The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-06-25
A PANIC
AT A FIRE.
Girls Hemmed in on the Upper Floor
of a Building.
FIRE IN NEW YORK DESTROYS
THE INTERIOR OF a LARGE
BUILDING. PART OF WHICH WAS
FILLED WITH INFLAMMABLE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS HAD A
HARD FIGHT-PRIMARY SCHOOL
CHILDREN WE'RE IN DANGER.

New York. June 24.-Fire that caused
u loss of $3.50, 900 and called out most of
the firemen in the city. broke out this
afternoon in the large seven story build.
ing at the northeast ccrner OF Greenwich
and Laight streets. The flames taxed the
nremen to their utmost, and the interior
of the building was destroyed. The first
fioor and basement were occupied by the
wholesale wine and liquor firm of b.
Dreyfus IL Co., and from the second floor
to the roof r. L. Dietz s. Co., carried on
the manufacture of metal lamps, Ian
terms, oil, and gas stoves This concern
has branch in Chicago.
Adjoining the building on the west,
which extends back, forming an. "L'
around it, is the United Suites bonded
warehouse of Walker &; Williams. Hun
dreds OF barrels of spirits and whiskey
are stored in the warehouse, and the fire.
men kept their attention toward this
building and prevented it's catching fire.
The second floor of the building burned
was utilized as the office of r. e. Dietz
u Co., the third floor was the shipping de-
partment, the fourth floor was the pack.
ing department., the fifth floor was the
japanmng and painting department., and
the two top floors were occupied by the
soldering and machinery department..
One hundred and fifteen hands were en-
ployed by the concern, and of this num-
Der fifteen were young women and girls.
How the fire started is not known. It.
broke out on the third floor in small
storage room. The first intimation was
Mt l 30 p. M, when the automatic fire
s!gnai sounded. Then smoke was seen
coming out of the storage room, ana the
alarm was given to the workmen and
women in the building. The young wo-
men became panicfstricken. The police
were notified; and an alarm turned in,
and soon engines were fastening to the
spot. Then detectives, who were in the
neighborhood, saw smoke coming out of
the windows on the third floor. A num-
Der of girls were at the windows on the
third and fourth floors at this time,
screaming notwithstanding to Jump out
into the street. The detectives shouted
for them not to jump, and then all three
OF them ran into the building, and after
much difficulty succeeded in getting all
of the women down to the street by way
of the stairs and elevator.
The fire spread with alarming rap:dity,
and dense smoke soon filled the street to
hamper the firemen in their work The
water tower was put into use and poured
hundreds of tons of water into the build
ing, while dozen large streams were be-
ing thrown by the engines. The flames
9'oh AShShc'i luc lllGil anu SlSJD HOOrS,
where the varnish, oils, and rosin were
stored, and then greatly increased in
volume. The halters of horses in an adj.
joining stable were cut and they we're
driven into the street, where they ran
wildly about, scattering people in every
direction.
Primary school No. II is just back of
the burned building Two hundred and
fifty little scholars we've in the school
when the fire broke out. The scholars
were marched into the main room where
the principal kept them quiet for time
by telling them stories. The whistling
of the engines and ringing of bells was
finally too much for them and they be-
came uneasy. Then they were ordered to
rise and sing America. They drowned
out tho noise made by the firemen.
1t was said that the fire had it's origin
in an over-heated gas stove, but the re-
port could not be confirmed.
This evening the police roughly esti-
mate the loss as follows: r. +. Dietz &
Co., 100000; B. Dreyfus Il Co.. 500, 900,
and damage to building. $'75 900. These
estimates will probably lie increased.