Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-12
THREE MEN ROAST.
Horrible Sight for Witnesses Of
New York Fire.
DEATH IN MOST FRIGHTFUL FORM.

Wrapped in Flames in Full View of the
Crowd. Roasted to Death and Left
Charrsd and Nakcd-Ano,her Day of
Fearful Hea; in the Metropolis-Fatal
Cases Estimated at 80 Thercabouts.
NEW YORK. Aug. 12.-At least three per-
s'nS and possibly others We're burned to
death in fire that destroyed a six-story
brick building al i6j Greenwich street yes
ter,lay afternoon several persons were
injured by the smuge and heat and by
jumping, and two Of them are expected to
die. The dead are: William Gray, fore
man Of electrical repair shops, and two
unknown men, all Of whom Were caught
on a fire escape and burned to death in
view OF the crowd. The injured who are
expected to die are: Felix Hass and IN
unknown man. The other persons hurt
wcnt to hospital and then hcme. The
ground floor of the building was occupied
by A X Warren y Co. who operated the
New York Electrical Repair shops. The
firm also occupied the fourth, fifth and
sixth floors.
Fire starts with an Explosion.
The second fI"o- was occupied by Julius
Cohen as diStillcry. and the third floor
was occupied by Plaut & Bros. manu-
featuring jewelers.. This building was
completely burned ont and so was the one
adjoining at No. 49,. The latter building
was occupied on the ground floor by Alex
andcr kiinkowsli. a wine rcfiner, and the
second floor as well. The third floor was
vacant; the fourth floor was occupied by
John Lancv, as the New York Pan com
pany, and krllSal x Co. cane manu-
factUrcrS, occupied the fifth floor The
top floor was vacant How the fire started
is not known. hut the origin i attri outed
to an explosion. 1t began in the rear on
the ground floor ui H. Greenwich. and be-
fore the alarm could bc given the flames
shot up aiT-~haitS aud the smoke was
pouring out ~ the roof.
Late Eui;iiirrS Cut on from Escape.
Most ot the fifty persons in the building
were at work in the machine shops of y.
Is. Warren " Go, on the fifth floor of the
building. Thpsr who were first to reach
the fire escapes succeeded in making their
way down to the first floor landing and
from there jumped Ia the sidewalk. Those
who followed found that they were cut off
| by flames ana dcnS, smoke which poured
ont of the windows below and escaped
| over tho roof. One Of the last men to
,, make for the fire escapes on the fifth floor
| was the foreman. William Gray. He was
| seen on the landing fora moment He
was followed by another man who was not
, rccngrized Men on the roof shouted for
| them to take hold of wire which they had
| Jet down, but they either did not hear
| them or We're too frightened to do any
| thing.
Horrible sight Cor the Crowd.
FLAMES suddenly shot up and drove the
men on the roof back, and they then Lost
! sight of the men below. When il shifted
! the charrcd and naked bodies of the two
| men were seen on the fire escape as the
/ firCmen played the hose into the building.
Another unknown appeared on the same
| lire escape above GrIy's body. For an in
| Stant he -azcd diStractcdIy on the crowd
| below. Flames swept from the windows
again, and when they fell back the dead
| body of the man was lying on the grating.
! The flames ate their way through the
building at No. 40 quickly and then burnt
| through the wall into the adjoining build
| ing at No. i6a. The flames were also
| blown into the windows of No. 49,, and in
! II few moments that building was burning
from top story to cellar.
Explosion and the Firenen.
| EpUF aitfill- were turned III. ana 10Y q
time it Looked as if everything on the
! block would burn. All traffic in that sec
| tion of the city was suspended, as the hose
crossed not only the surface railways, but
| the elevated ~ we'll Eight or ten cxpiu-
| sinns added to the excitement, but seryc,.
a good purpose in aiding the fire depart
| iEcnt. as thereafter the flames were more
easily got under control. Individual
| losses Were not known definitely. aud "a
| total of sl5o,u10 is estimated. Warren 4;
| Co. : loss, a. all others, was total and is
estimated NJ $500.