The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-11-06
SERIOUS FIRE in NEW YORK
WORST THE DEPARTMENT HAD 10
COPE NTH IN YEARS.

Building Which it Destroyed-Se
Firemen Were Injured.
New York, Nov. 5.-The most serious
fire with which the fire department of
this city has had to cope for several
years was discovered in the building at
the corner OF Bleeeker street and Broad
fifteen minutes half the block between
Broadway and Crosby street was afiame
and second, third, fourth and fifth
alarm were sounded. Most of the build
| ing which served to feed the flames
were old rattle-traps and as they took
fire one after the other the conflagra-
ton seemed to get beyond the control
of the fire fighters. The fire started at
No. GAO Broadway, occupied by the EN-
| pire State bank. The fire soon leaped
across Bleecker street to the north and
communicated to the seven-story build
ing at the corner of Broadway, the top
of which was occupied by Bierman,
Heidelberg & Co. The lower stories
We're occupied by the Manhattan State
| bank.
Fifteen minutes after the fire leaped
across the street the upper stories Of
the big building We're aflame. The fire.
men moved to the upper side OF Bleeck-
er street and devoted their attention
to the ibig houses there. Shortly after
the Manhattan State bank building
took fire there was loud explosion and
the walls of some of the burning build
ings toppled over. BY 10 o'clock three
quarters of the entire fire department
was on the scene. No. $40 Broadway
was totally destroyed as was the Man
haitian bank building.
Nos 636 and 63S were badly burned,
but not destroyed These were occu-
pied by A. l.. Simon & Co.. Adler, the
glover, and Goodrich, carriage builder.
At 10 o'clock the firemen saw they
could not, possibly save the southeast
corner, so they turned their entire at
tention to the northeast corner.
A policeman was first told of the fire
by a citizen. He Immediately sent in
an alarm. Fifteen minutes later a wo-
man ran screaming out of the back
/ building at No. So Bleecller street. The
flames were so hot she could not stay
In her house. There were a number of
others who We're apparently afraid to
come out and about fifty flremen and
policemen ran in and brought out eight
men and women and two children. Two
of the women had to be forced to go.
The flame was so fiercely hot that the
| firemen could not get within fifty feet
of the Empire bank building.
Crews Of patrohnen did their best to
save the property stored in the Broad
way buildings adjoining the burning
ones. So far as known no one was in
the buildings All persons in all the
houses within a dozen doors of the En-
pire bank building were ordered out of
| their rooms. The surrounding streets
were entirely occupied with engines,
horses and people, and the police had
no easy matter in keeping the crowd in
order
AT $50 the entire structure, extending
from Broadway to Crosby street, on
| Bleeker, was a solid mass of flames. The
corner wall at Crosby and Blocker
streets groaned as the flames licked
| through There was a dull, swapping
noise, then clap like thunder and the
whole interior crumbled in. The crowds
watching the blaze from a distance of
two blocks uttered loud cries. Beneath
the tottering walls stood the crews of
hook and ladder No Is with Foreman
Ahearn, and engine No. IL. They had
streames playing on the burning pile
and di nodt desert their post until it was
foolbardy to remain. The firemen then
attacked the heavy oaken doors of the
Manhattan bank building. Alter twenty
| minutes hard work the doors were bat
| tered DOWN and the firemen flooded the
interior with water.
Deputy Chief Reilly and Battalion
| Chief Lally led the crews of several en-
| gine companies into the building and
| up to the sixth floor. AS the building
was deemed fireproof tne'firemen took
unusual hazards in climbing up to
| reach the flames which mad seized the
| entire upper portion of the building
While on the sixth floor the stairway be-
low caught fire and five minutes later
| the stairway leading to- the seventh
| floor gave way and fell upon them.
/ Some of the firemen were able to climb
to the seventh floor out of danger. Chief
| Lallly was with them. Deputy Grief
| Reilly and the rest of the firemen were
hemmed in so that they could neither
go up nor down. They shouted to the
| firemen in the street to run up ladders,
| which was quickly done, and the i'm
perrilled firemen were soon clambering
| down to safety. Deputy Chief Reilly
was injured about the head and should
ers. Firemen Lawlor and Coleman also
sustained severe bruises and contusions.
| Coleman was able to continue at work,
however. Deputy Chief Reilly was so
| disabled that he had to b etaken to st.
| Vincent's hospital Lawler was also
| taken there.
At midnight the fire had spent itself,
leaving behind it a horrible wreck.
| No fire in the city for years caused so
much excitement. The damage caused
| is estimated to be $4,000 0O0 Byerman.
| Heidelberg & Co., tailors, who occupied
part of the Manhattan block, had
| stock Of $780, 900; Strauss & Co, tailors.
same block, probably lost $50, 900. Flom-
1 merfelt & Co., jewelry firm, S25, ,0OO and
i other smaller tenants another $50. 600.
! The Empire bank building was worth
|