The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-18
BIG WAREHOUSE BURNED.
SPEoThCUJdR S2e5, 900 FIRE At
hudson AND SPRING STREETS.
A Back Dr.uEht Undld All the rrov,ou. work

Rainbowa In tho Fountntns from tho Hose
Sunday School Near ny HAD to Disperue.
Ono OF the fcrcost and most spectacular fires
OF late years was that which destroyed the
sevcn-story brick warehouse ut tho northeast
corner OF Hudson and Spring streets yesterday.
All the afternoon and evening the fro kept up,
and though at one time II seemed that the siren.
uous Efforts Of the nremen would save the main
part OF the building, ono OF those mysterious
back draughts. which are the terror OF lire
fighters, sent n wave of flame sweeping from
end to end, and thereafter there was nothing to
BIO done but keep tho hose playing upon tho
walls. while floor after floor within cracked,
gave way, and crashed down in flaming ruin,
until the place was Quilted. AS nearly rs the
damage can DO estimated. 1t will aggregate
about $225,000; 500, 900 by tho destruction of
the building, and 1926, 900 by tho loss Of the
stock.
The building has a frontage OF 60 feet on Hud-
son street and 100 feet on Spring street. j.
Fitzpatrick s. Co., importers OF French plate
and colored glass, occupied the Hudson street
front Of the ground floor ana the whole second
floor. The remaining space wns occupied by
the Bradley 6 Currier Company, dealers in
mantels, woodwork. Sc, which owns the build
ing. Tho only persons in the place. yesterday,
were William Hettrick, the engineer, and vii.
liam Marshall, the fireman, who were both in
the engine room. and Alexander r. Ingram and
Albert Marshelier. who were taking stock for
tho Bradley & Currier Company on the top
floor. The fire began in the engine room over
the boiler, from what cause the engineer refuses
to say, althou III he says that he knows tho cause.
and intimatcs that 1t was due to carelcssness
or neglect. Almost before Hettrick and the fire.
man knew what had happened, tho flames were
floating up tho elevator shaft. famed by the
strong draught, and the woodwork on the up.
per floors was cracking. This was at 2:20
o'clock. Sending in n still alarm from the APP
paratus in the building, the men ran out and
found a policeman, who rang a fro.boX signal.
By the time the first engine arrived. smoke was
wreathing out from the third and fourth story
windows all along the Spring street side OF the
building. The first firemen to arrive were ac-
costed by Hettrick with the brief. information:
There is bonZinc on the second floor"
Streams from the hose were directed at the
part of the building which he designated, md
other alarms were rung. until at the fifth the
adjacent streets were full OF engines and trucks.
and two water towers reared their slim necks
alongside the warehouse as II peering in at the
upper windows. Meantime nobody had given
warning to the two mon on tho top floor. A
smell OF smoke to which neither of them had
paid much attention became a matter of moro
immediate interest when the clang OF the fire
gongs was heard in the street outside. Ingram
opened the door into the hall and jumped back as
a draught swept q heavy cloud of smoke into the
room. There was but one chance OF escape,
breath and md rushed trough, the hall to the r g"F
stairway. Marshclier following close behind.
ing ns was vns p ptGIrs r and si sis Mss i sS sn.sk tnat G TiSnfn
themselves by the balustradc the men half ran.
half fell; down. flight after flight OF stairs and
stumbled out into the street, where they wcre
received, with a shout by, the crowd that had
collected. Two minutes later clouds of smoke
in which no human being could live we're pour.
ing, from the, window OF the room where they
had been working.
With the fire fairly under Roadway, it seemed
that the main fight would be on the Spring
street or south side. and at, the 'front.' facing
west, on the third and fourth floors. In some
pexplicable manner the fire had, for the time.
Skipped the dangerous second floor. 1t was
spreading with extraordinary %rapidity. however.
owing largely to the fact that there are no high
buildings adjoining the warehouse. which is en-
on the street. and, except for atwostory house
which runs back forty feet. on the north side as
walls have many windows. and it is a well.
known fact that the combustibility of u build
Of it's windows. On the north side. which over.
locks vacant lots. except for the house, men
shutters. This shut of the dransht on that
side. An iron fire escape. with capncious bal.
wall, Here was foothold for the battle against
the flames, TO be wagcd aggrcssivcly.. On, the
Of water were being poured in with little effect.
because the fro had already gained an ineradi-
taRes fh az ihsf men run "in' hose through from Van.
dam street, across a six-foot fence and up the
f hTs,e ar oPe of They the ,S MTsnshs4 o Rind tSs ,r snd sent s.nt
the first stream through there.
Then began one OF the Quickest fights in the
records OF the department, a fight that almost
achieved victory. and that was given up only
when the men. in response to the shouts and
i. through smoke and fiarncs to safety. From the
third tioor balcony Chief Lally. 9xe in hand.
climbed to the next balcony and pried open
the shutters. 4 tremendous puff OF thick
smoke was, followed by tongues of flame
fbn but two IiSkG Of GSs G sbG e m Shs w SasS% Sioss
after him with q hose. and the thr e. crouch.
fire until it was so far checked that two more
fremen could carry another hose line up the op.
step made than the Chief set out for the sixth
floor, and pried open the shutter there. but this
When the draught had a little subsidized n hose
nozzle was, pointed in at the window, and soon
, Within a few minutes the entire fire escape was
manned. and the rubber-coated fire laddies
Swarmed like ants upon the iron framework.
Now and again clouds of smoke. driven out by
one Of the furious d%rapghts that ranged through
flame, and the half.snothered men rubbed their
faces on their dripping siet tI" 3 t e, niieEia + the
were being driven back, and the men were crawl;
ing through the windows upon the floors. and
sending the streams to meet those which their
fellows were pouring In AT the other side. An
hour after tho fire began It looked from tho
yandam street side as i Chief Lally's men
had the fire under control. Smoke and an
occasional spurt of flame, were seen at each end
of the building on this side. particularly, Mt tho
northeast corner, but through the central space
the flames had been vanquished. To work
from this conquered space and drown out the
fire at each end, foot by foot, seemed to be only
the work of time. and the hremen fought with
tn" energy OF hope.
On tho other sides, where the men had to work
the hose from the street, the chances were not
SO bright. III luck had followed the men. First
the water tower on Hudson street gave out, and
!. twenty minutes were lost before IL was in CON
: dition to pour out it's cataract again. Then the
burst, smashing all the windows in the store
opposite and stunning several persons who were
, IN the rooms 30 that they had TO be carried out.
D Hose.bursts OCCURRED on every side. At the
a hose burst. causing a panic in the
i. crowd. and a lO.yeGr;old girl named
= suffering a disiocation OF the knee. She was
taken to the Hudson Street Hospital. Tho
y crowds about the hose impeded the tiremen, and
. Inspector Grant had all the streets in tho I'm.
mediate vicinity of the tro cleared. Fire Chief
3 Bonner and Fire Commissioners SturEis were on