Iron County register., 1898-12-08
FIRE AMONG THE CLOUDS.
a AEIIlfon-Dollar Fire Destroys One FivA
and Tvs Twenty-StOzy Buildings
The Losses Heavy.

New York, Dec. SIN a binding
rain storm last night the massive
block of buildings on Broadway. Nos.
253 to 259 and included between MUIR
ray and Warren streets, was almost
destroyed by fire. Within three hours
more than million dollars worth of
property was destroyed. The fire be-
gan in the fiye-story building occupied
by the mems furnishing firm of Rog-
ers, Peet & Co., on the southwest
corner of Broadway and Warren
street. Adjoining the Rogers-Peet
building. and south of it was the mag
nificent white building of the Home
| Life Insurance Co., 20 stories high,
and next to this was the brown stone
building of the Postal Telegraph Co.,
also about 20 stories high, erected at
a cost of millions only a few years
ago.
More Than Score of Engines on the
Scene.
Within few minutes after the dis
covery of the fire the Rogers-Peet
building was a roaring furnace, and
an alarm had been turned in which
brought more than a score of engines
to the scene. 1t was but short time
when the flames had eaten through
the wall of the Home Life building.
and were roaring high above that
lofty structure.
thousands OF Spectators Braved the Eie-
ments.
Thousands of people had gathered
on the scene, and the binding glare
of the flames lit up the lower part OF
the city. Even in the downpour the
great crowds of people grew and the
police reserves were called out from
many stations and kept the people
back for blocks. Great showers of
sparks were carried in all directions
by the gale that blew 60miles an hour.
1t was a picturesque fire.
Occupants of the Home Life Insurance
Building.
The Home Life Insurance building
was occupied by that company and by
a large number of prominent men in
various lines of business Every effort
was made to save the valuable papers
stored in some of the Offices but many
of these were lost.
The offices of the Rapid Transit
commission were on the ninth floor of
this building, and it is believed that
all the plans and schemes of work
with which the commission have been
working this many years have been
destroyed.
In the Postal Building.
In the Postal building, as well, there
were many serious losses of private
nature, and when the flames reached
the operating room of this structure,
which they did within three hours of
the outbreak, the one or two solitary
operators who remained at their posts
were compelled to flee for their lives,
leaving unsent messages at the keys.
Above the Reach of the Water Towers
The fire burned even more fiercely
in the Home Life building owing to
the great height of this structure, and
in an incredibly short time the upper |
half of this magnificent building was
in flames. The water towers in the
street were able to throw their heavy |
streams only into the lower part of |
the structure, and the firemen, though
they worked with great bravery and |
untiring energy in the binding smoke
and heat, could do little in the face of
such fierce sweep of flame and gale.
It was only question of time when
the Postal building, so far as the up
per stories were concerned, went the
way of the others.
Losses Aggregate q Million and Still Burn
Ing.
The estimate of the losses by Chief |
Bonner, after midnight, was million |
dollars, with probability of still |
further loss should the fire continue |
to make anything like rapid progress.
At that hour, however, he believed |
that he had the fire under control |
within reasonable limits.
AT two o'clock, however, it was still |
burning iercelyin front and, although |
not observable by the thousands; of |
spectators, was burning still more |
fercely and extending lower down in |
the rear.
Cause of the Fire.
The fire started from three explo-
sions. What caused the explosions
no one knows. The firemen could not
find out. They thought gas had es-
capped in some manner in the base
ment and so resulted in explosion and |
fire.
The Postal Telegraph Co. officials
say that all their wires had been
burned out and that they had no con-
nections from their building
The Hardware clubs quarters,
which were on the top floor of the
Postal building, were ruined. Their
loss is heavy.
The Home Life Insurance Co.'s
building was one of the handsomest
on broadway, and was supposed to be
absolutely fire proof. It's summit was
2OS feet above the sidewalk. Leading
architects of the country submitted
plans for its construction.