Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1898-12-08
GREAT NEW YORK FIRE
A Million Dollars Worth Of
Property Destroyed.
ROGERS, PEET & co. BURNED OUT
Skyscrapers of the Home Life Insuf.
ance and Postal Telegraph
Companies Quilted.

New York, Dec. Gin a binding
cain storm tonight, the massive block
of buildings on Broadway, Nos. 253 to
$50, and included between Murray and
Warren streets, was almost destroyed
by fire. Within three hours more than
100000 worth of property was de-
stroyed.
The fire began in the tive-story brick
building occupied by the mems fur.
nishing firm of Rogers, Peet & Co., on
the southwest corner of Broadway and
Warrent street. Adjoining 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 brownstone building of
the Postal Telegraph Company, erected
at cost of millions only few years
ago. Within few minutes after the
discovery of the fire the Rogers Poet
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 Il short time
when the flames had eaten through the
wall of the Home Life, and were roar
ing high above that lofty structure.
Thousands of people had gathered on
the scene, and the binding glare of the
flames lighted up the lower part of the
city. Even in the downpour, the great
crowd of people grew and the police
reserves were called out from many sta
tions and kept the people back for
blocks. Great showers of sparks we're
carried in all directions by the gale,
that blew 60 miles an hour. 1t was a
picturesque fire.
The Home Life Insurance building
was occupied by that company and a
large number Of men prominent in
various lines OF business. Every effort
was made to save the valuable papers
stored in some of the offices. but many
Of these were lost. The offices of the
rapid-transit commission were on the
ninth floor OF this building, and it is
believed that all the plans and schemes
Of work with which the company has
been working for many years are de-
stroyed.
In the Postal building, as we'll, theie
were many serious losses Of 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.
The fire burned even more tiercely 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 building was in flames.
The water towers in the street were
able to throw their heavy streams only
into the lower part OF the structure, and
the firemen, 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 flames and gale. 1t was only 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 1000, 900
with a probability of still further loss
should the fire continue to make any
thing like rapid progress. At that
hour, however. he believed that he had
the fire under control within reasonable
| limita