The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-19
GONE UP IN SMOKE
The Western Union Building In New
York Destroyed.
Miraculous Escape of Scores OF
Employees From the Upper
Stories OF the Big Building
Loss 100000.

shortly before o'clock flames burst from
the switchboard of the Western Union
telegraph operating room on the seventh
floor OF the magnificent building on the
corner Of broadway and Dey street. and
SO rapidly did they extend to the wood
work that the escape OF the employees by
the stairway was cut of and q number
were lowered from windows by ropes To
the tops Of adjoining buildings. So far as
now known there was no loss OF life.
The fire extended from the fifth floor TO
the top Of the building, including the As
sociated Press offices and the executive
offices of the Western Union and the
upper floors devoted To restaurant and
living purposes.
Seven lives were miraculously saved.
A few minutes before O'Clock the opera
tors began to arrive to go 10 work. About
50 men and young women had reached
the operating room, when messenger
boy saw puff Of smoke under the table
in the distributing room on the floor be-
low the operating room. He scarcely had
time TO investigate the cause when the
wooden table was flames and the fire
spreading with lightning rapidity. He
rushed up stairs 10 notify the new arrivals
i'm the building Of the fire. They were COM
PEELED 10 go through the distributing room
TO get DOWN stairs. A panic was the re-
suit.
Women screamed and men rushed pell
nell down the stairs 10 escape the flames,
which, In less than two minutes, spread
almost through the entire distributing
room, burning up the wires and instru-
ment tables as II they,wcre SO much tindcr
The entire room. when the panic stricken
crowd passed through II, was filed with
dense sitting smoke. They fell over each
other In the wild efforts To reach place
of safety, and by this time the flames had
reached the ceiling of the distributing
room and were eating their way through
To the operating room where the instru-
ments that connect with the wires that
distribute news all over the country are
located. In less time than it takes To tell,
this entire floor was ablaze, and the
flames were extending to the floor above,
on which the Western Union company's
restaurant is located. There were
four men and three women cooks and
walters in the restaurant who had been
forgotten in the excitement.
BY thy time all the passages had been
cut of, Ehercby tbese persona could es-
cape. They were not aware OF their peril
until the smoke rushed up the stairway
| leading from the operating room n
sible means Of escape downward rushed
for the scuttle hole in the roof. A trap
door was pushed of and all the prisoners
| climbed To the roof.
The flames were shooting out Of the
front windows and volumes of smoke
puffed heavenward. When the great
| crowds In the streets saw the men and
| women rush out on the roof n cry OF
horror went up for 1t did not seem possible
that they could he rescued. The women
men yelled, For Gods sake do
something To save u.s." long
ladder was placed against the rear
of the burning building. but IL did not
reach within fifty feet OF the roof. Cn-
daunted, however, two firemen scaled the
ladder and threw a rope up. Ii was caught
and tied by one of the brave girls. The
firemcn pulled themselves up ban,l-over-
| hand until they reached the top aud amid
the cheers from thousands below they let
down the seven TO places of safety. IL
was accomplished Just in timr, for the
flames Immediately burst up through the
cornice and soon envelopcd the roof.
The tower Of the building was caught up
10y the flames.
The entire upper part Of the building
wire rendered useless. !. How the fire
originated no one seems to know
positively, but il is surmised that two
electric light wires became crossed. first
setting the flooring on fire. Had the fire
broken out an hour later the loss OF life
might have been enormous. Fully 1U
girls and men are employed on these two
floors.
The offices OF the Assoc lated Press suf-
fered rather more than those OF any other
in the great building. The fire ruined the
operating room aud rendered every West
ern Union wire on Manhattan island use
} less. 50 the Associated Press opened head
quarters i'm Jersey City. Every facility is
being afforded them by the officials Of
the Pennsylvania Railroad company, and
before the fire was under control various
circuits OF the Associated Press were in
active operation. The building OF the
Western Union had been for many years
one 81 the great aud imposing land marks
on lower Broadway.
The building is filed with Offices on the
five lower floors. which are occupied by
some 81 the greatest railroad magnates in
the world. The vast system Of the
Pacific railroads is operated through
instructions given from the Western
Union building. and there are the private
offices of Jay Gould, Sidney Dillon, DIR.
Noryin Green aud others who are famous
through the length and breadth OF the
land.
All above the sixth foor was destroyed
and the fifth and other floors below
soaked with water. The battery and
storage rooms occupied the sixth noor,
operating room the seventh, and the As
sociatcd Press and part Of the bookkeep-
ing department the eighth. In the ninth
were the Western Union files. The Assoc
ciatcd Press loses instruments, type
writers, furniture and all its books,
papers and records dating from lsi5, and
a valuable reference library. The loss Is
irreparable. and all of the material for
the history OF the growth of the press
in America was contained in the letters,
books and files destroyed, and can never
be replaced.
Hon. William Henry Smith, general
manager. personally Is a heavy loser 10y
: the d,.strtIctinn of rnrr books and papers,