New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-12
FIRE-FIGHTERS' BUSY NIGHT
TWO BATTLES WITH FLAMES.
THE NASSAU CHAMBERS DESTROYED
CAUSING LOSS PLACED AT S50000O.

FLAMES SWEEP THE BLOCK BOUNDED BY ONE
HUNDRED -AND-FIFTY- FOURTH AND ONE
HUNDRED-AND-FIFTY- FIFTH SITS. AND
EIGHTH AND BRADHURsT AYES
THE DOWNTOWN BLAZE CAUSES
''Two-NINEs" ALARM.
The fre-fghting forces Of the boroughs OF
Manhattan and The Bronx were taxed TO
large degree last evening by two hres nj op-
posite ends of the old city of New-York. About
G.3O O'Clock flames broke out in the Nassau Cham
bers a seven-story office and store building al
Nos. 10 and 1l2 Nassau-st., and before they
were subdued the fire commander found IL
necessary to send out simultaneous call, or
two Mines" which summons the entire De-
parment south Of Fifty-ninth-st. The bulldihg
is owned by Ex-Governor Levi F. Morton. The
loss including building and contents and dam
age TO adjoining property, is estimated by fhe
police at 100000. blaze starting in the At
lanta Casino, at One-hundred-a and ffty-fifth-st
and Eighth-ave swept the block bounded by
One-hundred and -fifty-fourth and ne-hundred-
and-fifty -fftl SITS, and Eighth and Bradhurst
aves The loss here was placed AT $4,000 by
the police and firemen. No lives were lost and
there was no serious injury at either fire.
A BIG LOSS IN NASSAU-ST.
Ex-Governor Levi p. Morton's seven story
store and Office building. an L-shaped structure
with frontages in Nassau and Ann SITS. was de-
stroyed by fire last night. The hremen had
hard battle. and for three hours after the dis
covery at $50 o'clock, there was every pros
pee, Of great confagration. Every fire com
pany in the city from Fifty -ninth-st to the
Battery called, and In a remarkably snort
time thousands had gathered in the contiguous
streets and out into Broadway in front OF the
Astor House and the Postoflce The Broadway
stopped for several hours below
Houstcn-st.
The fire was an extremely hard to handle
lowing to the narrowness Of Nassau-st. Inc
lower part Of the city is ordinarily pretty we'll
deserted by to 7:3O o'clock at night, but the
gathering Of the engines brought the crowds
from somewhere or other. In all the streets
around the fire the engines. rolling their
smoke and cinders into the night. energizing the
streams which were turned upon the flames, and
now and then whistling shrilly for the coal
wagon Nassau-st.. from Spruce 10 Beekman'
was racked with spectators, who watched the
fire in the intervals Of brushing from one an
others clothing the red cindcrs which Kept roll
ing from the fire engines stacks; and other Dig
crowds were in Beekman-st.. Park ko" ana
other thoroughfares Of the neighborhood
II was n sight Of fierce beauty that they gazed
upon At times the water-toWer ana TIE olhel
streams would quell the blaze for moment
and the next instant the flames would shooV
scores OF feet upward from the roof ana Durst
IN vibrant sheets from every window in front or
the tall structure. The roofs Of all the hish
buildings near by were occupied oy persons
watching the spectacle. over In PARK no"
for many minutes the scene was remarkaoie d
constant shower of glowing embers which had
cleared the intervening buildings raining Hl'o
.ha street between the front Of those buildings
and the Postoffice. colossal curtain OF gram"
,rg gold against the black background Of the
night And the large area at the end OF the
postof1ce. where the cable-cars make their turn,
was for many minutes covered Win Nl'I' ieu
Garnet Of unextinct cinders'
The Morton property is known as the Nassau
chonbars Building and numbered 10 and III
Nassau-st.. and extending back. L-shaped. with
the arm Of the L facing in Ann-st. The DERBY
Desk Company occupied both the Nassau and
Ann-st stores. and the basement where the
fro WAS discovered, was occupied by the Herald
Cycle Company.
DISCOVERY OF THE BLAZE.
pb,,,n Hainz. Of No. $50 Kosciusko-st. Brook
,vn was passing the Derby Desk Company
e,ore in Nassau-st when he detected what ne
,boupht was smoke He stopped and saw
eaues shining through the door Of the Herald
C,.c,e Cornnanys basement store. and he at
orce gave the alarm. Policeman Murphy, or
the Oak-st station. turned in an alarm, ana
before the engines arrived the flames had maze
such headway that he turned in the second
battalion Chief Kruger was soon on the scene,
and his trained judgment told him that ne hao
A hard problem 10 handle. A third then
fourth ard a few minutes later htth alarm
were turned in The engines seemed to come
as II by magic. and stream after stream was
poured into the blazing building. The hremen
appeared to make little headway, ana Chlel
Kruger turned in the simultaneous call Inis
brought every fireman south Of Flfty-ninth-s'''
and Broadway filled with a long procession
OF engines hook and ladder trucks and other
fire apparatus. In their wake ran hunnreds Oh
people and the streets about the place were
ouickIv filed with a curious multitude. Great
showers ~ sparks dropped on the crowd and on
tho roofs or the surrounding buildings. and fire.
men were detailed to watch for any blaze that
might start from this cause.
RUSH TO GET OUT.
1onn Smith. the janitor Of the building. with
his wife and two other women was al WORK Oh
the fourth floor when the fire was discovered.
Mrs. Tierney and Mrs. Stock the two women
besides Mrs Smith ran to the roof OF NO I'D
Ann-st and crossed over to No. 4. and de-
scended 10 the street. Mrs Smith got out on
the Ann-st. fre-escape and was assisted down
by a fireman. The three women set up snout
for the janitor. Smith and declared that ne hao
been lost party OF firemen dashed into the
smokIng hall to see II they could find Smith
and they saw him coming down in the elevator
7, ras The last trip Of that vehicle. He got out