The evening world., 1894-10-01
.FIREMEN IN DANGER.
A Burning Factory Fell Apart
While They Were at Work.
Men Inside the Building Warned in
the Nick OF Time.
Flames Confined Amid Dangerous
Surroundings 1900.

The factory Of Jonas e. Naumburg
cutters of hattcrs fur, in the double six
story brick building 80 and BIZ West
Thirty fourth street, was destroyed by
fire this morning. The loss is about
1900
Engine Company 81 was the first on
the scene. When the engine arrived the
place was on fire from cellar to roof,
and the flames had burst through a
dozen windows. chief Bonner at once
ordered out a third alarm.
Twenty minutes after the discovery
Of the fire, there was warning cry
from chief Bonner, and the men who
were working in the building and on the
ladder in front, were ordered to the
street, as the walls threatened to fall.
The order was not given "A minute TOO
soon. The men had not yet lcft inc
building. when there came groan OF
cracking walls. and many tons of brick
fell into the street, while "A mountain
of flame leapcd into the air. In the
dust Of the falling bricks and lying tim
bers, IT was soon known that the last
man had left the building as the wall
fell at his heels.
The burning building had split in two;
half of the front wall, and all of that
on the west side had gone down, and
the flames were licking up what re-
mancd like wax.
on the north side of the factory is an
apartmcnt-house Three, families who
occupied II were aroused by cries and
rushed out to find the halls filled with
smoke. All got out in safety.
Back of the building, in Thirty third
street Is the four-story factory of the
Central Lard Company, and next to II
the lnseed-oll factory of Decker K
60. Both these places are heavily
stocked with lard and oils. The build
ings are separated from the fur factory
n
Quel had three streams on the rear of
these buildings early.
Beyond the oil factories in Thirty
third street and close to the fire are
three tenemcnt-houses, called the Bar
racks" There was small panic in
these houses.
The tenants woke to find the rooms
lighted with the glare of the flames.
Soon the halls were filled with scream
ing women and children, while the men
were doing nll In their power to get
the household goods out of the fires
The flames raced though what was
icft of the factory after half of it had
FALLEN The place was stocked with
bundles of furs which burned nercely
and gave ont great light and heat. 1t
may have been in one of these bundles
of furs that the fire started from
spontaneous combustion, or 1t may have
started in the drying-rOom on the first
floor. In the rest of the building there
Is machinery for cutting up the skins.
and skins In the various stages of com
pletion for the making ~ hats and caps.
The fire was confined to the factory,
but 1t required the most energetic work
from the members of the twelve com
pnni"s that had been called out.
Besides being the largest concern OF
iho KIND In the country, this is the busy
season in the business, and the stock
that was in the building this morning is
the heaviest that has been carried for
years past, There have been three fires
In the building before during the past
two years, but none of them caused more
than nominal damages.
MIR Naumhurg, one of the firm, said this
morning that he would estimate the loss
on the stock ut $4,000. and that on the
building AT $4,000. The building was q
nimsy affair. that has stood there these
forty years. 1t was erected as a dwell
ing-house, turned into a tenement, and
afterwards for many years occupied as
piano factory, The loss Is fully COW
cred by insurance.