New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-23
FIRE IN THE CABLE BUILDING.
LOSS ESTIMATED AT 500 900 CAUSED BY
THE FLAMES.
TENANTS HURRY FROM THE BUILDING AT SOME
THING LIKE PANIC sPEED-cRowDs
WATCH The ENGINES At
WORK.


Twenty thousand dollars damage was done by
fire and water last night in the Gable Building.
at Broadway and Houston-st. The fire was con-
fined to the third floor. where dozen firms suf-
fered losses three of them being completely
burned out. It was just o'clock and the ma
iority of the tenants of the building had gone
away when the fire was discovered. A girl enl-
ployed in the building saw smoke coming from
the office OF Otto G. Fedheim, button manu-
facturcr on the third floor, overlooking the light
shaft. She screamed and was heard by Frank
Grimes the porter on the same floor. Who tried
to take down the hose line the rack, every
floor being provided with such apparatus. An
other man had rushed downstairs to send in the
alarm Grimes and a dozen other men got the
hose working bur t was found to be too short.
Another link was procured. but It was still not
long enough. Fortunately at about that time the
firemen arrived and they quickly ran number
of hose lines to the third floor.
There were enough people in the building.
which Is eight stories nigh. 10 make their hasty
exit seem like a panic. The few women screamed
Historically and ran for the elevators. John
Kelly a general workman employed about the
building says that the men were so anxious to
get out that they crowded into the elevators
regardless OF what became Of the women. The
latter had to hasten to the two freight elevators
and 20 down on them One OF these was run by
Mrs. Charles Kammerer. wife OF the janitor OF
the building, as there was no man TO do II.
J. Dinkelspel. who has an office on the seventh
floor says that as he vas climbing out OF u
window on the north side OF the building, so as
to reach the fre-escape. ne saw a man and a
woman running along the corridor The man
fell and the woman kept on to the window. and
ipira al sria a1 of flor
on the fire-escape. took the woman on his
shoulder and. descended two stories TO the roof
Of the building mex; dorr No. 623 Broadway.
through which they got to the street
Wnen the fireEien arrived they found that the
hcadway gained by the flames made necessary
the sending in Of second and little later a
third alarm From Feldhelms the fire spread
tc J. l.. Walker & Co.'S offices. next on the
light shaft and then 10 ID. NJ. Schoenfeld s.
The latter had large sample stock OF gold
,ewelry which was destroyed Walker & Co.
lost even their books These three firms were
the only ones entirely burned out Every otner
office on that side OF the third floor, however,
suffered by fire or water.
smoke poured into the lgnt shaft and thence
to the roof in such volume that 1t looked as II
the building must go. The fire attracted the
working people who pass up and down Broad
way about o'clock that for half an hour
the building was watched by at least 1000 per-
sons. So great was the crowd that. the fire lines
could not be maintained by the police as strictly
usual
The cable power machinery In the basement
was not endangered at any tire.
The firms that suffered and their losses are as
follows: Otto G. Feldheim. button marufacturer.
s. 1000: J. l., Walker & Co.. ncckwear 1000 ID.
NJ Schoenfeld jewelry. $1,000: A. 5. Clements.
stationery. $1,000. Pacific Rubber Company.
81 coo: Lllor & Bernger real estate. $1,000; New
man & Levnson sweaters. $500 G.. b. Widner.
$500; Kniokerbocker Silver Company $500; Royal
American Enamel Company, $500; Willard &
Quincy celluloid goods $500; Saks & Co. cloth
ing $500: Mercantile Trading Company. $500: j.
T. Ellison & Co. $500: 5. Ditman $500; four firms
on the second noor 81 900 The building was
de emaged to the extent Of about $4,000
The caus. of the fire is not known.