The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-05

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New York, Dec. AIN a binding
rainstorm tonight the massive block of
buildings on Broadway. Nos. 255 to 259.
and included between Murray and War
rem streets, was almost destroyed by
fire Within three hours more than q
million dollars worth Of property was
destroyed.
The fire began in the fve-story brick
building occupied by the mems fur
nishing firm of Rogers, Peet & Co.. on
the southwest corner of Broadway and
Warren streets. 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 brown-stOne building of
the Postal Telegraph company. erected
at a cost of millions only a few years
ago.
Within a few minutes after the dis
cOVery OF the fire, the ROserS-Peet
building was a roaring furnace, and an
alarm had been turned in, which
brought more than d score of engines
to the scene. It was but a short time
when the flames had eaten through
the wall of the Home Life building, and
were roaring high above that lofty
structure. Thousands Of people had
7
ing glare of the flames lit up the lower
part of the city. Even in the down
pour the great crowds Of people grew,
and the police reserves We're called out
from many stations and kept the peo-
ple back for blocks Great showers OF
: sparks were carried in all directions by
the gale, that blew sixty miles an hour
1t was picturesque fire.
The Home Life Insurance building
was occupied by that company and d
large number of prominent men in va
rious 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 this many years are de-
stroyed. In the Postal building as well
= there We're many serious losses OF q
private nature, and when the flames
reached the Operatiug-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.
BURNED FIERCELY.
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 building was IN
= flames. The Water-tOWers in the street
were able to throw their heavy streams
| only into the lower part of the struc-
! true. and the fremen, though they
: worked with great bravery and untlr-
ing energy in the binding smoke and
: heat, could do little in the face OF such
: a fierce sweep of flames and gale. 1t
Of inns he.
Postal building. so far as the upper
l stories were concerned, went the way
of the others.
The estimate of the losses by Chief
. Bonner after midnight was a million
dollars, with a probability Of q still
: further loss should the fire continue
to make anything like rapid progress.
d At that hour, however, he believed that
( he had the fire under control within
= reasonable limits. At o'clock. now
\ ever, it was still burning fiercely IN
front, and although not observable Dy
: the thousands of spectators. was burn
y ing still more fiercely and extending
: lower down in the rear.
- An insurance man roughly estimates
= the losses at about as follows;
4 Rogers. Peet & Co.. building. stock
- and losses to other tenants. S35O.OOO.
Il Home Life Insurance company,
building and losses to other tenants,
= $500. goo.
, The Postal Telegraph company.
y building and losses to tenants, $780,
3 600.
Il Losses to surrounding buildings, $780,
600.
Chief Bonner thought that this esti-
mate on the basis of a million dollars
loss. was about as near correct as was
possible to make.
8 The Rogers-Peet building was the
property of the Hoffman estate and
= was one of the historic buildings Of
- Broadway. 1t was erected thirty live
40 years ago.
HOW IT STARTED.
s rs The fire started in the basement OF
" the building occupied by Rogers, Peet
tn & Co. clothiers, about $3.50 o'clock.
i Two Dolicement standing within haIt
a, a block of Warren street heard a loud
=. explosion, and a moment later saw a
ri thin line of smoke curling uD from
r the side Of the Rogers. Peet q Co.
st building At that time the rain was
e, falling in torrents and the wind blew a
gale An alarm was sent in, but De-
fore the first engine turned into Broad
way the Rogers, Peet & Co, basement
j. was a roaring furnace. with great
or flames bursting through the floors
a above and rushing iercely to the rOOI-
r. Within ten minutes FIVE alarms had
ye been sent in, bringing engine after
el=i-a to the scene.
n By 10 o'clock, so rapidly and hercely
" did the flames make progress, that
r. there was nothing but the stel of the
nj RObers-Peet building left. with noun
ne tains of flame roaring a hundred feet
of in the air and encirclng the aololhlilE
st structure, the Home LIE insurance y,
nd building. In that binding rain the
fremen worked, stretching the black
and slippery lines of hose through the
building. fighting the flames from ev-
!. cry side
ed oc,oss XSrsT.a,, sfreet and caught Inc
Ie- United States Life Insurance building
id, at the west corner of Broadway
nr6 numbered 2z9 and 261. The woodwork
an on a dozen windows was afre in q
moment, and from that time on several