The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-06
FIRE AT NEW YORK
KEEPS SHIRT FACTORY AND OTHER
BUILDINGS DESTROYED
Manhattan Savings Institution Among
the vfctims-Narrow Escape of
Firemen-Loss, $2,OOO,OOO.


night in Keeps shirt factory. at Broadway
and Bleecker streets, which extended to
Crosby street and is estimated to have
done a damage of 100000. The compar-
atively new building of the Manhattan Saw
ings Institution was destroyed. Two other
buildings were burned and others damaged
by fire and water.
From the point where the fire was first
seen the flames ran quickly through the
building. which extends from the corner
of Crosby and Bleecker streets through the
i50-foot block until il makes the southeast
corner Of Broadway and Bleecker streets
This uil'lng was destroyed. From this
building the flames got into the structure
adjoining on the south, while to the north
they shot across the narrow Bleecher
street, caught the enormous building of the
Manhattan Savings Institution, the upper
stories of which soon crushed and fell
with a great crash, while 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 in Crosby street the building had
been demolished, the walls still stood erect
but the apertures where the windows had
been showed through them a solid sheet
OF flames Notwi thstanding the enormous
heat, the firemen crowded the building
close. From the very first it was seen that
the building was doomed and the only
chance was the saving of the nearby
structures. An especial effort was made
on the Bleecker-street side to see that the
flames did not cross the street to the eight
story Manhattan Bank structure Sudden
ly, few minutes before 8 o'clock where
all had been light for blocks around from
the glare of the flames, there came dark
ness. From the remnants there came
great black cloud of smoke that blotted out
all light, came so pungent in narrow
Bleecker street that the fire fighters were
forced to run for their lives. Then the
high wall parted, seemed TO hang in the
air for a moment, then fell where a few
moments before the fremen had stood.
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 explosion 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 first
thought that firemen had been injured by
the wreck of this building, but when the
first shock of the crash was over ii 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 Francis j. Reilly
and twelve 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 hole through the sdewaIl
TO the building 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 COM
rades. Brush and Barnett had to climb out
OF window and lift him along the edge.
many feet above the ground, TO window
in the adjoining building. Chief Reilly
tainted when he reached the street. and was
taken to hospital, with his back injured.
Fireman Walsh was overcome by the smoke
after rescuing Annie Coon. aged seventy
and five children from a tenement. There
were many narrow escapes, and twentv-
five firemen were injured.
The Manhattan Bank building is occuniea
by many concerns. In the building were
among others. Heideburg & Co.. clo.b,ng
Ouvebrood Bros, silks; Guarantee sill
Company; Goldstone & Sternbury. clotbing
Northwestern stove works. j. NJ. yapno.,
hats. and John a. Flommerfelt a Co o'''
Within three hours the fire had done ,
damage of nearly S2,000.00o. the insuranca
men estimate. and the heart of the re.ai
business on Broadway was In ruins Th
three buildings destroyed were occupied as
follows No. GA Broadway: Huffheimer q
Co.. l.. Is. Goodman, New York Leafs -
Company: Nos. CSC and 63s Broadway: Ad.
lers Glove factory, j. E. Good
rich & Co. No. go Broadway; a,';
| Empire State Bank, hecht &. ~
Keeps shirt factory. Manhattan Ranl
building Nos. 642 and ga Broadway: Man.
haitian savings Institution and business OF
| fices. The Manhattan Bank building was
valued at about Sl,0oo,0o0. The stock. Of
| iees. fixtures, ETC., within the building are
estimated to have been worth 500. 900. The
buildings at Nos. 6s6 and 63S and $40 were
valued at 10000 In round numbers. and
the stocks in them insurance adjusters es-
tin Ated to have been worth about $3.50. 900.