The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-12
ChOKED BY pUNGENT SMOKE.
FIREMEN ToIL OYER BURNING TO-
BhCCO, SPICES, and PAPER.

Fourteen Streams frou, Land aud Eight fro,
the Water Dou-e George n. Hobby's An
client Storage Warehouse In Souih Street
Twenty Firsmrn Temporarily Disabled.
The fremen had four hours tussle yester-
day afternoon with q fro In the storage house
OF J. II. Hobby's son. northeast corner OF South
and Clinton streets. Nobody should have been
In the building since o'clock on Saturday
afternoon. and probably nobody was. The fire
had complete possession OF the top floor when
the hremen arrived about 4:30 7. ~ yester-
day. The building fronted $50 feet on Clinton
street and eighty-flve feet on South street and
Water street. 1t was an ancient brick build
ing. four stories high. and was formerly used
as a tobacco inspection warehouse By Jarvis
L Co. Hobby owns the storage building ad-
joining. but this was behind party wall.
which saved II.
When the fremen attacked the flames from
the roof and made an opening, huge clouds Of
smoke issued. There was no wind stirring,
and the dense. punEent smoke Just hung
around the building. choking tho men. The
fireboats were called. and In hurrying into the
slip between Piers 4S and 40 tho New Yorker
got slap In the face OF her pilot house from
the fore yard OF the bark Linda Park In the
dock. The roof OF the pilot house was stove In.
and the brass railing around the top was
twisted.
II ever a fire was doused this one was. with
both f1reboats and fourteen engines at work
three streams from each hreboat and the po-
lice boat Patrol landing two The windows
were sealed with iron shutters. When they
were finally pried of the firemen got some
idea OF the scope OF the flames. The building
was packed full from cellars to the roof with
rolls Of printing paper and bales OF tobacco.
spices. rattans. tea. and miscellaneous stuffs.
The smoke was overpowering 1t was OF all
flaw Of wind came along after while and
sent great banks OF It sailing across the river
roof lay fiat on their stomachs to windward
and kept the water on. It ran out in cascades
ters n like az mill race. On the Clinton Street
side miniature Niagara was formed and the
sun shone through the spray and made u rain
bow.
1t was tough fire for the flremen. and the
strain exhausted many Of them temporarily.
the hose. and there was hardly a man who
was not wringing wet Two were overcome
z a u sm9Ss GeGss
the roof insensible, and after being resusci-
sHted By an ambglancs surgeon: was taken to to
stsritt Of Fire Patrol had to stop
work. anS a after rseySiyiknG went to III, his
oughly Quilted. At night fremen were still
so9snT the remains Of tho dFs
get an idea what proportion OF tobacco and
spices there was in the warehouse, The loss
crew OF Chinese Lascars. Malays. and Japanese
on the. steamer Macdutf. moored across the
street, had great fun watching the fire. They
formed picturesque group In the bow and
were interested in every detail Some OF the
crow wore little moro than a breech clout.
Twenty iremen were taken last evening
from the Hobby warehouse FIRE to Governeur
Hospital suffering from Inflammation Of khe
eyes, produced by smoke. They were relieved
and went back to their stations.
At ! o'clock this morning. Chief Bonner was
still in command OF the dre. At that time
there were ten lines Of hose play ing from tho
roof OF the building on the north.
These lines were supplied from the two fire
boats. Chief Bonner expected. as he said, that
at any moment the walls OF the building would
fall
For this reason not man was ordered to
enter the burning building. the fight being
made entirely from the street and the adjoin-
Shortly after l o'clock Chief Bonner left the
fire. leaving in charge Deputy Chief of Depart
ment Reilly.
The number OF men Of the DEPARTING emit over
come by smoke was remarkable and unknown
to have ever happened before.
The nun Der is SO great that It will be neoes-
sary for draft to he made to-day uron up
town companies to reinforce and I'LL tho va
cancies made
Fart OF the front wall fell into the street
af Ia