The herald., 1896-08-12
FOUND DEATH IN THE FIRE
The Crowd Looked On in Help
less Horror
A HEAVY PECUNIARY LOSS
Caused by the Burning of New York
Buildings
Fire Chiefs in Convention Admit Their Ina
biIity to Fight Fire In the nodern
Sky-Sorapers
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire
NEW YORK. Aug. 1t.-At least three
persons and possibly others were burn
ed to death in a fire that destroyed a
six-story brick building at No. 465 Green
wich street this afternoon. Several per-
sons were injured by the smoke ana neat
and by jumping and two of them are en-
pected to die. The dead are Wllllam
GRAY foreman of electrical repair shops,
| and two unknown men who were caught
on a fire escape and burned to death IN
| view of the crowd. The injured who are
| expected to die are Felix Haas and an
unknown man. The other persons hurt
were sent to a hospital and then home
The ground floor of the building cas-
occupied by A. X. Warren & Co., who
operated the New York electrical re
pair shops The firm also occupied the
fourth, fifth and sixth floors. The sec
ond floor was occupied by Julius Cohen
as distillery and the third by Plaut
Brothers, manufacturing jewelers..
This building was completely burned
out as was the one adjoining it. No. 46l.
The latter building was occupied on the
ground and second floors by Alexander
Klinkowski, a wine refiner; the third
floor was vacant, the fourth was occu-
pied by John Laney as the New York
Pan company, and Kellsal & Co, cane
manufacturers occupied the fifth floor.
The top floor was vacant.
How the fire strated is not known but
its origin is attributed to an explosion.
II began in the rear on the ground floor
of No. 465, Greenwich street, and before
the alarm could be given the flames shot
up the air shafts and the smoke was
pouring out of the roof Most of the
fifth floor persons in the building were
at work in the machine shops of a. X.
Warren & Co., on the fifth floor. 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 fol-
lowed found that they We're cut off by
the flames and smoke which poured out
of the windows below and escaped over
the 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 for moment. He
was followed by another man who was
not recognized. Men on the roof shout
ed for him to take hold of a wire which
they had let down but they either did
not hear them or We're too frightened
to do anything. Flames suddenly shot
up and drove them back and out of the
sight of the men. When the flames lift
| ed the naked and charred bodies of the
| two men were seen on the fire escape.
Another unknown man appeared on the
| same fire escape above Gray's body. Foy
| an instant he gazed distractedly on the
| crowd below. A sheet of flame 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. 465 quickly and then
burnt through the wall to the adjoining
building at No 467 The flames were
also blown into the windows of the latter
number and in few moments that
building was burning from top to cellar.
Four alarms were turned in and for a
time it looked as if everything in the
! block would burn. All traffic in that
section of the city was suspended as'the
hose crossed not only the surface rail-
ways but the elevated as well.
The eight or ten explosions added to
the excitement but served a good pur-
pose in aiding the riremen, as there
after the flames were more easily under
| control
| individual losses are not known def
nitely, and total Of $15O,0OO is estimated.
Warren & Cos loss, as all others, was
total and it is estimated at $25, 900
CHIEFS IN CONVENTION.
SALT LAKE, Utah, Aug. 1.-THE sec
vention was called to order at 10 o'clock
this morning. Many interesting papers
relating to fire departments and the best
methods of work were read and dis
cussad.
Superintendent Null of New York
confessed that he did not know what
the department would do with fire ir
the top of twenty-eight story buildings
now being erected in that city.
A concert and organ recital took place
in the Tabernacle tonight Tomorrow
the chiefs will visit the bathing resort
at Garfield beach.
Interesting exhibits and tests of new
appliances We're made this afternoon.
y PENITNNTIARY FIRE.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa. Aug. 11.-Firt
| in Anamosa penitentiary started at
o'clock in the cellar of the prison dinin.
room. In short time the fire was be
! yond control and the entire entry build
ing was destroyed, including a large H.
brary of 5000 volumes. The loss viii
| be $4,000 The fire was brought under
control about II o'clock and no dlfficultS
| with the prisoncrs was evnerieuced