The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-12-05
BLAZE IN BL|ND|NC STORM
Block of New York Sky-Scrapers Al
most Entirely Destroyed by
the Raging Fire.
OF Broadway. It was erected thirtv-
five years ago.

- D1o0U"ay' II was erected thirty
i've years ago.
STARTED BY EXPLOSION.
Ihe f1re started in the basement of
the building occupied by Rogers. Peet
q Co., clothiers, about $50 o'clock. Two
policemen standing within half block
OF Warren street heard a loud explosion
and a moment later saw thin line Of
smoke curling uD from the side of the
Rogers, Peet & Co. building. At the
time the rain was falling in torrents
and the wind blew gale. An alarm
was sent in, but before the first engine
turned into Broadway the Rogers. Peet
q Co. basement was a roaring furnace
with great flames bursting through the
floors above and rushing flarcely to
the roof. Within ten minutes five
alarms had been sent in, bringing en-
CINE after engine to the scene.
BY 10 o'clock, so rapidly and fercely
did the flames make progress that thera
was nothing but the shell of the Rog-
ers, Peet & Co. building left. with
mountains Of fame roaring 100 feet in
the air and encircling the adjoining
structure. the Home Life Insurance
building.
In the binding rain the ircmen
worked, stretching the black and
slippery lines of hose through the
building fighting the flames from every
side.
Soon the great wave of fire swept
across Warren street and caught the
United States Life Insurance COM
pany's building at the west corner of
Broadway, numbering 259 and 261. The
woodwork on a dozen windows was
af1re in moment, and from that time
on several streams were played on this
building to save it from destruction.
FIREMEN UNDER WALLS.
When the Warren street wall of the
Rogers, Peet & Co. building fell at IL
CLOCK dozen fremen were directly
beneath. Several Of the men were
struck by bricks, but none were more
than slightly injured. Acting Chief
Perle fell but was dragged to safety
by some of his men.
Just before II o'clock the Home Life
Insurance building. sixteen stories
high, at 255 and 257 Broadway cauert
nre. The hremen already had their
lines in this building up to the seventh
moor. They were greatly handicapped
by the many stories. Flames had eaten
their way through the side wall in
many places, and the huge white struc-
ture burned fercely. The elevators
made trips up and down until the men
running the cages were compelled IN.
! fee for their lives. and In this wav
! many Of the effects Of the offices vera
| saved. The three top floors were ON
IRE almost simultaneously from the be-
ginning. The smoke was dense. Flames
shot high above the roof and over the
massive brown stone Postal buildine
on the corner below.
All the operators, OF the Postal build
Ing and everybody at work in the
structure had been ordered out Of this
building long before. Desperate efforts
were being made to save it. The in
terror of the Home Life Insurance
building was by this time a furnace.
From the windows of the six or eight
upper stories the flames were pouring
in masses. In the rear nine stories
were afire, and the fire department, so
far as this portion of the building was
concerned, was absolutely powerless.
POSTAL BUILDING, TOO.
At 11;15 the Postal building Of four
teen stories caught fire. Chief Bonner,
who had charge of the fremen, took
the elevator and went to the roof to
give personal directions. At this time
there were a few operators who had
ignored the orders of the fire chief,
two or three clerks and a few boys at
work in the building in the sitting
smoke, and messages We're sent until
the flames came, and all were forced
to rush for their lives The unsent mes
sages were left at the telegraph keys.
Chief Bonner had under his direction
al the engines stationed in the fire
houses below Twenty third street. In
addition five hook and ladder compa-
MES, including water towers, were at
the scene. Most of the men worked in
the lower parts of the building to save
adjoining buildings. Only a few gangs
were with the fire chief on the top of
the Postal building They fought with
ali their strength to keep the flames
back. But Notwithstanding all their
efforts, at l o'clock this Monday
morning, three floors Of the building
had been partially destroyed. The fire
was then working its way downward.
Chief Bonner thought, however, that he
had 1t under control. He did not ex-
pect it to get much below this.