Crawford avalanche., 1890-07-24
SOUNDERS MADE SILENT
FLAMES RAGE IN THE w. u.
BUILDING.

Terrible Panic Among Employees Cut on
from Means of Escape Thrilling Rescues
! by Heroic Firemen-The Damage Almost
Inestimable.
New York special: Fire broke out
in the Western Union building at 7:05
| Friday morning. The operators, about
seventy-tive in number, were penned IN
| by the flames. Many OF them attempt
! ed to climb from the windows. Most OF
| them got upon the top of the building.
where they cried piteously for help.
| The fire started two floors below the
| top and 1t was feared many OF the
operators would be burned to death.
The building was eleven stories high,
ana the fire department was almost
powerless in It's attempts TO reach the
unrvI UunaCo IIIvu. .---s
The loss will be enormous and Is esti-
mated at SO, 900, 600. A vast crowd wit
messed the fire and the police had
difficulty In keeping the street clear for
the work OF the iiremen.
Owing to the height or the structure
the department experienced great diff
Guilty In subduing the flames, but three
hours after the fire started It was under
control. 1t had spread, however, to
bhO AocOCldlCu OluCCS, LIlC CAGCu-
tive Offices of the Western Union, and
the upper floors.
At 7:3O ames were pouring from tho
windows In the upper stories, and It
seemed as II the entire building, though
considered fireproof. was doomed to de-
struction. 1t is reported that there was
considerable delay in sending out the
first alarm, and 1t was fully ten minutes
hnf0ra tho ninac nnt In, N N
The embersIwere flying to the south and
threatened the destruction Of the build
ings in that direction. Several roofs
caught fire, but no serious damage was
done.
Meanwhile the fire was spreading
through the Western Union building in
spite OF every effort Of the firemen. who
were handicapped by the great height
OF tho building, the hook and ladders
being practically useless. The excite
ment among the immense crowds around
the building was intense. The en-
ployes OF the morning newspapers were
chiefly conspicuous, and, as they had
many friends among the operators in
tho burning building and large loss of
life was rumored, the greatest anxiety
was felt.
Not wire or switchboard OF the
Western Union was saved, and tho
Associated Press and the operators
rooms are in ruins. All communica-
tions are cut off and temporary Offices
are established at Jersey City and
neighboring places.
Three thousand seven hundred tele-
graph instruments were destroyed, to-
gether with the battery rooms. and
thousands OF Leyden jars, which can
not be replaced for several weeks.
Loss, about $4,000, 900. The Assocl-
81, 800, 900, ana THO western tnron foss
at about the samo,
Ten operators made their way to an
adjoining building bv swinging over an
iron shutter. Ten female en-
ployes in the lunch department
who slept In the upper story wero
compelled to fee to the roof, from
where they were rescued by the fire.
men. who tied ropes around them aud
let them down three stories to a build
ing In the rear. The women were
screaming for help considerable time
before the firemen reached them. The
excitement was increased by two explo-
sions, presumably Of acids used for the
batteries. At the time the fire broke
out the elevators were not running and
would have been useless, as the shafts
were in flames.
Chicago telegram: At the Western
Union Offices here ii was reported that
the fire was under control, and that
there had been no loss of life reported.
The flames the officers here said, had
started in the operating-room and had
swept through the big room almost be-
fore the alarm could be siven.
''The oHy In ormatlon we have at
hand is that serious fire broke out In
the operating room OF the New York
Office" said Superintendent Tubbs.
''The building, however, is flre-proof,
and don't think that it will be seriously
injured. Our wires are down there and
up to the present time we have had
nothing direct Business for New York
is accepted subject to delay only.
"Our Jersey City wires are working,
and we expect to have communication
with New York city direct In few
hours. There Is always great guam
tity of stationery distributed In big
operatng-room also furniture and in
flamable material of various kinds, in
cluding the wires, which, OF course, arc
covered with oil"
The Postal Telegraph Is the only COM
pany that has communication with New
York, and IL was learned there that the
upper floor OF the Western Union build
ing had been completely destroyed, but
that there had been no loss Of life so far
as could be learned.
Arrangements had been made, tho
manager said, to receive the market re-
ports over the Postal wires