The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-12-08
NEW YORK FIRE.
Clothing House Of Rogers, Peet & Co.
Was a Roaring Furnace.
The Losses Are, Rogers, Feet d Co. Build
Ing. o38o.ooo, nsms Life Insurance
ca, 100000, Postal Telegraph
Buiiding. 100000.


in the basement Of the building occu-
pied by Rogers, Pcst & Co., clethiers,
about $50 o'clock. The policemen
standing within half block Of Warren
street heard loud explosion and mo-
ment later saw thin line Of smoke
curling up from the side Of the Rogers,
Peet & Co. building. At that time the
rain was falling in torrents and the
wind blew gale. An alarm was sent
in but before the first engine turned
into Broadway the Rogers, Peet & Co.'s
basement was roaring furnace with
great flames bursting through the
floors above and rushing fercely to the
roof. Within ten minutes five alarms
had been sent in, bringing engine
after engine TO the scene.
BY 10 o'clock 50 rapidly and fiercely
did the flames make progress that
there was nothing but tho she'll OF the
RogerSPeet building left with noun
tains of flames roaring a hundred
feet in the air and encircling the adj
joining structure, the Home Life In
surance Co. building. In the binding
rain the fireman worked, stretching
the black and slippery lines of hose
through the building, fighting the
flames from every side. Soon great
wave of fire swept across Warren
street and caught the United States
Life Insurance Co. building at the west
corner of Broadway, numbering 259
and 261. The woodwork on dozen
windows was afire in moment, and
from that time on several streams were
played on this building to save it from
destruction. When the Warren street
wall Of the Rogers-Peet building fell at
TO- so o'clock, dozen fremen were di
rectly beneath. Several Of the men
were struck by bricks; but none was
more than slightly injured. Acting
Chief Perle fell, but was dragged to
safety by some Of his men.
Just before II o'clock the Home Life
Insurance Co.'S building, 10 stories
high, at 255 and 257 Broadway, caught
fire. The fremen already had their
lines in this building up to the seventh
floor. They were greatly handicapped
by the many stories. Flames had eat
en- their way through the side wall in
many places, and the huge white
structure burned fercely. The ele-
vators made trips up and down until
the men running the cages were
to fee for their lives and in
this way many of the effects OF the of
fees were saved. The three top floors
we're on fire almost simultaneously
rom the beginning. The smoke was
tense. Flames shot high above the
.oof and over the massive brown stone
postal building on the corner below.
All the operators of the postal building
md everybody at work in the structure
lad been ordered out Of this building
ong before.
At 11:15 the postal building of IA
tories caught fire. Chief Bonner, who
lad charge of the firemen, took the ell
vator and went to the roof to give
'ersonal directions. At this time
here were few operators who had ig-
lored the orders of the fire chief, two
r three clerks and few boys at
york in the building in the str
ing smoke, and messages were
ent until the flames came and all were
orced to rush for their lives. The I'M
emit messages were left at the tele-
raph keys.
AT o'clock Monday morning the fire
'as still burning fiercely in front and,
Though not observable by the thou
ands of spectators, was burning still
lore fiercely and extending lower
own In the rear. ,,
An insurance man roughly estimated
ne losses at about as follows:
Rogers, Peet & Co., building and
lock and losses to other tenants in the
$3.50, 900.
Home Life Insurance Co., building
nd losses to other tenants, $500, 900.
Postal Telegraph Co., building and
,sses to other tenants, 500, 900.
Losses to surrounding buildings,
$4,000.
Chief Bonner thought that this esti-
late, on the basis Of o million dollars s
'ss, was about as near correct as it
'as possible to make. {
AT $50 o'clock Fire Chief Bonner
'ent home saying that the fire would
urn itself out in short time, and ]
lat it could not spread, and was prac-
cally out.