Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-12-08
SUBSCRIBERS BURN.
"A Fire Destroys Some of the High
est Buildings in New York.
THE LOSS OVER A MILLION DOLLARS
Many Valuable Papers stored in Some of
the OHiCes Lost Photograph Operators
Compelled to Leave Their Keys
and Flee for Their Lives.

New York, Dec Sin q binding
ralnstorm last night the massive block
of buildings on Broadway, Nos 25S to
$50, and included between Murray and
Warren streets, was almost destroyed
by fire. Within three hours more than
81, 100000 worth of property was de-
stroyed. The FIRE began in the FIVE
story brick buildin G occupied by the
mems furnishing firm of Rogers, Peet
& Co., on the southwest corner of
Broadway and Warren streets. Ad-
joining the Rogers-Peet building, and
south of it, was the magnificent white
building of the Home Life Insurance
company, and next to this was the
brown-stone building of the Postal
Telegraph company, erected at cost
of millions only few years ago.
Within few minutes after the dis
.covery of the fire the Rogers-Peet
building was a roaring furnace and
an alarm had been turned in which
brought more than score of engines
to the scene. 1t was but short time
when the flames had eaten through
the wall of the Home Life and were
roaring high above that lofty structure.
Thousands of people had gathered on
the scene and the binding glare of
the flames lit up the lower part of the
city. Even in the downpour the great
crowds of people grew and the police
reserves were called out from many
stations and kept the people back for
blocks Great showers of sparks were
carried in all directions by the gale
that blew so miles an hour. 1t was a
picturesque fire.
The Home Life Insurance building
was occupied by that company and by
a large number of prominent men in
various lines of business. Every effort
was made to save the valuable papers
stored in some of the offices, but many
of there were lost.
The offices of the Rapid Transit COM
mission were on the ninth floor of this
building, and it is believed that all the
plans and schemes of work with which
the commission have been working
these many years have been destroyed.
In the Postal building as well there
were many serious losses of a private
nature, and when the flames reached
the operating room of this structure,
which they did within three hours of
the outbreak, the one or two solitary
operators who remained at their posts
were compelled to flee for their lives,
leaving unsent messages at the keys.
The fire burned even more fercely
in the Home Life building, owing to
the great height of this structure, and
in an incredibly short time the
upper half of this magnificent build
ing was in flames. The water towers
in the street were able to throw their
heavy streams only into the lower part
tof the structure, and the fremen,
though they worked with great
bravery and untiring energy in the
: binding smoke and heat, could do
little in the face of such a fierce sweep
of fame and gale. 1t was only a ques-
ton of time when the Postal building,
so far as the upper stories were con-
cerned, went the way of the others.
The estimate of the losses by Chief
Bonner, after midnight, was ST., 900, 900,
with probability of still further
loss should the fire continue to make
anything like rapid progress. At two
o'clock it was still burning fercely
in front and although not observable
by the thousands of spectators, was
burning still more fercely and extend
ing lower down in the rear.
The fire started from three ex-
plosions. What caused the explosions
no one knows. The fremen could not
find out They thought gas had
escaped in some manner in the base
ment and so resulted in explosion and
fire, The Postal Telegraph officials
SAY that all their wires had been
burned out and that they had no con-
anections from their building.
The Home Life Insurance companv's
building was one of the handsomest
ION Broadway and was supposed to be
absolutely fre-proof. Its summit was
$50 feet above the sidewalk. Leading
architects of the country submitted
plans for its construction.