New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-23
PATIENTS WATCH THE BLAZ l..
LABORATORY OF TIE PRE>IYTERIAN HOS
PITAL BURNED OFT.

Tur FLAMES start AMONG \ LOT OF CHEMICALS
POURING on WATER FEEDS THE FIRE
INTERESTED CONvNLrSCENTS IT III"
WINDOWS put BACK To BED.
The presbyterinn Hospital Is this morning pe-
rcct OF its handsome new laboratory whlch i"' wv
voars had been the pride OF all those asso''"''"
with the institution. fire. originating III 'n' "'
ment Of the building. Quilted the Interior from moo, nor
n roof The framework OF tho structure sun
stands intact but many months must '"pS' W.
fore the students or the hospital apothccarleS "a"
resume work -,
II was lust $50 O'Clock yesterday morning WIZ"
a bright tongue Of fame shot up from nv ~
mont windows Of the laboratory The laDor"'o'Y'
1T, c.vo,,ic,h.st IS about 10 feet west of the
ut, hullAin, and about 20O feet east Of Ma"'s'"-
ave Irving Fisher tho superintendent A"" NV
fire from one OF the hospital windows. ~ x"
signal orderes. male nurses ana doctors WI -
spontaneously transformed into nfe p't-.'
drined and thoroughly equipi ed for the worN W.
s ,har, Inside of thirty seconds the Windows
=, IN. h,seuent were smashed and four h1rH "i
hose were pourlne water on IN" n"in'S. !" W.
basement had been stored carboys containing "','
hol spirits Of wine. turpcn'lne ana o'her ''P'o''
chemicals Evidently leak In one or t'"'' " Wv
carbovs had generated heat enough to start th'
blaze -...
Th. hospital force. working manfuly "'r' pour
In, u.,er sufficient to drown dozen ordinary
fires Of similar dimensions. bat In sp'e "i an '''
good work the flames burned hercer ana herc'r' anu
rose higher and higher. until now they hhh ''"'"''
the main apot thecary shop on the grouhh h'o'' M
alarm had been sent out and the iirst oi thr en-
zines and hook and ladder companies dasheh uP
% m. sccnc Their first manoeuvre was To smut
oo oil connections with the hospital Then th'E
sent a second alarm and stopped IN" WORK o' INV
amateur nremen with the simple explanation 'n"'
water poured on burning alcohol rather h"ipe" Il
ar. ,han otherwise and that the blaze must burn
,,soi, out Their efforts were devoted To preventing
the spread of the FIRE and inside OF an h""' '''
interior OF the dspensary was "A rum
Among the patients there was at first some 1T
e., na,urol excitement bu, when they realized that
the fire was a hundred feet away. their fear was
cb.nped TO plcasurabc interest. Those VINO were
q, breakfast and those who had strength SUM-
Giant IN crawl out Of bed crowded to the WINDOWS
,o watch the fire. and at last II was found nec'S-
s.rv 70 march the convalescent breakfastcrs away
70 the north side Of the building whHe tle o'''''
were chased back 20 their beds
rho building was two stories high and was erected
=, a cost Of something like $1,000. Philadelphia
brick and frcestone were the materials used The
admirable forethought which placed the laboratory
at a distance from the main building aN"fteh hiS-
a,rous manic among the patients. to say nothing
Of the probable partial destruction OF the hosp,"'
nro,er The dispensary had been hticd with the
laboratories usual In large hospital buildings Kun
oi,g around the walls OF the apoth"caries' shop
- , number Of cabinets filed with every con-
ceivab,e kind Of drug. and in the middl" Of the
roam, stretching from end 70 end and with n cor
r,aor-likc spac. between them, were Two NOR"
Giant cases completely dwarhng the others by con-
tras. The total loss by the IRE VIII not fall iar
short Of $500