The San Francisco call., 1895-11-06
The Complete Destruction of the
Manhattan and Empire
Structures.
CLOSE CALL FOR THE FIREMEN.
While on the Sixth Floor a SQUAD Is
Cut Off, but Escape Down
Ladders.

NEW YORK, N. Y, Nov. 5-The most
serious fire with which the Fire Depart
ment of this city has had to cope for sew
eral years was discovered in the building
at the corner of Bleecker street and Broad
way shortly after g o'clock this evening.
Within fifteen minutes half the block be-
tween Broadway and Crosby street was
aaame, and a second, third, fourth and
fifth alarm was sounded. Most of the
buildings which served to feed the flames
were old rattletraps, and as they took fire
one after the other the conhagration
seemed to get beyond the control of the
fighters.
At 9:15 o'clock the roof and side walls
fell in with crash. In few minutes the
flames leaped across the street to the Man.
haitian Bank building. In ten minutes
that building was ablaze from cellar to
roof, as was also the building on the COR
ner OF Crosby street, opposite the building
which first caught fire. This place is oc-
cupied by Whites Express. When the
rear wall of the building fell there were
four firemen in the building next to it.
The six-story building towers above this,
and when the wall fell they started to run,
buf they seemed to be too late and were
probably caught.
By 10 o'clock three-fourths of the entire
fire department of the city was on the
scene. $40 Broadway was totally wrecked.
Nos 636 and 63S were badly burned, but
not destroyed. These stores are occupied
by A. n. Simon & Co., Adler (the glove
man) and Goodrich (the carriage -builder(.
Nothing could save the Manhattan
building, and the firemen stopped playing
on it. Shortly after 9 o'clock there was an
explosion in Adler's glovestore, 63S Broad
way, which adjoined the corner building.
Hot air blew out the front window, and
carried it and the framework clear across
Broadway. So far as is known no one was
in the building
The fremen attacked the oaken doors of
the old bank buildings. After twenty
minutes hard work the doors were bat
tered down and the firemen flooded the in
terror with water. When the walls of the
Keep building fell in the fremen turned
streams on the other building opposite,
the northeast corner of Broadway.
Deputy Chief Reilly and Battalion Chief
Lally led the crews of several engine COM
panies into the building and up to the
sixth floor. As the building was deemed
ireproof the tiremen took unusal hazards
in elm bing up to reach the flames which
had seized the entire upper portion of the
building. While on the sixth floor the
stairway below them caught fire and five
minutes later the stairway leading to the
seventh floor gave way and fell upon them.
Some of the tremen were able TO climb to
the seventh floor out OF danger. Chief
Lally was with them.
Deputy Chief Reilly and the rest of the
firemen were hemmed in so that they
could neither go up or down. They
shouted to the firemen in the streets to
run up ladders, which was quickly done,
and the imperiled fremen were soon
clambering down to safety. Deputy Chief
Reilly was injured about the head and
shoulders. Fireman Lawler and Fireman
Coleman also sustained severe bruises and
contusions. Coleman was able to con-
tinue at work, however. Deputy Chief
Reilly was so disabled that he had to be
taken to st. Vincent's Hospital. Lawler
was also taken there.
No fire in this city for years caused so
much excitement. at this hour Il A. MY
the fire is under control. The damage
caused by this fire is estimated to be $S,-
100000. Both the Manhattan Savings
Bank and the Empire State Bank are in
ruins.
Chief Bonner said that twenty-five men
belonging to the department had been
more or less injured. He had not been
furnished with all the names of the men
injured, and hardly expected that he
would be before morning.
The Manhattan Savings Bank building,
which is almost a total wreck, was valued
at S150,000 Bierman, Heidelberg & Co.,
tailors, who occupied part of it, had
stock valued at $4,000; Straus & Co.,
tailors, in the same building, probably
lose $4,000; Floenfelt & Co., mems Jew
elry, 5000; other small tenants, $50 900.
The Empire State Bank building, not
even the shell of which is left, was prob
ably worth $4,000 Among the firms oc-
cupying it were Charles Hecht 6s Co.,
flowers and feathers, loss probably $3.50, 900;
William Burke & Co., neckwear, probable
loss, $4,000; the New York Leather Com
pany. S10O, 900, and other tenants $50, 900. In
ad ditiOn the stock of Adler & Co., glove
m erchants, valued at 500, coo, which was
IN the next building, was totally destroyed
and in the neighborhood there were many
losses too numerous to estimate. Should
the securities in the freproof vaults of the
two banks be destroyed. an even greater
loss must be accounted for.
James w. Conroy, president OF the
En- pire State Bank, when seen at his
home said that the damage TO the bank
building was 100000 and to the fixtures
$25, 900, and there were in the safe 81 ,000,-
600 in securities. which he believed were
not destroyed. The bank did not own the
building and he did not know what insur-
ance was carried.