New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-24
SMOTHERED IN SMOKE.
A BRAVE FIREMAN LOSES HIS LIFE.
FLAMES AT no. sn BROADWAY CAUSE A COOS
DEAL OF loss TO r. 1. HoRsMAN


AND OTHERS.
| The firemen who had toiled in Park Place OF
Saturday afternoon and until late hour at night,
| trying 10 recover the bodies Of the people VIII,
pershed in the wrecked buildings there, wers
called by four alarms TO o dangerous FIRE at Nc.
| 341 Broadway early yesterday morning, and on,
of them lost his life before the flames were unde.
control He was James II. Shute. assistant for.
man OF Engine Company No 27, brave and activs
fireman In the prime OF vigorous manhood. Al
the fire in Park Place Shute was in command of
his company, and he worked until lac was well
nigh exhausted. 1t was nearly midnight when Dc
went 10 sleep in the company's quarters Mt Nc.
! 173 Frauklin-st At 4:45 a. m. yesterday ID
sprang from his bed at the stroke Of the bell ant
rode with HI. comraden 10 answer the call from thu
signa-box at Broadway and Leonarl-st
Smoke had been seen pnf1'ns out Of the basement
Of the fivc-story marble front building No BAL
Broadway, the lower part OF which was occupie
! by Edward l. Horssman dealer In toys and sport.
ing goods The building had q harrow l."
leading from the rear 70 No SO 12 Leonardst, an
that was on fire, too, when Shute and his me
arrived. Shute's practised eye that the fra
was likely to be troublesome, and he sent out
second alarm. A third call for reinforcements
was sent a few minutes afteIw0rd, and at p
reserve forces Of the entire lower district.
Although the tired fremen worked with vii,
their efforts at first seemed TO be unavailin:.
Flames filed the basement and sub-cellar froi,
Broadway back 100 feet 10 the q L." and themes
to Leonard-st, another stretch Of 100 feet. Thef
were feeding on large stock OF toys, phOt'-
graphic outfits and sporting goods, and weIs
beyond the reach Of the streams thrown by the
engines Some of the nremcn broke into Mollts
new vacant building, No. $50 Broadway, ani
stretched hose to the rear windows, which Owe.
looked the covered court where Horsmans bas.
ment met the al" Others won't up through tia
building No. 343 Broadway, breaking severst
doors their way to the roof, where there WIS
another place Of advantage. Shute led his mel
into the second story of the Il" in LeOnard-s.
and fought the fire there for nearly an hour.
Hot, sufocatlng smoke from burning rubbet
dolls and Photographic chemicals came up from
below and the men were forced to go to a windoV
for fresh air several times. At length Shute was
seen to fall helpless and senseless In the sm0kl.
Firemen Stack and Eclles, Of his company, Cal.
ried him 10 the window and passed him TO Fir-
men Port and Haggerty ca ladder. They caI,
ried him down 20 the street, laid him on tbs
sidewalk and moved his arms up and down il
the effort to induce artificial respiration. Al
ambulance was called from St. Vincent's Ho'-
pita1 and the surgeon worked for half an houe
longer trying to restore life. Then ne said that
further effort was useless, as Shute dead.
Policemen carried Shutes body to the Leonarc-
st. station and it wos sent afterward to an 1ndeI-
takers shop in Canal-st. Shute's comrTdes sail
he was forty-five years old and had been In tn,
Department nineteen years. He had earned his
promotion to the grade of assistant foreman b.
faithful work. His wife and two children live i,
Sing Sing, N. Y, and his body probably will b.
taken TO that place for burial. Information oi
his death was sent to his wife by telegraph
yesterday.
The lemen did not get control Of the fire until
nearly s a. m, and the flames were not extin'
gushed for another hour. In that time Hor.
mans stock in the lower part Of the main buildins
and in the e" L. had been either destroyed or dan.
aged badly. He was not at the building yesteI,
day, and nobody appeared to represent him. In.
surauce agents said his stock was worth about
$4,000 before the fire and wos insured in owe:
thirty companies for about 100000 Ills los
was believed to be about $4,000.
The second and third stories Of the buildinl
were vacant. Ferris Brothers, manufacturers o
Good Sense" corsets occupied the fourth anil
fifth floors. Their stock, which was damaged oni'
by smoke and water, was valued at $4,000, on|
in the following companies: Nassau, St. Paul,
British American, Peoples n. H., California, Boat.
mems, Armenia, German, State l. and l., COUNTY
Farmers, Detroit, Reading, Peoples CPittsburgl.
National and Citizens. The damage TO the stool:
of corsets probably will not exceed $4,000.
The building, owned by the Swan estate, can b,
repaired for 81 5000. Firemen damaged the build.
ing No. 3l3 Broadway TO the extent of $500 b.,
breaking doors and windows. The building 4
nearly new. II was erected the site of on
which was destroyed on July 3, 1887, by fr
which started by an explosion Of firework
cause of the fire yesterday morning was not known