Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-12-05
A DASH FOR LIFE
Made by Brave Postal TeIe-
graph Co.'S Employees
At New York, With the Building BIaz-
ing Over Their Heads.
One OF Worst Fires for Years. loss Will
Reach Over ST 100000.

| New York, Dec. 5.--A fire started in
| the basement of the building occupied
| by Rogers. Peet & Co. about $50 O'Clock
last night. Two policemen standing
with half block of Warren street
heard the sound of loud explosion and
| a moment later saw thin line Of
smoke curling UP from along the side
of that building. At that time the rain
! was falling in torrents and the wind
| blew a gale.
| An alarm was sent in at once, but
before the first engine turned into
Broadway. the Rogers-Peet basement
was roaring furnace, with great
flames bursting through the floors
above and rushing fiercely to the roof.
Within 10 minutes five alarms had been
sent in, bringing engine after engine to
the scene.
By 10 o'clock. there was nothing but
the shell OF the Rogers-Peet building
left with mountains of flame roaring
hundred feet in the air and encircling
the adjoining structure, the Home Life
Insurance Co building.
Soon great wave of fire swept
across Warren street and caught the
United States Life Insurance Co.'S
building at the northwest corner Of
Broadway. The wood work on a dozen
windows was afire in a moment. Sew
eral streams We're played on this build
ing to save it from destruction.
When the Warren street wall of the
Rogers Peet building fell, at 1890
O'Clock. 4 dozen firemen were directly
beneath the wall. Several of the men
t7pra Sfr,rc;- INV bl.irlyc h,,t mana xva..
more than slightly injured. Acting
Chief Peerle fell. but was dragged to
safety by some of his men.
Just before IL O'Clock, the Home Life
Insurance Co.'S HISTORY building
caught fire. The firemen already had
their lines in the building up to the
seventh floor. The flames had eaten
their way through the side wall in
many places. ard the large white struc-
ture fiercely burned.
The elevators made trips up and
down until the men running the cages
We're compelled to fee for their lives.
and in this way many of the effects of
the offices We're saved. The top three
floors We're on fire almost simultane-
ously, from the beginning.
Flames shot high above the roof and
oNCi Tie IllaSSlNt bEON IL STONE IOs III
building on the corner below.
All the operators of the Postal build
ing and everybody working in the
structure had long before been ordered
out of this building. Desperate efforts
We're being made to save it,
Within, the Home Life Insurance
Co. building was by this time fur
mace, flames pouring in masses from
the windows of the upper six or eigh.
stories. Behind, nine stories Were attire
and the fire department. so far as this
portion Of the building was concerned,
was absolutely powerless.
AT Ills the Postal Telegraph Co.'S
building of IA stories caught fire. Chief
Bonner, who had charge of the fire in
person, went to the roof to give per-
sonal direction. AT this time there
We're few operators, who had ignored
the orders of the fire chief. two or three
clerks and a few boys ait work in the
building in the stiffling smoke and
messages We're sent until the flames
came in and all were forced to rush for
their lives. The unsent messages We're
left at the telegraph keys.
only few men were with the fire
chiefs on the top of the Postal building.
Notwithstanding all their efforts. at 1
o'clock, three floors of this building
had been partly destroyed The fire
was then working it's way downwards
Chief Bonner thought, however. that
he had it under control. He did not
exepct to get it much below that point.
AT o'clock. the fire was still fierce
iy raging. An insurance man roughly
estimated the loss about as follows:
Rogers Peet & Co.'S building and stock
ana losses to other tenants in the
building, $3.50, 1000; Home Life Insurance
Co., building and losses to other ten
ants, 100000: Postal Telegraph Co,
building and losses to other tenants.
100000 Losses to surrounding build
ings, $4,000.
The Home Life Insurance Co. build
ing was occupied by that company and
by large number of prominent BUSH
ness men. Every effort was made to
save the valuable papers but many IF
these were lost.
The Offices of the Rapid Transit
commission We're on the ninth floor Of
this building and it is believed that all
Continued son page %