New-York tribune., 1898-12-05
BIG BROADWAY BLAZE.
A MILLION-DOL LOSS IN
THREE HOURS.
FIRE WIPES OUT ROGERS, PEET & cos
PLACE. WRECKS THE HOME LIFE
SKYSCRAPER AND BURNS
INTO THE POSTAL TELE-
GRAPH BUILDING,
GRAPH BUILDING.

An exceedingly disastrous and stubborn firA
originating last night in The nve-story build
Ing occupied by the clothing firm OF Rogers,
Peet CO.. at Broadway and Warren-st spread
with great rapldity. Within an hour the build
ing In which It originated was shell. and the
flames had spread to the Home Life Building
adjoining on the south. Despite all the efforts
| OF the Fire Department the flames spread to
the six upper floors OF the Home Life But l.
ing. which burning at l o'clock. and the
fire apparently hal gained entrance the
Postal Telegraph building adjoining the Home
Life Building the south
A conservative estimate at that hour p,lced
the loss at $l000.000. but Chief Bonner said
that the fire under control. The fire was
extremely spectacular. and the freedom with
which the Home Life Building burned was re-
markabe when it was considered that the
structure supposed to be freproof
The high gale that was blowing was a great
hlndrance TO the Department. and it required
all their energies to prevent the spread Of the
flames to the United States Life Insurance
Building. which stands across Warren-st. from
the building whore the fire started.
The fire started in Rogers Peet & Co.'S build
Ing at the southwest corner of the block. just
before 10 o'clock, and In half an hour the en-
tire block. with it's many stately buildings.
In danger. TIE Broadway frontage is taken up
by three buildings. Running hundred feet from
the Warren-st corner was the five-story brick
ctO Of @ no
came the sxteen-stCry Home Life Insur-
ance structure and next the big Postal Tele-
graph Building SO rapidly did the fire spread
under the influence Of the hurricane driving
through the blazing windows. that within
hour after the discovery of the fire all the
Telegraph Companys offices.
EXPLOSION FIRST HEARD
There doubt in any ones mind about
the fire last night that Il had been smouldering
somewhere in the corner building before it was
discovered. The first hint Of the presence OF
anything wrong IN the building came at 935
o'clock. Two policemen. standing within half
block Of Warren-st. az that time. heard the
sound OF an explosion. and down Broadway.
Before they reached Warren-st. another police
man ran toward them from another direction.
"Exposion. he shouted he Where Is
it?"
At that time the rain fell In torrents and the
wind blew a gale. The policemen hther
and thither. Suddenly one of them pointed
down Warren-st From one OF the basement
windows OF Rogers. Peet & Co.'S building a thin
line OF smoke curled up along the side Of the
building.
one Of the policemen darted 70 the nearest
fire alarm box and rushed in call Before he
got away from the box the thin line of smoke
had become a volume. Before the first engine
turned into Broadway the basement was a roar
ing furnace. with the great red flames bursting
through the floors and rushing hercey to the
roof
With the arrival Of the first engine the alarms
were sent in fast-a second a third ten minutes
later a fourth and in another five minutes q
fifth call for renforcements. BY 10 o'clock. so
rapidly and fercely did the flames make prog
ress. there nothing but the shell Of the cor
ner building left. and mountains Of fame were
the ncigh'oring buildings.
RAIN BLINDED FIREMEN.
In the binding rain the fremen worked. sur.
rounding the block stretching the black and
slippery lines of hose through the buildings.
fighting the great fire from every side.
At 1915 o'clock great Of fire swept
across Warren-s and caught the United States
Life Insurance Company's building. at the
northwest corner Of Broadway and Warren-st
1t is a big seven stored, iron framed building
numbered 90 and 2Gl Broadway. The wood
work q. Il dozen windows was aflre In q
moment. Then the hremen directed two streams
on the building. The little fires were put out
and the fought the roaring furnace across
the street from behind the smould.ring sashes
In the United States Life building two
streams being directed 70 the fire across
the street when the blast Of fire showered the
windows about them. The tlremen who directed
these lines paid no attention TO the little fires
burning about them In the building in which
they worked The Warren-st wall Of the Rogers.
Peet & CO. building fell at 1890 o'clock. and
a dozen hremen We're then directly beneath the
wall. There was scramble and several OF the
struck by bricks. None were moro
than slightly injured. Acting Chief Pere fell
but was dragged TO safety by some Of his men.
HOME LIFE BUILDING FLAMES UP.
Just before II o'clock the Home Life Insur.
ance Company's building caught. This building.
next to Rogers. Pect & CO.'S building Is num-
bered 25G and 2J1 Broadway. II is sixteen
stories high The hremen already had their
lines in the building when It caught. The lines
had been dragged up TO the seventh floor from
the street on the outside OF the building and
from there dragged inside the building and up
the stairways
While the fire ragged next door, the elevator
In the Home Life Building continued to make
trips up and down Peter Nelson. the elevator
man. remained In the car. carrying the fremen
IN and down He carried too, tenants OF the