New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-05
4 SPLENDID SPECTACLE.
THE BLAZE AS SEEN FROM THE TRIB-
I'NE BUILDING

| UNE BUILDING.
As seen from the windows OF The Tribune
! Building the big fire a sight to be remem-
| bered Its start instantaneous Seemingly
| without the least warning. somebody '~ied.
What is that" and before the words were out
! Of ris mouth "A great yellow flare ,eaped into
| Warren-st. ana sent cloud Of sparks up for
| the bowling eastern gale to fling TO the sky.
! That was at five minutes before 10 O'Clock. 1t
| seemed only the next instant before the air
was full. Of the shreks OF fire engines, and the
streets echoed with the ring Of the horses hoofs
| as they leapcd over the pavement dragging
hose carts hook and ladder trucks. water tow
crs and all the other implements that man has
made to fight the fiery element. Before the ilrst
| engine had arrived however, the fire IN the
Rogers Poet store had reached monumental fr'-
portions. The first three floors from the base
ment. where the flames apparently started. "ere
glowing with furnace heat. and sent out huge
torch Of flame tina; the wind, bowling alon at
the rate of sixty miles an hour, seized ana
hurled with frantic hand down Warren-st.,
which served huge nue
Up to this time. however there vas nothi"S
70 indicate in any way that the IRE was ~
assume SUI, destructive proportions as 1t took
on a little later The high wind. which played
havoc with The little Undertook where the fire
a
the DEPARTMENT ana gave it mos; Of It's trouble
The Grefgnters we're prompt ana indefatlgaoe'
Three aIarr.s had been sounded as soon as the
first deputy chief dashed MP in his wagon.
Four alarms followed Immediately, and hve
,urnLle5 I'm on the heels OF four. In an instant
the avenues of the city were ringing with the
din Of hundreds of wheels as from score OF
stationtouses the Department responded Inc
first stream was turned on the burning pulid-
ing soon after 10 o'clock Immediately 1t was
followed by score " white. waving "andS'
seeming to be stretched out TO exercise the
demon that VAS waving his red arms aloft'
RAIN IN SHEETS.
rverv nov and then gigantic red arm would
sweep out from the little hvestory building.
reach convulsively across toward the United
States Life Building opposite and turn in last
o,utch before II vanished down Warren-st.. borne
On the gale The storm was at Its height at this
time and sheets of gray rain blew at railroad
spcad across the Park, over the city Hail. ana
dashed upon the burning building, adding theiF
strength to the effectiveness or the scores Oh
streams now playing on the fre from 'le ell
gines that surrounded the block and humheP
and Numbered and shrieked until the air was
fu, Of their clamor. Still the furnace gowed
and still those same red arms reached across the
street clutching at the windows OF the united
states Life Building. These windows were
MI supplied with awnings, that offered tempt
;,,, foothol for the flames but here at least
Inc gale aided the Department, for ii swept the
,omcs down Warren-st.. instead Of across It,
one. by one LITTLE lights began to twinkle in the
windows Of the United States Life Building, and
ono after another other gray wands of water be
Gan 20 ne waved by unseen arms from tn" win
1ovs of that building. Tn hremen had entered
,bc building and began to fight the fire across
the street from that vantage point Ihey were
mono TOO soon for the huge red hand had grown
more huge ana more persistent ai'o ih' WIN
the tins Of it, glowing fingers. seized upon tEe
awning and the cOrnioe only To be Sinitten
down bv the gray Wands that appeared at the
windows ,., ~.
,,,uiire I'm which the fire started. Higher and
higher the flames mounted, bursting from WIN
do,y after window until they had reached the
Ton floor and began to send out tiny ringers
through the roof II now apparent that the
Department would hav. hard work to save the
huildlnes Immediately in the rear OF the Rogers.
pet A Co building. That structure was SIM
,,,, a furnace The frame remained standing.
rxcenting the northern wall. which fell into the
s,reet not forty-fve minutes after the fire
started but the interior was a mass or lla'ne.
THE HOME LIFE ATTACKED.
All this time the Home Life building had
doomed solemnly and darky and grand'y up
beside the little furnace that had been spout
ing flame into the sky. Suddenly one OF us
windows cleaned redy. Steadily the glow In
creased but there were few that thought the
hig "nreproof" structure could have succumbed
70 the blaze Yet there was THAI big, red eye,
looking steadily and Dalefuy out into the dark
ness from beside its blank fellows. In another
instant the glare could be distinctly seen
through the windows OF the Postal Telegraph
building.
At first 1t looked as IL the top floor Of that
structure was ahlaze, but in a moment ii was
apparent that the light was merely a reflection
from the V-shaped cnlrt Of the Home Life
Ruilding From the latter structure however.
that big red eye continued to glare haleiuly
out into the darkness. and gradually It's llBht
extended to the other eyes beside IL, thdt had
been blank IN to that time. In five minutes
every window on that floor was glazing. and in
fen minutes It apparent that the entire
door was ablaze. Firemen could be seen NOV
ing ABOUT the operating floor OF the Postal
Funding although all the operators mad long
eince Aed Gradually minute after minute, the
fire increased in the interior Of the Home Life
and little CLEANS of light could he seen on the
doors further up toward the tower
4 little later still the floor above that on which
~. flames entered the Home Life caught fire
as the floor was eaten through and suddenly
with spiteful spit. a gust of Name burst
through n window Broadway and caught at
the railing Just under the tower soon names
were running all along the railing. Behind the
tower a pillar Of smoke studded with sparks
ros, IN the sky The tower itself still rose dark
ly majestcally. and cathedral-like At few
minutes before I o'clock the five upper stories
~ the Home Life were abandoned 10 the flames
Even at that hour the fremen could be seen up
on the top II the Postal Telegraph building. hich
wa still dark and apparently untouched. Those
heroes Of the Department were moving about
m, ton of the untouched building and could I've
seen planting ladders upon the sOmbre tower
beneath which luridly blazed such canldron OF
Ar. At midnight Chief Bonner said that it !
was million dollar fire. but that he had IL |
under control! The storm had passed. the clouds !
had been borne away on the breath Of the gale !
and the moon hung brightly above the eastern |
horizon.
THE POSTAL TEL EGRAPH BUILDING.