The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1890-07-25
GREAT FIRE IN NEW YORK.
Plays Havoc In the Western Union
Telegraph Building.

loIe8rapn Building.
NEW YoRK, July 1s.-The West
ern Union Telegraph building caught nre
at O'Clock this morning, and the distribut
ing room on tho nth floor, tho operating
room on the door above, and the Associ-
ated Press rooms and the restaurant on
the seventh door wore completely
destroyed. seven lives were miraculous
ly saved
The hrst man TO discover the nre was
Operator Lewis. He had Just finished
sending message and looked up ct the
big clock for tho time to mark Il II was
Just seven, and ~ he wrote tho figure on
the back Of the message, thers came TO
his nose the smell Of burning rubber.
There was no installing that pecuasar
odor, and ~ no looked up, ho' saw thin
ilm Of smoke bursting and curling from
the network 81 wires Of what IL known -
the distributing room.
Night Manager Tobin hsd also seen the
vapory aim waited upward, and, - Lewis
approached from one aide, he came up on
the other, but before the place was
sSSSAl AhSAo shAOAO SaG2o w. ASbAA -
quick-wittsd man, aud besides he had had
like experience, 30 no cried out: "Thers
il froi" and then be jumped for the wall
where tho hand grenades hung. A num-
Dos Of grensdes were thrown without
effect and the nrs department. was sum
moned.
In less time than II takss 70 tell II, this
cntiro door wss abla.e and the flames were
extending TO the floor above, on which the
Western Union Company's restaurant Is
located. Hsre wsrs four women and three
men cooks and ths waters In he restAu-
rant who had been forgotten In The excite
ment All msaas By this time bad been
cut OF whereby these persons could es-
cape, and they were not aware Of their
peril until the smoke rushed up the stair
way leading frum the operating room In
volumes
Ono Of The men, finding no possible
means Of escape downward, rushed for
tho scuttls hols In tho roof. Tho trap
door was pushed OF and the prisoners
climbed 70 the roof.
Tho flames wero shooting out Of tho
front windows and volumes Of amoks
pulled heavsnward. Whom tho great
crowds on the streets saw tho men and
women rush out on the roof CITY Of hor-
ror went up, for II did not seem possible
that they could DO rescued. The women
screamed and wruns their hAnds and the
men yelled: "For Gods saks do some
thing to savo usi''
A long ladder was plscsd against the
rear Of the burning building. but 1t did
not reach within nifty fest of tho roof.
Undaunted, however, two hrsmsn scaled
the ladder and throw . rope up. 1t was
caught and tied BY one Of the brave girls.
The firemsn pulled themselves up, hand
over hand, until they reached the top, and,
amid cheers from tho thousands below,
they let tho seven down 70 . plsos Of
safety.
It was accomplished Just in time, for the
fiames Immediately burst up through the
cornice and soon enveloped the roof.
Tho tower Of the building We oaughtup
by tho fiaruos and the entire upper part OF
the building was Quilted and every instru-
ment and wire rendered useless.
How tho Dire originated NO ono seems to
know positively, but 1t il surmised TINT
two electric light wires became crossed,
first setting the flooring on DIRE. Had the
fire broken out An hour later, the loss Of
life might havo been enormous, ~ fully
700 girls and men arc employed on these
two floors.
The offices Of tho Associated Press suf-
fered rather more than any Of the others
In the great building. The ruined oper-
atlng room rendered every Western Union
wire on Manhattan Islsnd useless, 20 the
Press opened headquarters In
Jersey City. Every facility 10 being |
afforded them BY the ofnciAls Of tho Penn.
sylvania Railroad Company, and before |
the Gre was under control the various cir |
cults Of the Associated Press wero In
active operation.
The losses 70 tho Western Union Telo-
graph Company by the Ore 10 about sloo,-
0o. There WAS no insurance on any Of
tho property. The greatest loss 10 In the
sudden Interruption Of business Of the
company which cannot bo calculated.