New-York tribune., 1900-10-30
TRIED TO RUN ELEVATOR.
SMOKE AND FLAMES KEPT ENGINEER
BELOW THE FIFTH FLOOR.
FINALLY HAD TO GIVE UP THE ATTEMPT
AND RUN FOR HIS LIFE.

AMI Run OEk HIS LIZ
One OF the most graphic stories obtainabe yes
terday OF the occurrences in Tarrant's building
just after the outbreak of the fire was told by
Alexander c. Phillips, OF No. 472 Palisade- ave.
Weehawken. the engineer employed by the
chemical firm
Il was returning from luncheon at 12:10
o'clock" he said. when 1 met the bookkeeper
running out Of the building He shouted to me
that the place was on fire. AS 1 knew there
were several people on the upper floors who might
possibly be penned in and unable TO escape, L
rushed to the elevator. It was my intention TO
run it TO the top floors, and by that means save
any one who had been unable TO get away by
the stairway. I ran the elevator to the firth
noors but from there upward the smoke was so
thick that / saw 1t would be impossible to pene-
trate it, The smoke dense and the
flames were increasing so rapidly that it was
Immediately obvious to that if any unfortu-
nate human beings had been cut off from escape
they must have quickly died
HAD TO RUN FOR HIS LIFE.
Seeing that I could render no help, grabbed
my clothes, and rushed from the building
was not too excited to remember what Louis
Patterson. the chemist employed by the Tar
rants, once told me If ever fire breaks out
in a building where chemicals are stored he
said run five blocks without waiting to look
behind YOU I took his advice because 1 knew
that there were explosives on the premises. 1
had not got far before the explosion took place.
I was only just in time to save my life"
Concerning the uses TO which the different
floors were put. and the occupants of each. Mr..
Phillips said:
There were eight floors in the building. The
basement was given up 10 the machinery and to
packing In addition 90 myself, five men were
employed here. ] have not yet seen any of them,
hut 7 think all Of them must have escaped. The
floor level with the street used as a store
and for exhibiting the products made by the
firm Here Thomas r. Main. the president, and
Mr. Allen. the secretary and treasurer. Of the
firm had their desks. Two clerks and two type
writer's also worked In the office I believe that
they ali escaped without injury. NJ. ]. Breiten-
bach & Co. makers Of pepto-manyan, rented the
first floor. They had ten girls and six boys in
their employ.
The two floors above this were used by Tar
rant & Co for storage purposes and as a gen
eTal rule there one regularly working
On either Of these floors. The floor Immediately
over these two was set apart for the bottlng of
Tarrants seltzer In this bottling process about
six or seven girls were usually at work Upon
the story above them the setzer was made.
Several girls were employed in manufacturing
it. and two porters aided them. One Of them.
whose name / know only as John. escaped. be-
cause met him an hour two ago. John, how
ever, could not tell me how many of the others
fortunate he was. but he thought
that most of them got out safely.
THINKS THE OLD MAN WAS LOST.
"AIr. Callahan. who superintended the manu-
sacture Of the seltzer, was eighty years old, and
think he must have lost his life, because he was
naturally very slow in his movements. The
;op floor Of the building devoted to the use
IF DR.. Louis Patterson, the chemist. Employed
With him three girls named Lizzie Minnie
and Annie. two and a boy named George.
According TO Mr.. Phlips's statement there
only about fifty people employed in the