The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-08-12
TO BEHOLD
Two Men Burned TO Death in View Of
a Helpless Crowd.
A LARGE FIRE IN NEW YORK
Three and Probably More Men
Lose Their Lives In q Burn.
Ing Six story Building
Occupied by Many.

New York. Aug. 1l.-At least three
persons and possibly others were
burned to death In a fire that destroyed
six-story brick building at No. 465
Greenwich street. this afternoon. Sew
eral persons were injured by the smoke
and heat and by jumping and two of
them are expected to die. The dead
are: William Gray, foreman Of the
electrical repair shops, and two un-
known men, two Of whom were caught
on n fire escape and burned to death In
view Of the crowd. The injured who
are expected to die are: Felix Hass
and an unknown man. The other
persons hurt went to a hospital and
then home. The ground floor OF the
building was occupied by A. X. War
rem & Co.. who operated the New York
electrical repair shops. The Arm also
occupied the fourth. fifth and sixth
floors. The second floor was occupied
by Julius Cohen as a distillery and the
third floor was occupied by Plaut
Bros. manufacturing jewellers.
This building was completely burned
out and so was the one adjoining at
No. l67. The latter building was occu-
pied on the ground floor by Alexan-
der Klinkowski. wine refner. and q
second floor as well. The third floor
was vacant; the fourth was occupied
by John Laney as the New York Pants
company and Kellsal & Co, cane man
ufacturers. occupied the NTH floor.
The top floor was vacant.
How the fire started Is not known.
but Its origin is attributed TO an explo-
sion. IL began In the rear on the
ground floor of No. i65 Greenwich, and
L.. .l. H.. Aa
flames shot up the air shafts and the
smoke was pouring out OF the roof.
Most OF the persons In the building
were at work In the machine shops Of
A. X. Warren q Co.. on the NTH floor
OF the building Those who were first
TO reach the fire escapes succeeded In
making their way down to the first
floor landing. and from there jumped
to the sidewalk. Those who followed
found that they were cut OF by the
flames and dense smoke which poured
out of the windows below and escaped
over the roof.
One Of the last men to make the fire
escape on the fifth floor was the fore
man. william Gray. He was seen on the
landing for moment. He was fol-
lowed by another man who was not
recognized. Men on the roof shouted
for him to take hold Of q wire which
they had let down. but they either did
not hear them or were too frightened
to do anything. Flames suddenly shot
up and drove them back and out OF
sight Of the men below. When the
flames shifted the charred and naked
bodies of the two men were seen On the
FIRE escape. Another unknown ap-
peared on the same fire escape above
Gray's body. For an instant he gased
dlstractedly at the crowd below. A
sheet Of fame swept from the Window
again and when Il fell back the deed
body Of the man was found lying on
the grating.
The flames ate their way through
the building at No. le5 quickly. end
then burned through the wall into the
adjoining building at No. ~. Tue
flames were also blown into the win
dows Of No. ls7. and In . few moments
that building was burning from top to
cellar. Four alarms were turned In.
and for a time It looked ~ II every
thing In the block would burn. All traf-
fic In that section OF the city was sus-
pended as the hose crossed not only
the surface railways but the elevated
as well.
The eight or 10 explosions added to
the excitement, but served q good pur-
pose In aiding the fremen. as there
after the flames were more easily got
under control. Individual losses are not
known definitely. and a total Of $780,
900 is estimated. Warren q Co.'S loss.
as all others. was total. and estimated
at S25,O0O