Mower County transcript., 1890-07-23
A GREAT BLAZE.

0EM O"AOn 1Ole8rADn nOOWpony-NArrOW
Escape Of seven Persons Aemmsd in
by the Flames.
New York, July 19.-Five thousand
important wires were rendered useless,
business on the Stock and Produce and
other exchanges was almost at a stand
still, sporting news entirely suspended,
the Associated Press report crippled
seriously and commercial and
private business paralyzed Fri
day by an early morning fire
in the operating-room Of the eight
storied and high lowered Western Union
Telegraph Company building at the COR
ner OF Broadway and Dey streets. BY a
combination of circumstances so fortu-
nate as to be almost inexplica-
bic no lives were lost, though
for nearly an hour forty men,
women and boys were in danger
OF horrible deaths by fire and realized
it not The direct pecuniary loss,
though large in itself, estimated at
$500, 900, is trifling to so rich corpora
ton, but its indirect losses through the
suspension of its enormous volume Of
business will send it away up in the
millions.
There were about seventy-five oper-
Ators in tho room at tie time. The fire
started in some infammable waste near
the switchboard or q spark from wire
and spread with such terrible rapidity
that the operators did not have time to
escape. They were penned in by
the flames and a panic ensued. Many
of the imprisoned men attempted to
climb from the windows. A number
got up onto the roof of the building,
whore they cried piteously for help as
tho flames leaped toward them. Those
on the roof nun bored seven, of whom
four were men and three women, the
latter being employed in the restau-
rant.
Flames we're shooting out of the front
windows and volumes of smoke puffed
heavenward. From under the caves of
the great building the flames were shoot
ing, and the structure seemed to be
crowned with fire.
When the great crowds on the streets
saw the mon and women rush out on
tho roof cry Of horror, went up. for it
did not seem possible that they could
be rescued. The women on the roof
screamed and wrung their hands, and
the men yelled: For Gods sake, do
something to save u.s."
A long ladder was rushed upon the
roof of Dey street and placed against
the rear of the burning building. 1t
did not reach within fifty feet Of the
Western Union roof. Undaunted, how
ever, two firemen scaled the ladder and
threw rope to the roof. 1t was caught
and tied by one OF the brave
girls, who seemed never to lose her
nerve. The firemen pulled themselves
up hand over hand until they reached
the top of the burning building, and
amid cheers from the thousands below.
they let the seven down to places of
safety. 1t was accomplished just in time,
for flames Immediately burst up through
the cornice and soon enveloped the
ROOF. The tower of the building was
caught up by the flames. The tons
upon tons of water, however. soon be.
gan to have a telling effect. 1t was
beautiful and at the same time
q terrifying sight to see the fire
shoot from the windows fully fifty
feet around the entire building and be
blown back like fiery tongues to lick
the roof of the building.
The entire upper part of the building
was Quilted and every instrument and
wire rendered useless. How the fire
originated no one seemed to know posi-
lively, but it Is surmised that two of
the company's electric-light wires
became crossed and set the floor
ing on fire. Had the fire broken
out an hour later the loss
of life might have been enormous.
Fully 700 girls and men are employed
on these two floors. The Offices OF the
Associated Press suffered rather more
than any of the others in the
great building The floors were
flooded with water to the depth
of foot or more, and the destruc-
ton which was so well started by
the fire was completed by the water.
The loss of the telegraph company is
large and it will require long time to
replace the material. The large switch
board in the operating-room alone cost
$50, 600 The Associated Press loses in
type-writers, furniture and
all of its books, papers and records and
valuable reference library. Its loss
will exceed 100000.
The fire created havoc in the big
offices in the vicinity Of Wall street,
just as it did in business houses all
over the country. Nearly all the West
ern Union connections are through the
operating room in the main build
ing. Consequently out-of-town busi-
ness communication was almost
entirely shut of. Business men
were unable to even partial.
ly estimate the extent of the inconven-
fence which would result It depends
upon how soon temporary
operating room can be arranged some-
where. The railroads all over the
country will feel the effects of
the fire very strongly, as most
Of their dispatches come through
the operating room of the West
ern Union. The result of the big |
fire upon the grain market at the |
produce exchange was a general dead
enlng of all trading. There were no
public, liverpool or other foreign ca
bles to be had, nor any official crop or
IN. 81 |