The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1890-07-26
Headquarters Building in New York
Quilted and Badly Damaged
by Fire.
Valuable Records and Papers Burned,
Most of Which Cannot be
Replaced.
johnson Carries Most of the Wards
In Fargo and the Country
-. Precincts.
A Brief Destructive Blaze.

New YORK, July 18.-The Western
Union telegraph building caught fire at
z o'clock this morning, a little while be-
fore seven hundred people had come to
their days work. The distributing room
on the fifth floor, the operating on
the floor above and the Associated Press
rooms and restaurant on the seventh
floor we're completely destroyed and
seven lives were miraculously saved by
fremen. It was a beautiful and at the
same time a terrifying sight to see the
fire shoot out from the windows, fully
fifty feet around the entire building, and
be blown back like great fiery tongues to
lick the roof of the building. Finally
the flames died away altogether and left
smoky and charred bricks where window
frames had been. The entire upper part
Of the building was Quilted and every
instrument and wire rendered useless.
How the fire originated no n seems to
know positively, but it is surmised
that two of the company's electric wires
got crossed and set the flooring on fire.
The offices of the associated press suf-
fered rather more than any 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
we'll started by the fire was absolutely
completed by the water. When the day
force arrived, shortly before 8 O'Clock, it
was but too evident that the USE
fulness of the great building was
at an end for the present.
Every facility was offered the Western
Union by the officers Of the Pennsyl-
vania railroad company and before the
fire was fairly under control, various cir
cults of the associated press were in &C.
tive operation. The building is filed
with officer on the five lower floors which
are occupied by some of 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, DR.. Norvin Green and
others who are almost equally famous.
The loss is heavy. The large switch
board in the operating room alone
cost $4,000. The associated press
loses it's instruments, typewriters,
furniture and all of its books,
papers and records dating from 1916, and
a valuable reference library. This loss
is irreparable. All of the material for
the history Of the growth Of the press in
America, contained in the letter books.
and files, is destroyed and can never be,
replaced. The money value Is estimated.
at $4,000. There is no insurance. Hon.
William Henry Smith, general manager.
is PERSONAL a heavy loser by the de-
struction of rare books and papers, many
Of which cannot be duplicated. Among
these were hundreds of rare pamphlets
collected in Europe, which Mr.. Smith
supposed were secure in q fire.
proof building. Extensive correspon-
dence of great value was also consumed.
Gen. Eckert, vice-president of the West
ern Union, is of the opinion the loss of
that company will not much exceed
100000. He also believes they will be
able to employ a considerable force in
the main Railways in a day or two. Al
ready new switch boards are on the way
from Philadelphia and all that energy
and money can do to quickly restore
service for the public will be done. The
loss on the building is estimated at $780,
600.