by ropes
to the top of the adjoining buildings. So
far as now known no loss of lite occurred.
The fire extended from the fifth to the
upper stories of the building including the
Associated Press Offices. the executive
offices of the Western Union end the up
per floors devoted to restaurant and lv
ing purposes.
A few minutes before 7 O'Clock the
operators began to arrive to go to work.
About fifty men and young women had
reached the operating room when a mes
senger boy saw a puff OF smoke in the
distributing room on the floor below. He
scarcely had time to investigate the cause
before the fire was spreading with light
ming rapidity. The boy then rushed up
stairs to notify the new arrivals. A panic
was the result.
The entire distributing room was full OF
smoke when the panic-stricken crowd
rushed through it in their efforts to es
cape to a place of safety. In less time
than it takes to tell it the entire floor was
ablaze on which was the Western Union
company's restaurant. Here were four
men and taree women cooks and walters
who had been forgotten in the excitement.
Al aw,t HoI H. ~, a-.1 - n
whereby these people could escape. One
escape downward, rushed for the ~scuttle-
pushed off and the prisoners climbed to
the roof.
A long ladder was placed against the
rear of the building, but it did not reach
to within fifty feet of the roof. Two fire
men scaled the ladder and threw a rope
which was caught by one of the women
and tied. The firemcn pulled themselves
I'D, and let the seven down to places of
safety.
The entire upper part of the building
was Quilted, aud every instrument and
wire rendered useless. How the fire
originated no one seems to know posi-.
lively, but it is surmised that two electric
wires became crossed and set the flooring
ON fire.
Had the FIRE broken out an hour later
the loss of life might have been enormous.
Fully 700 men and boys are employed on
these two floors. The offices of the
Associated Press suffered more than any
of the Others in the great building.
The ruin OF the operating room rem
dered useless every Western Union wire
on Manhattan Island, SO the Associated
Press opened headquarters in jersey CITY,
every facility being afforded them by the
ofhcisis of the Pennsylvania Railroad
company, and before the FIRE was under
control the various circuits OF the Associa
led Press were in active operation.
The building of the Western Union had
been Tor many years one of the great and
imposing landmarks OF lower Broadway.
The builiing is filed with Offices. five
floors of which are occupied by some OF
the greatest railroad magnates in the
world. The vast system OF Pacific rail
roads is operated through instructions
given from the Western Union building,
and there are the private offices of Jay
Gould, Sidney Dillon, DR.. Norvin Green,
and Others, who are famous throughout
the length and breadth of the land.
All above the sixth floor was destroyed.
The fifth and other floors below were
soaking with water. The battery and
storage rooms occupied the sixth floor,
the operating room the seventh. the As.
ISOLATED Press and part Of the bookkeep.
ing department the eighth. On the
ninth were the Western Union files. The
Associated Press loses instruments, type
writers, furniture and all Its books, papers
and records, dating from lS45. and a
/ valuoh la ratarapna Ehrory IT, laoo .. g..
reparable. All of the material for the
history of the growth of the press In
America, contained in letter books and
files. was destroyed and can never be re-
placed. The money value is estimated at
$4,000; no insurance.
Hon. William Henry Smith, general
manager, is personally a heavy loser by
the destruction of rare books and papers,
many of which cannot be duplicated.
Among these were hundreds of rare
pamphlets collected in Europe, which
Smith supposed secure in this fire proof
building. Extensive correspondence of
great value was also consumed.
A survey has been made of the upper
portions. 1t was found that the cables
and pneumatic tubes are intact and will
be soon available for use. Gen. Eckcri.
vice president of the " e.tcrn Union, is
OF the opinion that the los, of the com
pany will not much exceed 100000.
lie also believes that they will be able To
employ a considerable force IN the main
Railways in a day or two. Already new
switchboards are on the way from Phila,
deiphia. The Associated Press will use
the executive room on the fifth floor and
such other rooms as can be had in the
n~eigh6orhood. The old Baltimore &
Ohio Telegraph company building. Ala
Broadway, will be temporary quarters of
the Western Union. A large force of
linemen have been put to work and hun
dred of mirna mill hn rnndr Inr To