The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-05
Great Twenty Story Build
ingS in New York Burn.
Belief That These Architect
uraI Giants Are FireprOOf
PROVES TO BE FALSE
Home Life Insurance Go. s
Building in Flames.
Also the Postal Telegraph
COmpany'S Building.
FIREMEN ARE UNABLE
To Get Water to the Upper
Stories Of the Buildings.
Rogers, Peet & Co.'s Down.
town Store Destroyed.
FIREMEN ARE UNABLE
To Get Water to the Upper
Stories Of the Buildings.
Rogers, Peet & Co.'s Down.
town Store Destroyed.

New York, Dec. 5.-Fire broke out in
the block on the west side of Broadway
between Murray and Warren streets
coon after O'Clock last night. The
Broadway frontage was taken up by
three buildings. The first, running 100
feet from Warren street, five stories
high, was occupied by Rogers, Peet &
Co. Next to that was the Home Life
Insurance company's building,2O stories
high. The third was the big Postal
Telegraph building also about 20 stor-
les. The Rogers, Peet & Co. building
was soon in ruins. Soon after the fire
started all operators and all persons oc-
cupying Offices in the Postal building
were ordered out. The flames were
shooting high over the tops of the great
buildings.
The upper five stories of the 2O-story
Home Life Insurance company. adjoin-
ing on the south. were soon in flames
and the fremen were unable to reach
them.
At midnight ten stories of the Home
Life Insurance cOmpany's. building were
in flames. The top of the Postal build
ing next took fire All the wood work
in the front of the United States Life
Insurance building, on the opposite side
of Warren St. burned away. The height of
the building was so great that it was i'm
possible to get water there. Chief Bon
ner. with several gangs of men. went
TO the roof of the Postal building to
endeavor to stop the progress of the
fire by cutting it away or blowing it
away.
The occupants of the Roger, Peet &
Co. building were compelled to flee for
their lives and in this way many of the
effects of the offices were saved. The
three top floors were on fire almost
simultaneously from the beginning The
smoke was dense Flames shot high
above the roof and over the massive
brown stone Postal building on the cor
ner below All the operators of the
Postal building and everybody at work
In the structure had been ordered out of
the building long before.
Desperate efforts were being made to
save 1t. The interior of the Home
Life Insurance company building was
Dy this time a furnace From the win
dows of the sixth or eighth upper stories
the names We're 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 alb
SOlutely pOWerleSS.
At HIS the Postal building of four
teenth stories caught fire. Chief Bonner
who had charge of the firemen. took
the elevator and went to the roof and
gave personal directions. At this time
there were few operators who had ig-
nOred 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 were sent until the flames
came and all were forced to rush for
their lives. The urgent messages were
at the telegraph keys.
Chief Bonner had under his direction
all the engines stationed in the fire
houses below Twenty-third street. In
addlttOn five hook and ladder companies
including water towers, were at the
scene Most of them worked in the low
er parts Of the building to save adjOin-
ing buildings Only a few gangs were
Win the nre chief on the top of the Pos
IaI building They fought with all their
strength to keep the flames back. The
Hlre began working its way downward.
Detailed Account OF the Fire.
New York, Dec. 5.-In a binding rain
STORM last night the massive block Of
DuIldlngS on Broadway, NUM- bers 253 to
Z5S, and included between Nurrav. and
warren streets, was almost DESTROYED
by fire Within three hours more than
a million dollars worth of property was
destroyed The fire began in the 5ve
story brick building occupied bv fbe
mems furnishing firm of Rogers F9eat
& Co.. on the southwest corner of Broad