The evening world., 1892-01-16
Fell Back from the Windows Suf-
focated by Smok'.
The Big Eisht.Story Building Totally
Destroyed.
Ice Companies' Stables Burned,
Making u Total Loss OF
About 100000.

A fierce fire on the west side. in which II Is
believed that at least two men have lost their
lives, broke out at 0.35 o'clock this morning,
in the old stables Of the knickerbocker Ice
Company, on the southeast corner OF Bank
street and Thirteenth avenue.
The building was soon wrapped In names
which extended to the mammoth grain ele-
vat n OF K. NJ. Van Tassell, adjoining, and toe
Excelsior Hay and Feed storage, running
about two hundred feet.
At IL O'Clock the flre had not been gotten
under control, and It was believed that the
buildings would be q total losx
The Knickerbocker stables were In two
story wooden structure. occupying 100 feet
on Thirteenth avenue and 1875 feet on Bank
street. II has been vacant since last Sum-
mer, when the horses were transferred to the
new stables, . fve-story brick building, ad.
joining the old building on bank street.
In one corner OF the old building lived
Charles 0ildea. q watchman, and his family.
A cloud OF smoke followed by an outburst OF
name in o corner Of the south end OF tina
building, at e.35 O'Clock attracted the atten-
avenue.
Before he could realize It a p,ass OF flames
shot through the rtckety roof. He rushed
down to Van Tassells once on the corner oil
West Eleventh street and gave the alarm.
some one pulled in an alarm from the box
on the corner and In . few moments the
whole neighborhood was aroused
The fre had covered nearly tho entire
length OF the stable In less than thret
minutes, and 1t burned with nerceness thai
was constantly augmenttng by reason OF thu
northwesteriy wind that prevailed.
There was lapse OF several more minutes
before Al engineresponded to the alarm, ant
when they appeared the stables were ont
mass Of names.
Two more alarms, followed by fourth
were sent out and dozen engines responded
The fre-boats Zophar Mills and New Yorl
had come up 10 the dock directly opposite th,
burning buildings, and In less than five min
utes at least thirty streams were playing OF
the fiames
The water did not seem to have much eiYec'
on the flames, which had meanwhile ex
tended to the eight.story brick grain elevator
which recently survived q IRE. The tiame
nrst caught on the roof and soon burned Int,
the woodwork on the upper noorA
Lines OF hose had been run around II
Eleventh street and directed against the six
| story brick building 3S4, 385 and 3st
Eleventh street known as the Excelsio
storage.
Battalion Chief Reilly had arrived promptl.
on the scene, and 1t was by his order that th
fourth alarm was sent out.
The names spread with startling rapidit
and seemed beyond the ability OF the rremel
to check.
| Despite tho masses OF water that deluge'
the grain and storage houses, both building
were soon blazing nercely.
Adjoining the storage warehouse Iare thre
two-story brick buildings, Nos. 3sl, 3s2 an
3S3 West Eleventh street, used as stables b
tho Commonwealth Ice Company. on til
ground noor Of Nc. $50 N. J. Carmody kept
liquor store.
The nying sparks soon found material 4
innsmmable substance OF these buildings, an
the upper portion was soon on fire.
There were forty horses in the stables a
the time OF the breaking out Of the fre, bu
they were all safely removed.
| When the fre broke out at least doze
feed-handlers were working on the top moo
OF the elevator building. Clouds OF smok
poured In on the men from an elevator shat
at the north end OF the building and blinde
them for moment, and they all made a rus
for the windows leading to the street
Joseph speeler OF 352 East seventy.sevent
street. got out OF the window and climbe
out on the grain shaft running across III
street. lie slid down this narrow tubing I
the sidewalk, and was picked up half sumo
Gated and badly injured. He was removed I
ST. vincents Hospital
II 10 known that all the men got out OF th
building safely with the exception OF job
Kinsler and James cobb, two OF the laDorer
who were on the top floor st the time.
According TO the other men the two rushe
to the window, but fell back overcome by th
smoke.
II Is believed they were burned to death.
The fremen worked necessarily, but wcr
greatly hampered by the snow and Ice wh!c
was formed by the drenchlng water.
-Four tugOoats, in addition TO the rre boat
pumped water On the flames.
Chief Bonner who arrived after Chief Re!ll
assumed charge OF the nre. lie said at l
o'clock that he believed the flames could
cuDtined TO the already ignited buildings
The loss on the grain warehouse Is est
mated at s25O,oOo, on the storage warehous
st $4,000, and on n. J. Darmody's liQuC
store, $4,000.
The clouds OF smoke that rolled HEAVIER
ward attracted al enormous crowd to III
neigLborhood, and the people nlled the ~
Joining streets and available housetops-
Police Captain Copeland. OF the Charlie
street station, with two sergesnts and
squad OF forty men cleared the streets an
kept the crowd back.
James Lockwood, foreman for Van Tassel
said to an EVENING WORLD reporter that