The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-12-04
FIREMEN OVERCOME.
FIGHTING WAIST DEEP ~ WATER AT
4 ELIAR FIRE.
Thick smoke and Gas which Poured From .
Broken Pipe Frustrated Them Like Plies
Fire Was In Paper stock, and an Error In
Transmitting the Alarms Gave II a Start.

Not since the fire in Fifty-ninth street. nearly
a year ago. when nearly hitv Areinen we're
overcome by smoke. has the department had
t. tackle such a blaze rs II met yesterday at noon
Ia the basement of the four-story building NJ
81 Canal street. Before the fire was out
twenty-four fremen had been Frustrated by
smoke. 1t came from n small blaze and the
men had TO fight that blaze in a cellar. where
the water was up IN their waists.
The fire started in the paper stock OF c. {.
Jones. a wholesale paper and twine merchant.
whose sllesroom is ri 32j Canal street. What
caused it is not known. A special alarm was
turned In. bringing ono engine and one truck.
and then an ordinary alarm Was turned in from
the box at Broadway and Canal street. Through
some error. supposedly at Fire Headquarters,
where the alarms are transmitted to the station.
signal 20, instead OF las was sent ont. signal
2es is from Broadway and Blocker street and
thithcr the fire apparatus went. u was nearly
ten minutes before the mistake was discovered
and the engines sent on their way 70 canal
street TO Join the one engine and truck which
had answered the special cal.
BY This time the fire had got a big start IN
the paner stock. Water was poured in nnntil
the cellar under 37 and three other cellars
which adioined il were waist deep In water.
but still the smoke poured out, Foreman Com
Ian of Engine q was the first fireman TO col
gave out next. and then In rapid succession.
Notwithstanding the fact that they were work.
Ing In tve-mlnute snlitS, these llrelnen were
helped out 81 the cellar and stretched out on
the sidewalk: Foreman Thomas Hayes Of
Engine 81 and two firemcn OF that engine; Fore
man Hugh I.arkin Of Truck 20 and one fire.
man Of that truck; Lieut. McDermott Of Hook
and Ladder 8 and Firemen- Mayer and
Mclaughlin also OF Hook and Ladders.
Then a gas pipe In the basement was broken.
IL probably was cut In & airing up the floor and
In a few moments the danger Of gas asphyNia-
ton was added 10 that of smoke. After that
the irerncn fell like flies. In a few minutes
these were carried oIi'; Deputy Chief Ahearn.
acting Chief King Of the Second Battalion
Battalion Chief Kennev Of the Third Battalion.
Lieut.. Mcdonnell Of Engine 81. Capt. Patrick
Mahcr aud Firemen Reagan, llealy and Bltz
Of Engine 20, Capt y F. Healy Of Engine 80
and Fireman Connolly 81 that engine: Fireinen
Shalc-, Seicel and Kraft Of Engine 20 and
Fireman Mcguire Of Engine 81,
Two ambulanCes were called, one from 81.
yincont's Hospital and one from Hudson
street hospital, hut they took nore Of the fire.
men away. The men were. attended by the
ambulance surgeons, and al OF them, by the
time the fire WAS ont. were able 10 40 back to
their stations
The blaze was confined to the basement and
the ground floor of the building. The
paper stock was a total loss, and the stock Of
Louis Berg, n manufacturer Of suits and Cloaks,
who ocC,lpied the ground 1our and three upper
floors, was badly damaged by water and smoke.
The total loss was about s7.Oo0, OF which 5000
was on the building.