The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-21
OIL WAREHOUSE ABLAZE.
FIRE DOE NEARLY $1,000 900 DAM
AGE IN PLAT STREET.

Burning oil Poured Down tho Elevator SHAFT
and Flowed Into tho Adjoining Cutters
Narrow Escapes or Those In the Building.
For two hours frcincn Combattcd yesterday
q hot and stubborn fire in n four.story building
at 3 Plat street. occupied By James r.. Hornor,
exporter and importer OF essential oils. Tho
oils burned so 1crccly and the flames spread so
rapidly that when the ilrcmen arrived adioin-
ing buildings and those on the opposite side Of
the narrow street were endangered. Two moro
alarms were rung. and after II hard battle tho
blaze was got under control.
On tho lower floor OF the building woro the
Offices OF Major Huruur. The three upper floors
were used exclusively for the storage OF highly
inflammablo oils. Tho only stock on the lower
floor consisted of n number of cases of cubcb
cigarettes. Tho fire started on the second floor
from some unknown cause. Charles KOillig, n
shipping clerk, was the only person on the floor
at the time, and so rapidly did the flames spread
that he was compelled to make II dash for the
stairway, and was severely scorchcd on the face
and hands. Before Koillig succeeded in reach
ing the street flames had broken through the
rear windows and cracked the glass ~skylight,
which fell IN fragments among tho startled
clerks and attaches OF the offices. Panic EN-
sued. One of the clerks. however, waited long
enough to grab the ledger, shove 1t into the safe
and lock the door. Tho other books were eithor
lost or spoiled by water.
When the first alarm was given, there were in
the building between fifteen and twenty poo pie.
employees and customers. examining oils, tho
majority OF whom were on the third and fourth
floors. BY the time they were informed OF tho
danger the thick black smoke of the burning
oil made exit by the stairway impossible. A
rush was. made for II fire escape in the rear of
the building.
The fire was communicated from the second
to the third and fourth floors by the elevator
well, ana when the fircmcn arrived clouds of
black smoke bclchcd from every window of the
building. So dense WAS the smoke that tho
hremen were unable to do effective work ON the
burning. building. They directed their ntten-
tion to the adjoining buildings, respectively &C.
cupied by David f.. Green 4 Co., dealers In var
nish. gums and essential oils, and the shipping
department of Hagerty Bros. u Co. dealers in
druggists glassware.
AS the fire gained Roadway in the burning
burning fluid pouring down the elevator well
o torrent Of flame, which ran into the cutters of
the street. driving the ilrcmcn before it. The
force OF a heavy stream scattered the fire in the
street. and as the flames gained Roadway tho
volume OF smoke decreased. giving the ttremen
n better chance to continc tho fire in the building.
The losses by both fire and water we're large.
Major Horner said that his stock was valued at
$25O,0O0. Over half of it had been destroyed
and much OF II had been injured. lie figured
his loss at not less than $l5O.OOO. The loss on
the building. which Is owned by the Caffrey &
Wolfe estate, is $25, 900. David +. Green & Co.
Go. $4,000. All losses are fully covered by in
nnrancp