The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-11-06
One of the Most Serious That Has
Occurred There in Years.
LOSS ESTIMATED AT THREE MILLION
DOLLARS
Several Firemen Badly Injured During
the Conf1agration - Great Difficulty
in Getting the Fire Under Control
Two Large Bank buildings Almost
Completely Wrecked.


Of this city has had to cope for several
years was discovered at the corner of
Bleecker street and Broadway shortly
after 8 o'clock this evening. Within
fifteen minutes one-half of the block
between Broadway and Crosby street
was aflame and a second, third, fourth
and fifth alarm was sounded. Most OF
the buildings which served to feed the
flames were old rattle-traps, and one
after the other the Conflagration
seemed to get beyond the control of the
fire-fighters
At 9:l5 the roof and side walls fell in
with a crash. In a few minutes the
flames leaped across the street to the
Manhattan bank building. In ten min
utes that building was ablaze from eel
lar to roof, as was also the building on
the corner of Crosby, opposite the
building which first caught fire. This
place is occupied bv Whites express.
When the rear wall of the building
fell, there were four firemen III the
building next to it. The siX-stoTy tow
ers above this, and when the wall fell
they started TO run, but they seemed to
be too late, and were probably caught.
entire fire department of the city was
on the scene. NO. 640 Broadway was
totally wrecked. Nos 63G and 63S were
badly burned, but not destroyed These
stores are occupied by \. L. Simon &
Co., Adler, the glove man, and Good
rich, the carriage builder.
Nothing could save the Manhattan ire.
and the lire1nen stopped playing on it.
Shortly after O'Clock there was an ex-
plosion in Adler's glove store at 639
Broadway, which adjoined the corner
building. Hot air blew out the front
window and carried it and the frame
work clear across Broadway. SO far as
is known no one was in the buildings.
The tiremen attacked the oaken doors
of the old bank building After twenty
minutes hard work the doors were bat
tered down, and the tiremen flooded the
interior with water.
When the walls of the Keep building
fell in the firemen turned streams on the
other building opposite, at the northeast
corner of Broadway. Deputy Chief
Reilly and Battalion Chief Lally led the
crews of several engine companies into
the building and up to the sixth floor.
AS the building WAS deemed freprooi,
the tiremen took unusual hazards In
clim bing up TO reach the flames, which
had seized the entire upper portion OF the
building.
q
below them caught fire. and five minutes
later the strirway to the seventh floor
gave way and fell upon them. Some OF
the firemen were able to climb 10 the
seventh floor out OF danger. Chief Lslly
was with them. They shouted to the tlre-
men in the streets TO run up ladders,
which was quickly done, and the inn
periled firemen we're soon clamboring
down TO safety. Deputy Chief Reilly was
injured about the head and shoulders.
Fireman Lawler and Fireman Coleman
also sustained severe bruises and con-
tusions. Coleman was able 10 continue
at work. however. Deputy Chief Reilly
was so disabled that he had 10 be taken
to st. Fincenrs Hospital. Lawler was
also taken there.
No fire III this city for years caused so
much excitement. The damage caused
by the tire is estimated 10 De s., ,OU0, 900.
Both the Manhattan savings Bank and
the Empire State Bank are IN ruins.
List of injured so Tar as yst known.
Deputy Chief L. Gf. Reilly. TWO ribs
broken; Battalion Chief Thomas Laily,
internal injuries; Fireman Lawler, in-
iured about the legs; Fireman Charles II.
shea, knee hurt; Fireman George Cole
man, contusious; Policeman James
Walsh, overcome Dy smoke; Frank Hen
kel, cut about the taco by flying glass;
Foreman Donovan, cut about the face.
Chief Bonner said that twenty five men
belonging to the department had been
more or less injured. he had not been
furnished with al the names Of the men
injured, and hardly expected he would
be before morning.
The Mauhattan savings Bank building,
which is almost a total wreck, was valued
at $l50.00O. Bierman, heidelberg d Co.,
tailors, who occupied part OF IL, had g
stock valued at 0,00O Strauss IL Co.,
tallors, III the same building, probably
lose $50, coo; tloenfolt & Co., mems jew
elry, SO, 600; other small teuants, 500, 000.
The Empire State Bank building, not
even IL g shell of which is lett. was worth
;jI75, 600 Among the firms occupying 1t
were Charles Hecht & Co., flowers and
feathers, loss probably Sl50.000; William
Burke u Co., reckwear, probably lose
$50, 0Og; the New York Leather Company
SlGO. .0U0 and other tenants 500, 600.
In addition, the stock OF Adler Il Co.,
glove merchants, valued al 100000,
which was in the next building, was
totally destroyed, and in tho neighbor-
hood there were many losses too numer-
GUS 10 estimate.
Should the securities in the fre-proof
vaults OF the two bank buildings be de-
stroyed, an even greater loss must be &C.
counted for.