New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-09
YARD WORK FOR FIREMEN.
COVERED WITH ICE, THEY FIGHT WITH
FIERCE FLAMES.
A WATER TOWER FROZEN FAsT-TENANTs IN
PLAYHOUSE GET OUT OF THEIR APART
MENTs on sNOW-COVERED

A WATER TOWER FROZEN FAsT-TENANTs IN
r1ArHorsr GET OUT OF THEIR APART
MENTs ON sNowcovERED
FIRE ESCAPES.
The hardest fire the New-York Fire Department
has had since the blizzard of 1888 was fought by the
fremen OF fourteen engine companies In the early
hours OF Yesterday morning. The fire was in big
fve-story factory building at Gansevoort and west
SITS 1t was occupied by several firms. inciudihg
paint and varnish manufacturing concern, rubber
hose manufactory and brass foundry. In the base
ment was barroon. and next door TO thls' along
Gansevoor,-s 200 persons were sleeping In the Man
haitian Lodging House.
Only the shell of the upper part OF the Factory
remained yesterday morning. After two hours hard
contest with flames the firemen won. but when the
struggle was over the tower which had borne
the brunt of II incrusted so thickly with ice
that an engine had to be put to work 10 thaw the
coating before it could be lowered. Each fireman
of ice nearly II not fully an inch thick'
and two were disabled-one with hands severely
frostbtten, another famed by fall on the slippery
pavement. The factory is at No. 5S West-s'
Policeman Ahrens. Of the Charles-st. station VINO
has a post in West-st.. discovered the hre al i''
a. m. Policeman Burns went into the Ma''' w
Lodging House Smoke and flames were po"ii"e
through the top windows in the rear OF the iAc'o,'
building next door. Smoke had already so' INV
building Some of the dodgers had been arouseu ''
4 and were clamorng to know where ''e ' w..
and soon were pouring down the starr III
Of undress The policeman. clerk ana hsh' "a''"
man went through the rooms and turned eVersoo'S
out The wind blowing forty miles d" "ou''
CARRYING with II binding snowstorm as they
emerged from the house and made Dee line LOT 'he
Helena Lodging House two blocks away one ola
man. who had been turned out of his bed on the top
eoor and was almost hyserca with fright, dashed
on, into the storm unprotected by clothing Police
man Ahrens wrapped his overcoat around him ana
clad in that ne followed his companions barefoot.
When the engines arrived the flames had com
plete control Of the top Of the building. Three
alarms were sent out and there were soon fourteen
engines and half dozen hook and ladder companies
Nsbtinp the flames They made their way TO the
fire through snowdrfs three and four feet deep and
they fought II in the teeth of biting wind when
blew the water from the hose back on the engines
Water Tower No. was got into position In west
st. in front Of the burning building facing the tre
water BY that time, however the upper part OF
the factory mere shell FIFTY thousand DOL
A When EN- the 'e Gallon was sounded was found i'm
ppesT% ' foot thick covered it, Several Of the fire.
men had frostbitten ears and fingers ana Jonn
hands The frostbtten fremen were thawed out In
s flew the fire n as l the
hardest he had undertaken during his career IN the
:The hight Of the great blizzard bad, he
said. but it was not go cold as this Such thing
a ahe 'a snn sfsA Of the Ss depaftm s ~
four-story brownstone fathouse at No. III
ie Sd: morning and was wrecked The tenants
escaped in their night clothing down the snow
covered fire escapes. Two had to be carried down
the ladder of Truck 10. and three alarms We're
sent out before the fremen could handle the out
break. M IL.
George Ongley clerk who lived with his Vile ire
s GO n 6e ns SIF ns hs
his rooms filing with smoke moments me- search
and that they shooting up through the dumb
waiter shaft. Ongley called to ms wife; ana no
street friends house while her husband t;tsH;
ran the TsW the
and began to throw out their valuabes Most OF
s sysier fi'iiyeS IN the their nc rooms ms
Policeman Grinnen. who was on post In the street
The deep ayS' snowdrts delayed the engines and il
vas nearly fifteen minutes s before gs ey hs Samb
Waiter Spreading through :; 1l the s
oTdere On ,ee LADDER to be raised
on the third floor Thomas Corey and Fireman
her daughter Cecilia waiting for help Each fire
grabbed one Of the women and carried hep
into a house across the way. ., ~ ,.so-
his Guidance ee after an hours hard work fire
was got under control me seeSna ds sn % a tho
hallway were completely burned out All the ten
ants escaped without injury. .. ,.. -.
Sss xo 4d else has ' damage to the
Two plumbers in trying to thaw out tank IN the
ton Of the fve-stOry fiat NO. III west ElRft!-
Sonrth caused a fire the top floor YESTERDAY
afternoon which sent the tenants OF the building
the building and the furniture OF the tenants on
the upper floors Two alarms OF hse were sem o ,be
MIGRANTS in the neghboIheod were frosen ana ~
water were started Four lines OF hose were run
up through the hallway. while number OF nre,
men mounted to the roof through the ao)ohlihe
building and yore up the iron roofing only Few
minutes were required to put out the flames when
the bremen got 10 work