New-York tribune., 1900-03-25
THREE FIREMEN DROWNED
THEY FALL INTO A CELLAR UNDER THE
WEIGHT OF MACHINERY.
FACTORY DAMAGED ABOUT $4,000 AND
THIRD AVENUE CARS DELAYED BY Z
THE HOSE.

Through the breaking down of the first floor in
che factory building at Nos 213 and 215 East Forty
fourth-st., which totally destroyed by hre
early yesterday morning, three hremen were Killed
and two injured. The men were precipitated into
the cellar in which about six feet of water
and pinned under the debris. 1t is supposed they
were drowned.
The dead are:
BOWEN PETER F.. of Engine Company No. p.
GRADY, JOHN J.. Foreman Of Hook and Ladder No 2
SMITH WILLIAM j. of Engine Company No. d.
The injured are Fireman Kuchs, of Hook and
Ladder Company No 2. who was doing detail duty
On Engine No p and was sent to the Flower Hos
pital and William Clark. captain Of Engine Com
pany No q who remained on duty.
The fire started near the engine room at o'clock
When the fremen arrived the flames had made
much headway, and third alarm was sounded
The occupants of the tenement houses on both
sides Of the burning building were driven into the
street by the police. The factory soon ablaze
10 the roof, and Chief Croker directed the work
Of the firemen saving the adjoining houses
Chief Croker went home about O'clock leaving
Battalion Chief Walsh in charge of the work of
washing down the walls About twenty cf the
men were at work the first floor at o'clock
turning the water any stray blaze On the moor
in the rear was great amount of machinery and
heavy material This floor gave way and precip-
itated part of the into the cellar The engine
men reversed their pumps and pumped the water
of the cellar. so that in twenty minutes the
fTemen could go in and rescue their comrades
taken from the debris. Fireman Kuchs was found
standing with water up TO his shoulders, and held
fast by timbers and great pieces of machinery He
was sent in an ambulance the Flower Hospital.
Captain Clark able to continue with his work
Kuchs was injured about the body and head, and
had several cuts from the falling pieces OF ma
chinery. The dead men were removed TO the East
Fifty-hrst-st. police station.
Chief Croker telephoned for and returned at
once In speaking of the accident later, he said:
The accident one that no one could foretell
and could have been avoided"
Captain Clark, OF Engine Company No. q, was
seen after the fire the engine house. and told
tho following story:
and the rest were behind. All at once l felt the
floor giving. and shouted 10 the men, Here we
came. and the next minute was up to my neck
in water with my leg pinned fast by big press.
In front the line of hose He was bent down,
his head pinned under the water by a timber
managed to get over to him. and put my hand ana
water until he could be gotten out Kuchs was
The first taken out, and II he had not been
crowned l believe all the drowned.
though the weight Of the lead might have caused
helped out the machinery kept sliding down closer
and tighter around US. and the slugs OF pig lead
kept slipping off the sheves around us ano cropping
tnto the water and humping against us
The fire rendered many telephones in Second and
Third ayes useless. The damage altogether is
estimated by the police to be about 500
The Third Avenue cars were blocked pE @ me h nIe 9
car depot went work lift the hose up on trucks
so the cars could continue on down town chief
and mail car ''G' was Of those unable to pro-
ceed Charles E. Meyers. OF one-hundred- and
owner of the factory building. The cause of the
fire is unknown