New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-18
HARD BATTLE WITH FIRE.
EVE ALARMS FOR A BLAZE At HUDSON
AND SPRING SITS.

factory BUILDING AND ITS CONTENTS DE-
crRoYEp AND NEARBY PROPERTY THREAT
rNEp-A TRYING FIGHT FOR THE
F1REMbN-THE LOSS EsTI-
MATED AT 100000
Ere broke out yesterday afternoon in large
..yen-story building at Hudson and Spring SITS,
"a taxed the resources of the Fire Department
=. their utmost. For a time 1t looked as II the
s,sn,en would be unable to confine the blaze to
~ building in which II started. and 1t was
..sr,d that II would spread to the adjoining
,,rc.,;res Chief Bonner was on hand. and
.unerintended the work Of his men. Two or
.sr.e times the Chief thought that the blaze
rss under control. but it would burst out
.,resh in some unexpected quarter. until 1t
snary became apparent that the whole struct-
.rs vas doomed. The flremen then turned their
s,,ortion TO faving the surrounding property
r.a high wind which prevailed carried the
s.res across the street to the buildings on the
thor side and made the work OF fighting the
rre doubly dangerous. The dense clouds OF
,n,ck. black smoke that poured out OF the bu..d-
-. olso greatly interfered with the efforts or
the 1remen.
The men were also badly hampered by the
,-acuent bursting Of lines OF hose. Several en-
rres and also the water towers were disabled
:, se;eral instances One OF the water towers
os wondered useless for more than half an
sour bv reason of broken hose. The other water
cover was so badly crippled by the same cause
that ( had TO be abandoned altogether the
hose attached to some Of the engines broke
~sar and much confusion and delay were
,oused There were five alarms and two special
,ous for separate engines. and in all twenty
o.. .rgines and the two water towers were
called into service.
INFLAMMABLE MATERIAL
~. burned building numbered 90 to 291
snrnest. with a depth of $50 feet In Spring
=. ora * feet in Hudson-st. The basement and
e-s. and second floors were occupied by Fitz-
,.,,,ck E. Co. manufacturers of mirrors. plate
class stained glass and coach and carriage WIN
dous and doors The five upper floors were occo-
MED by the Bradley & Currier Company. manu-
facturers Of doors. sashes. frames and mantes'
The whole place was filled from top TO bottom
with infammable material. On the first moor
was stored large quantity Of glass. on the sec
ond floor was much benzne and turpentne IN
barrels and wood frames. on the tmrd were
wood trimmings: on the fourth floor. wooo trih-
rn,ngs: on the fifth floor. tiles and wooden man
tels on the sixth floor. wood DOORS ana OH '"e
seventh floor, tiles and crates
About 2:30 o'clock in the afternoon, Wiihann
tJe,trick the engineer Of the building; Eugene
Zacco the watchman. and some worRmeh "no
we're engaged in repairing the engine, were IN
,ba eneine-room when they noticed that 'he
,afters we're ablaze above their heads one OF
them ran to the street and calico fatro''a''
Theodore ricIntyre. Of the Macdougai-s'' 81"
ton. who sent In an alarm from spring anu
varick SITS Firemen quickly responded ana put
tbe blaze out as they thought In few minutes
They were Just the point or gohs ava.
when william, Marshelier, fireman enlPio'eu
IN the building. noticed that there was fire on
one Of the upper floors. 1t was seen mor'eh'
later that the fire lad crept upward through
shaft and that the entire building was endan-
oared II was then that a second alarm was
con, IN and this was followed by three other
cals az the increasing strength or the nre pe-
came more apparent.
The only employees OF the hrms occupsi"s '.'0
building who were actually working there az 'iie
time the fire started were Alexander X Ingram
clerk and an assistant Albert Marshe''0''
brother Of the fireman. These two men were
workine ON the seventh floor of the place, where
,hev were taking stock for their employers '"e
RraaIav E. Currier Company. They had received
no intimation of possible danger, until haPpe"'
ing 10 turn. they saw the room in which they
uere ran,d,v filling with smoke. They lost no
time In making their way to the stairs ai'o eo'
ont safely in spite OF the'smoke
SMOKE BORNE FAR AWAY
As soon as the fire we'll under way great
clouds Of smoke rolled forth from the roof ana
from, the windows on the two upper noors' 1his
smoke was carried far away by the stiff north
res, wind which was blowing at the time. This
.a-,a hrseze served TO fan the flames inside the
hpud,ng and TO weaken the efforts of the hre-
man ~ reach .he fire effectively with their lines
Of hose from the south side. for the strong wind
scanned 10 turn the streams of water into use
less spray.
In tho mean time reserves from several police
ss.ions were called to the scene to Keep IN
check the crowd which had gathered on every
Sand Eire limos were drawn and maintained
with much difficulty by the police ior .ne & "a sa
manifested strong desire TO De az ,ea, ',s ne ,he
citv were attracted to the place. as the Vo'luies
Of smoke ascending from :he burning STRUCTURE
could be seen for miles around ,,o.
Several minor accidents 70 the various mrs
~ bose had happened up 10 the time that water
Tower No ! had been called to Iehd its az
sistance TO No. .. already on the ground NO
8 was nlaced on the Hudson-st. side OF the bulld-
ing 10 drown out the flames when nao suuuenis
made their appearance with great iorce naV,',s M,
burst forth from volume OF smoke "hlcn ny. i,iu
tha,r enerev before. The water tower had just
heen placed in position and It's nczzle had peeh
turned to command the WINDOWS on ,me An Al
foor into which 1t was proposed 10 pour ovI-
uga ~ wata~ when the flow stopped IN an m
slant only a small stream havif.' gone ioIe u;
It's connecting pipe had Durst: ",e ,i"" ''"'1
an bonr was Consumed in mending the break. so
that the tower could be put In COMMISSION asa,i an
When This was finally done the flre na1 ev'-
dently gone beyond the control OF Chief Bonner
and his men. . C,.,o, oily and a
nrnhar ~ his men had been fighting the hre
fron, the rear Of the building by climbing up me
fre.escape ladders until they had reached hny ,ny
SEVENTH Noor On each of the floors as they
dimhea inward they nad worked to such ad.
vsntage that they had put out much OF the he
blaze. but finally. while the men We're ,onn Oh ame
seventh floor the flames increased IL NiolehSe.
and thew were compelled to descend floor by
door. as they were driven down at the r'sK o'
their lives. . ,,o, srrn,,ed
the water tower on the Spring-st SIDE OF tne m
r.. t,roiap hose sent great stream