Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-07-24
raaIAnlha RnsouRs.
Narrow Escape of seven People in
the .TelaRrAph lfniIding Fire.

New YoRK, Jnly lS.-The Western Union
Telegraph Building caught fire at 2
O'Clock this morning. The distributing
room on the nth floor, the operating
room on the floor above and tho restaurant
on the seventh floor were completely de-
stroyed and seven lives were miraculosly
saved. A few minutes before o'clock this
morning the operators began to arrive to go
to work.
About 50 men and young women had
reached the operating room. messenger
boy saw an outbreak OF flames and rushed
up TO notify the new arrivals that the
Building was on fire. They were compelled
70 go through the distributing room to get
q wn stairs. A panic was the result OF the
essenger's Information. In less than two
linutes the flames had spread almost over
I No entire distributing room. burning up
Wires, instruments end tables. The entire
room when the panio-stricken crowd passed
Through II was filed with dense sitting
smoke. They fell over each other In their
Wild efforts 10 reach place of safety.
In less time than 1t takes to tell IL this
entire hoor was ablaze and the flames were
eating their way to the floor above where
the Western Union Oompany's restaurant
was located. just about this time &c
flashed upon the minds OF the frightened
persons who had escaped that there were
seven others on the restaurant floor VINO
had not been warned OF their danger. Ali
exit had BY this tlrae been cut of whereby
these persons could escape, and they were
not warned Of their danger until the smoke
rushed up the stairway leading to the
operating room In volumes.
There were four men and three women.
Seeing Escape cut of from every quarter
there was an awful panic. The young
women were walters In the restaurant and
tue men were COOKS and choremen TIE
women rushed around the restaurant
screaming and wringing their hands, ons
OF the mon finding 1t hot there with no pos
SIDE means OF escape downward rushed
Tor the scuttle hole In the roof. The trap
door was pushed on and the prisoners
climbed to the roof.
The streets surrounding the building
were perfect sea OF faces OF persons on
their why to work. Flames were shooting
out OF tho front windows and volumes OF
smoke pulled heavenward.
In q few minutes there were IA engines
and hook and ladder companies and a
water tower CT the ground.
a long ladder was rushed upon the roof
and placed against the rear OF the burning
building. 1t did not reach within 80 feet
OF the roof OF the big telegraph building.
Two nremen scaled the ladder Leaving it
~ the top they threw a rope to the roof.
1t was caught and tied by one of the brave
girls, who seemed never to lose her nerve.
The two firamen pulled themselves up hand
over hand until they reached the top and,
amid cheers from thousand throats from
below they let the seven down to places of
sarety. II was accomplished Just In time,
for hames burst up through the cornice
and soon enveloped the roof.
The entire upper part of the building was
Quilted and every instrument and wire rem
dered useless. How the FIRE originated no
one seems to know positively but 1t is sur
missed that two of the eompany's electric
light wires became crossed aud sat the
flooring on fire. The loss is put at s150,0O0;
mr. Nfats lIaa4 A.
hour later the loss OF life might have been
enormous. Fully 700 men and girls are
employed IN the building.
ASSOCIATED PRESS DRIVEN OUT.
When the day force arrived, shortly be-
foro O'Clock, IL was but too evident that
tae usefulness OF the building was at an
end for the present. The ruin of the oper-
ating room rendered every Western Union
wire on Manhattan Island useless. The Asso-
clated Press opened headquarters In Jersey
City every facility being offered them by
the officials OF the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company, and before the fire was under
control the various circuits OF the Associ-
ated Press were In active operation.
NO exact figures can yet b. given In re-
gard to the loss, but IT Is thought that it
will reach s15O,0c0 with no Insurance.
DETAILED PARTICULARS.
james Larrissey, wire man who was on
duty In the building, was the first to dis
cover the fire. About the same time MIR.
Tobin, night chief, noticed an odor OF burn
Ing rubber, and on looking into a wire
SHAFT leading from the battery room to the
operating room, saw smoke very distinctly. |
This was nve minutes before z O'Clock.
Two watchmen were supposed to be on
duty, but no alarm was given by them. |
When Mr. Toein discovered the smoke |
In the shalt and descended to the battery |
room he was surprised at the great head.
a oil yEr,u 40 H,rF-
followed the wires, which being covered
with rubber and oil and psrafflne, were |
very inflammable, leading to the great |
switchboard, and soon all of the woodwork |
was burning. The fire leaped from table
TO table and to the window and door cas-
ings and all efforts OF the men on duty
TO suppress the burning by the ap. |
pitanoes at hand were uBavailing.
This hremen were promptly on hand and
took possession OF the building. The
day force OF operators were reporting for
duty but found &c necessary to retire. Five
female operators were led out OF the build
Ing by the fremen. All above the sixth
floor Ia destroyed. Carpets, papers, &c, on
the fifth and other ioors below are soaked
with water. The battery and storage rooms
occupied the sixth floor. The operating
room and the gallery devoted to the work
OF the Gold and Stock Company
occupied the entire seventh floor.
THE Los5 MAY EXCEED 81, 900, 1000.
Q p. m.-I In, estigation proves that tho
loss will be far greater than the earlier estl-
mates. 1t is now stated that the loss will
exceed 100000. The great switch board
10 the operating room was alone worth
$250,00O.
IN TEMPORARY QUARTERS.
The telegraph company has divided Its
operating force among sub-otf1ces at
twenty-third street, Jersey City, BROOKLYN
and Weehawken, from which business will