The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-11-07
OVER A MILLION DOLLARS WENT
UP IN SMOKE YES
TERDAY.
narrow ESCAPES BY THE F|REMEN
Though None Were Fatally Injured,
Several Had Close Calls-The Big
Manhattan Bank Building Was
Among Those Burned.

New York, Nov ga fire started to-
night in Keep shirt factory at Broadway
and Blocker streets, which is extended
to Crosby street and is estimated to
have done damage of $1,000,000. The
comparative new building of the Man
haitian savings institution will be de-
stroyed. Two other buildings were de-
stroyed and others damaged. AT 1856
Deputy Chief Reilly and five fremen
were on the fifth and sixth floors of the
Manhattan savings institution building
when the walls fell. Reilly escaped but
could tell nothing of his men.
From the point where the fire was
first seen the flames ran quickly through
the building, which extends from the
corner of Crosby and Blocker streets
through the $50 foot block until it
makes the southeast corner of Broadway
and Blocker streets. This building was
destroyed. From this the flames got
into the structure adjoining on the south,
while to the north they shot across the
nous building of the Manhattan Savings
institution, the upper stories of which
| soon crushed and fell with great crash
while the firemen were working on the
lower floors.
Jacob Adler & Co. control the clothing
establishment on the floor where the fire
started. Beneath them, on the ground
floor of the building facing Broadway, is
| the Empire State bank. On the upper
| floors are Lauterback & Co., silks, and
several like concerns.
Half an hour after the flames were
| first seen on Crosby street, the building
had been demolished, though the walls
| still stood erect. Notwithstanding the
enormous heat, the firemen crowded the
building close. An especial effort was
made on the Blocker street side to see
| that the flames did not cross the street
to the eight-story Manhattan bank struc-
ture.
A few minutes after 8 o'clock the fire.
men were forced to run for their lives.
Then the high walls parted and fell with
out warning. The five-story building
to the south caught fire with the falling
of the walls and the firemen's attention
was turned to that. Twenty of them
were before this house when an explo-
sion came that shook the building, and
every window in the house was blown
into the street. Iron shutters were
forced from their fastenings and sent
sailing through the air
1t was at first thought that three of
the tiremen had been injured by the
wreck of this building, but when the
first shock of the crash was over it was
found otherwise. Two men who had
stood near were blown across the street.
Both were slightly injured.
The Manhattan building was across
the street and every effort was made to
save it, but vainly.
Fire Chief Reilly and II men were in
the sixth story of the building when from
above the flames came so rapidly that
their escape was cut off. By cutting a
hole through the side wall to the build
ing to the north the chief and eleven of
his men escaped. The twelfth man,
Fireman Fitzgerald, crawled along a
narrow coping, but became so weak that
two comrades, Brush and Barnett, had
to climb out of window and lift him
| along the ledge, many feet above the
ground, to a window in the adjoining
| building.
Chief Reilly tainted when he reached
the street and was taken to a hospital,
with his back injured. Fireman Walsh
was overcome by the smoke after res
cuing Annie Coon, aged 20, and five chill
| dren from tenement. There were
many narrow escapes and % iremen
were injured.
The Manhattan bank building is occu-
| pied by many concerns. In the build
| ing were, among others:
| Heidelberg q Co.. clothing.
OuvebrOod Bros, silks.
Guarantee Silk company.
Northwestern Stove works.
N. M. Van OFT.
Within three hours the fire had done
damage of nearly $2,000,000, the in
surance men estimate, and the heart of
Broadway was in ruins. The Manhat-
tan bank building was valued at about
81 100000 The stock of fixtures, ETC.,
within the building are estimated to have
been worth 100000. The buildings
at Nos. 636, 63S and $40 were valued at
100000 in round numbers and the stock
in them, the insurance adjusters esti-
mate to have been worth $350,000.