New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-18
THE BUILDINGS COLLAPSED.
TOTAL DESTRUCTION By FIRE AT GREENE
AND BLEECKER SITS.


A fire which started In the subcear OF the
Cohnfeld building. at Rlocckcr and Greene SITS,
and ragged below the level of the sidewalk for
nearly an hour before p m. yesterday, was
permitted to get beyond the control of the fire.
men. Later the ninc-story structure went down
like a house OF cardboard in rho flames. Three
adjoining buildings caught fire and were destroyed,
and the loss Of property exceeded $l,5oo,0o0.
Nearly 800 men and women were at work in
the Cohnleld Building at j:lj p. m. when the
alarm of fire was given ny Charles Spencer, the
engineer in charge of the boiler-reom in the SUBJ
cellar. lie had discovered the flames in some
waste paper in compartment Of the sub-ccllar
adjoining the boiler-room, in the southwest corner
and he spent few moments trying to extinguish
| the blaze before he upstairs 10 warn the
! other people of the danger Smoke followed him
up. The entire building was occupied by Alfred
/ BENJAMIN d Co., manufacturers Of clothing. In
! the upper stories | On young and girls
were still at work in the sewing rooms, and on
| the floors below them 200 taors. cutters, and
tern-na Lers werc busy. The alarm was car
! rlcd from floor TO floor in few minutes, and
everybody in the building rushed toward the side
! walk The tailors went down stairs, carrying
/ their hairs and coats in their hands, and some OF
| them were so much excited that they took along
the shears which they we've using when they heard
!
stairs leading to tn. sidewalk in Greenc-st They
! had plenty of time to escape, but they did not
stop 10 put on their hats and cloalls until they
reached the street
| Smoke was rolling out OF the basement and sub
! cellar of the building in dense clouds when Engine
No. 80, from Great Jones-st, arrived in front OF
the Bleeckcr-st entrance in response to the first
alarm. which n policeman had rung at the box on
! the corner. Foreman Birmingham saw that the
: fire might he troublesome, and he promptly SEM
out second alarm Battalion Chief Bresnan
came a few minutes later and sent third call
/ The clouds of smoke grew backcr ana larger
every moment. Fircmcn went up through Tie
building to the ninth story and opened the WIN
dows 10 let the smoke escape. They reported
that TWO hatchwayS extended up through the
building from the cellar to the towers on the roof
! dozen engines began TO puff and drOnc in
Bccckrr and Greene Sis, but 1t was not possible
for the frcmen to go down into the basement, ana
the flames in the sub-ccllar were beyond the reach
Of water. Twenty or more frcmcn were SCI 10
work with axes and crowhars to break through
thc vault-lightS on the sidewalks in both Streets
making holes through which to pour water INTO
the subcellar.
Crowds in the streets looked AZ tho big build
inc and said the fremen would he able TO check
I
onookcrs thought the binding WIS ireproof Iudg-
ing by its appearance. Up 10 the third H"or
ih, walls were OF massive granite, and above
they were of brick and iron. Chief Bonner, OF
tho Fire Department. knew that the building
was n dangerous one and would burn rapidly II
the flames spread to the upper Steilcs. lie or
dcrcd fourth alarm to bc rung few minutes
before 6 D. m. when the flames showed plainly
in the basement and threatened to burn through
tbr ground floor. Tx Chief Shay was present, and
he said T. n reporter: Il was afraid OF than
building taking fire. The floors are all of Georsla
pinc There is lumber enough iii there 10 build
a whole village with. Look AT the walls. too.
Brick piers IN the upper portions, with non cross
beams for the window spaces. II the IRE g"t'
up there thc heat from all that lumber will warp
the iron beams and the walls Will fall as If they
were rotten" lie WAS soon to see hi> prediction
verified. soon after p. m. when the fire had
been burning nearly an hoHr, red glow was. seen
Al a ffth-,torv window on the Grcenc-st front.
The flames had gone mp one OF the elevator shafts
and had begun 10 Spread. F'remcn who had been
i'm the building since the fight began. trying 10
protect the immense stock of Alfred Bcniamin n
TO- from damage 10y smoke. were ordered oui IN -
hurry. Lines of ho,c were withdrawn from the
holes in the sidewalks and streams were directed
toward the windows in lie NTH story Chi't
Bonner shook his head sorrowtuly when the
flames were seen spreading from floor 10 floor.
At 80 D. m. great >trcaks of flame were shooting
halfway across Grccnc-st. from the windows in
tho upper stories The front in Grccnr-et. cN-
tended 80 feet and the BIccckcr-st. frontage was
iltv feet. Smoke olncurcd the Blccckcr 81 front.
while the entire front in GrccneSt. was wrapped
in flames The heat made the buildings on the
wcst side Of Grccnr-s smoke and ec, fire TO the
Itttl,l STR ,fl
water in that direction in time to save the build
ng \ watcr-'owrr was SGT up in Bccckcr-st
Suddenly a streak of fire up the fag-poIc en- the
French roof Of the building and then the flames
rc,c like hu2c torch above the roof At $50
p. m when the heat had driven the frcmcn ont of
Grccnc-si and the flames threatened t. extend
beyond the doomed building. Chief Bonner sent
ont fifth ALARM calling all Of the engines within
mile of the tire.
lie had scarcely sent the alarm when there was
q loud roar that sounded like the crack of doom. /
Smoke and flames shot from tie building a. if |
there was an explosion. Fircmcn, policemen !
and the crowds fed back. pcll mel. from the |
sudden danger. The roof had fallen in, and mad /
carried several Of the floors down with it. Above !
the ruins went up a shower OF sparks that ookcl |
like an eruption from a volcano. The iiremcn |
went back to their places apparently facing |
death. Police reserves from four precincts. under |
the command of Inspector Steers and captain |
Brogan formed fire lines far enough away from |
the burning building to keep the crowds out OF
danger.
\ few minutes later there was n still louder |
crash. large part Of the wall IN HTrene-S'.
went down, ard the remaining floors fell into
the cellar. Before the frcmcn could run away
from the watcr-tower in Bleeckcr-s. the
wall there began TO bend outward. and
there was another crash How the
ircmen managed 10 escape death was a mystery.
When the pail of smoke rose from the ruins on
the sidewalk only two men were seen to be
hurt. Fireman Wright of Engine Company No.
80. had a cut on his nose. The nozzle which he
held and tried to carry away with him had in
n, bod |