Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-18
Western Unions Splendid New
York Building in Ruins.
A MILLION GONE In SMOKE
There Were Several Narrow
Escapes, but No Loss of Life.
TELEGRAPH COMMUNICATIONS STOPPED
The Western Unions Magnificent New
York Building is Wrecked.

The Western Unions Magnificent New
York Building is Wrecked.
NEW YORK, July IS, $50 a.m.-At z o'clock
this morning fire was discovered in the switch
board on the fifth floor Of the Western Union
telegraph building, corner OF Broadway and
Dey streets. 1t quickly spread beyond con-
troll and the entire fifth. fourth and third
floors of the immense building were soon COM
pletely gutted. Telegraphic communication
outside OF the city is temporarily suspended
Ihe offices of the Associated Press, executive
committees of the Western Union Telegraph
Company and Offices Of several brokers were
destroyed There was large force of operators
and other employees on duty at the time and
many OF them had marrow escapes in reaching
places of safety, some being compelled to slide
down ropes and fire escapes. At this hour it is
thought no loss of life has occurred but all the
men In the building at the time of the fire have
not been accounted for. At 9 o'clock it is be-
lieved the iremen have the flames under con-
troll and that the fire will be confined to the
Western Union building. The wires of the
Postal Telegraph Company and the United
Press at No. 1s7 Broadway were interrupted by
the fremen and communication is badly de-
layed.
OPERATORS IN PANIC.
The battery room ON the sixth floor, the
operating room on the floor above and the res
taurant on the ninth floor were completely de-
stroyed and seven lives were miraculously
! saved. few minutes before o'clock this
morning the operators began to arrive to 60 TO
| work. About fifty men and young women had
reached the operating room. A mes
senger boy named Matthews first saw
a ia ~ Al
checking department on the floor below the
operating room He had scarcely time to in
vestlgate the cause when a wooden table was
! In flames and the fire spreading with light
nlng like rapidity. He rushed up stairs to no.
tlfy the new arrivals that the building was on
| hre. They were compelled to go through the
checking department to 60 down stairs. A
panic was the result of the messen-
| gers warning; the young women screamed
| and the men rushed pell nell down
stairs to escape the pursuing flames, which in
less than two minutes had spread throughout
| the entire checking department. burning up
| wires, instruments and tables as if they we're SO
| much tinder. The entire room. when the
| filled with dense sitting smoke. They fell
over each other in their wild efforts to reach
| place OF safety. The little mes
sengcr, with an operator named Skid
more. were the only two persons who retained
presence of mind enough to take in the awful
| situation. The boy rushed down stairs and out
! of the building and sent out an alarm. while
| Skldmore got down a fire extingusher and en-
deavored to quench the flames. This how
ever was impossible and he had TO flee in a
| very few minutes. The flames ate through
from floor to floor in short order
SEVEN LIVES IN PERIL
Just about this time it flashed upon the minds
of the frightened persons who had escaped
that there were seven others in the restaurant
| floor who had not been warned of the danger.
All exit had by this time been cut off. but the
imprisoned people succeeded in reaching the
roof through the trap door. Under the caves of
the big building the flames were shooting and
the edltce seemed to be crowned with fire.
When the great crowds of people on the streets
saw the men and women rush out on the roof
cry OF horror went up, for it seemed i'm
possible that they could escape the fire burning
between them and the street Screaming
nd women on the roof wrurg their hands
sake do something to save US"
The first engine had arrived before the terri
flying events transpiring on the roof were made.
visible to the crowd gazing upward from Broad
way; Soon volume OF water was pouring into
the burning building and the sounds of crack
ling and breaking timbers were added to the
confusion OF the scene. In few minutes there
were fourteen engines and hook and ladder
companies and water tower on the ground
Water poured in through the flaming windows
and beat down upon the roof But the flames
were stubborn IN spite of the tons OF water
poured upon them.
SAVING THE PEOPLE ON THE ROOF
Still no effort had been made to save the ter
rifed men and women on the roof who could
be seen like specters enveloped in smoke and
mist A long ladder was rushed up on the roof
adjoining and placed against the rear of the
burning building. 1t did not reach within fifty
feet OF the roof OF the big telegraph building
Undaunted, however, two fremen scaled the
ladder. Leaving it at the top they threw a rope
to the roof. 1t was caught aud tied by one of
the brave girls, who seemed never to lose her
nerve. The two firemen pulled themselves nm
hand over hand until they reached the top
and amid cheers from a thousand throats from
below they let the seven down to places of
safety. 1t was accomplished Just in time. for
the flames burst up through the cornice
and soon enyeloped the roof. The tower of
the building was caught by the flames. II
was beautiful and at the same time a terrify-
ing sight to see the fire shoot out from the win
dows around the entire building fully fifty feet
and blown back like great fiery tongues to lick
the roof Of the building. The entire upper
part of the building was gutted and every in
strument and wire rendered useless At this
time the loss cannot be estimated but il will be
great How the fire originated no one seems
TO know positively, but it is surmised that two
OF the company's electric light wires became
crossed and set the flooring on fire. Had the
fire broke out an hour later the loss of life
might have been enormous. Fully 700 girls
and men are employed on these two doors.
THE PEOPLE ON THE ROOF.
The second alarm was sent out, followed i'm
mediately by third. In a few minutes there
we're fourteen engines and hook and ladder
companies and a water tower on the ground.
Water poured in through the flaming windows
and beat down upon the roof But the flames
were stubborn in spite Of the tons of. water
poured upon them.
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 a foot or more and
the destruction which was so well started
by the fire was absolutely completed by
the water. When the day force arrived shortly
before O'Clock il was but too evident that the
usefulness of the great building was at an end
for the present The ruin Of the operating
room rendered every Western Union wire on
Manhattan Island useless 90 the Associated
Press opened headquarters in Jersey CITY,
every facility being afforded by the officials of
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.
EXTENT OF THE Loss
No exact figures can yet be given in regard
to the loss, but il ID thought that IL will reach
s1, ,00o, 900.
The building Of the Western Union Telegraph
Company had been for Q score or more of years
one Of the great and imposing landmarks of
lower Broadway. II fronts ON Broad |
way, facing east and occupied