New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-06
THE BIG SKY-SCRAPER FIRE
LOSS NOT SO GREAT AS AT FIRST
ESTIMATED.
1T MAY NOT EXCEED THREE-QUARTERs OF
A MILLION-RUINs BLAZED TILL AFTER
DAYLIGHT AND DEBRIS FELL con-
THU ALLY-DANGER FROM
FALLING WALLS

FALLING WALLS
Although Sunday nights great FIRE which
completely destroyed the fve-stOry building Of
Rogers. Peet & Co. at The southwest corner of
warren-st. and Broadway. and burned out eight
stories Of the tall steel-framed structure adj
Joining owned by the Home Life Insurance
Company had practically exhausted itself by 3
o'clock yesterday morning. yet throughout the
day It was necessary for large force Of firemen
70 keep several streams of water playing upon
the smouldering ruins. Several times during
the day there were incipient outbreaks of flame
among the heaped-up debris which had fallen
10 the bottom of the corner building. but they
were quickly suppressed by the erwatchful
fremen
All that now remains OF the once substantial
building tenanted by Rogers, Peet & Co. is the
front wall and part Of the outside wall facing
Warren-st That OF its huge neighbor. which
scars sixteen stories into the air. there IS ieit
anything more than mere shell from tower 10
basement is due TO a great extent to the her-
cuean efforts Of the fremen in overcoming
seemingly impossible conditions
FLAMES HAD TO SPEND THEIR FORCE.
To attempt to fight fire blazing over TWO num-
dred feet above the street out or the question
Even If the necessary force coald oe op'aineu
TO send the water up to so great heish' "'e
strongest of the hose now IN use III '"e r'e
Department could not Withstand the pressure
Consequently Chief Bonner devoted hlmseh 10
keen,ng the flames from descending below the
eighth floor and allowed them to burn upward
until they burned themselves out
Usually II is the aim Of the hre-hghters 10
keep the fire down. but in this case they worked
70 keep It up Despite the HAZARDOUS nature
y
OF their undertaking. Chief Bonner ana MS men
NV abou, o'clock yesterday morning had saved
more than half the building from parta! II not
total wreck 10 say nothing Of the valuable con-
tents Of the offices tensnted by the Home Lie
Company and the Merchants Exchange Bank
But while Chief Bonner was satisfied at about
a. m. that the fire had been got sufficiently
engines back to their houses. it not en-
t,relv subdued. Just about o'clock in the
morning the smoke which pouring from
the ninth floor burst into flames with startling
suddenness The companies which still
NAMED on duty started in TO combat the fresh
outbreak with the utmost vigor
DIsOBEYED TO FIGHT THE BETTER
In spite Of Chief Bonner's instructions that
they were to direct their efforts entirely to pre-
venting the fire eating its way downward, and
ttat they should not risk their lives by going
above the eighth floor the fremen penetrated
~ the source OF the new outburst Soon after
the flames first seen streams Of water were
Neching from the interior Of the building
through the ninth floor windows. showing that
the mon had reached that floor and were at
work directly upon the fire.
Not ten minutes afterward the massive marble
balcony which stretched halfway across the
twelfth floor and which was certainly the most
beautiful Of the architectural ornaments OF the
building suddenly broke away in a body and
crashing into the street below. was smashed al
most 70 dust. In its descent II carried with IL
mart Of the cornices on some Of the other floors.
but fortunately no one was standing near the
snot where II struck The downfall Of such
heavy masses OF masonry conveyed to those
around an impression that the Orders OF the
building were warping. and that the upper part
of the whole fabric might topple over in conse-
ouence There was no need then for the police
TO use any forcbe persuasion 10 keep the
crowds at a distance from the danger zone They
moved back to a safe distance instinctively.
It was then that the officials took the precau-
ton to barricade the entire block. to rope Oft
the park opposite as far back the pathway
alongside the City Hall. and to allow nobody
but those whose duty it was to battle with the
fire to enter the lines.
lust before o'clock last night bright. flick
ering light suddenly Illuminated the top floor Of
the tall building. and at once the cry went
around among the onookers that the blaze had
broken out again. Inquiries. however, elected
the information that what thought to be
a revival OF the flames merely the reflection
OF two gasoline burners. set alight in order that
an examination Of the effects Of the fire under
the cone-shaped tower might be made.
RUINS TOLD THE STORY.
To those who had not the fortune-for in many
respects the sight was almost OF lifetime
TO view the fire while IT in full blast on
Sunday night. its fierce intensity was wildly
apparent when its full effect was seen by day
light Yesterday Apart from the lettering walls
Of Rogers Peet & Co.'S building, and the smoke
incrusted and charred appearance Of the United
States Insurance building the opposite
ner. the blackened exterior Of the upper stories
IF the Home Life structure. with the framework
Of every window burned away, with huge blocks
Of masonry apparently eaten out Of the walls
by the great heat. and the once beautifully
carved stone balcony that jutted from the
twelfth floor lying in fragments on the sidewalk
below. sufficiently testified 10 the extreme fury
OF the fire
Thousands Of people focked TO the scene OF
the fire throughout the whole Of yesterday.
City Hall Park impossible almost because
OF the throngs who crowded the walks while
against the barricades stretched across Broad
way TO close the block 10 traffic the spectators
were a score deep. There being some danger
that the walls Of the Rogers, Peet & Co. house
nigh. fall bodily into the street at any moment.
no one was allowed TO pass the Gordon Of police
men drawn across the thoroughfare at either
end OF the block Reporters and tenants Of Of
fees in the Home Life Building-every one. in
fact. but the officials Of the Fire Department
were barred from the immediate vicinity Of the