Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-02-07
EXPEN SIVE BLAZE.
a Fire Wipes Out Property Val
ued at $1,5OO,OOO.
Seven story Factory Building al
New York City IL Reduced to
Ashes, Together with Sew
eraI of the Adjoining
Structures.

New York, Feb. 1.-The seven-story
factory of the William Wicke Co.,
manufacturers of cigar boxes, labels
and ribbons at 401 to 419 East Thir-
ty-first street, was shaken Thursday
afternoon by an explosion in the
shaving tower" which wrecked the
tower and demolished the roof of
the engine house. The explosion is
believed to have been caused by gas
which found its way into the tow
err"
The force of the explosion was tre-
mendous. The brickworh fell on the
engine house, crushing it, and the
conclusion of the explosion cracked
the big smoke kestack-100 feet high
that lowered over the engine room.
Nearly 500 persons were at work in
the factory at the time of the eXplo-
sion. Three hundred and fifty of
them were women. \ panic ensued.
but only two persons were seriously
injured.
Otto Riedel. the chief engineer,
who was just returning from lunch
when the catastrophe occurred, was
arrested.
Fritz Schofele. the assistant engi-
neer, who was in the engine house,
was also arrested. The loss caused
by the explosion amounted to several
thousand dollars.
Fire that did damage to the extent
of S1,500,000 started anew in the Will
liam Wicke Co.'S building last night
A half hour after the first alarm was
sent in the entire building, extend
ing half the length of the block in
Thirty-first street to the East river,
was a mass of flames and the fire.
men ceased to attempt to save the
building, but turned all their atten-
tion to the adjacent structures.
How the fire started is not known,
further than that it was the result
of the explosion in the boiler room
in the afternoon.
At the time the fire started Super
intendent Dooner, of the building de-
partment, and Contractor Cody, who
has annual contracts for removing
the wreckage of burned buildings,
were at work with 30 men attempt
ing to pull down the tower adjacent
to the boiler room. in which the eX-
DloSlOh Ill lUt dllCIiOOu lOoh JIdtt.
The tearir.r down of this tower is
thought to have been responsible for
the start of the second fire. The
ruins of the tower fell into the ruins
of the boiler room and on top of ad-
jacent rooms in which were stored
chemicals for the purpose of season
ing woods, thus causing second eX-
plosion. Smoldering embers from
the late fire added to this and in
moment there was huge blaze.
The men of Engine Company 16,
who had been left on duty and had
put out watch line" were at work
at the time the fire started. Four
alarms were turned in within Is min
uteS.
Chief Croker soon arrived and sent
in fifth alarm. A minute later he
sent in the alarm known as 1.-TWO
nines," the first time this alarm has
been used since 1898.
The final call brought all the en-
gines, hook and ladder companies,
tenders, water towers and search
lights between Leonard street on
the south and Eighty-fifth street on
the north, "a in all.
Roundsman Quinn and Sergeant
Hauptman, who was promoted for
bravery at the Windsor hotel fire,
were in command of a squad of ten
men at the scene when the fire start
ed. They at once saw that the Wicke
building was doomed and turned
their attention to the tenement
house directly opposite the burning
factory. This is a five-story tene-
ment occupied by % families. The
police succeeded in getting all the
persons out safely.
The Wicke building was burned to
the ground. The walls all fell one
by one, and there only remain stand
ing the big chimney in the south
wall. The building in the rear of
that, extending into Thirty-second
street, was also gutted and the in
terror burned.
Just before the Wicke Co.'S main
building was burned a ladder against
the south wall, on which was Fire
man Peter Coyle, was seen to be on
| fire. Shouts of warning notified
Coyle of his danger and he started to
| descend Before he was half way
| down the wall fell and took the lad
der with it. Coyle was thrown to
| the street and had both ankles
| broken.
Water Tower No. 3, attached to
| Hook and Ladder No. 7, had stationed
itself in Thrty-tirst street about the
middle of the block. The heat was
so intense that after the horses had
been taken off the men were COM
| PEELED to abandon the tower. In 4
| few minutes it was a mass of ruins.
The burned area, in general extent,
took in about one city block. The
Wicke Co.'S building, the building
abutting it from Thirty-third and
several tenement houses were among
the destroyed buildings. Several
lumber yards in the vicinity were
| damaged. The fire was witnessed
by immense crowds of people, and it
is said, was the most spectacular one
| New York has ever seen.
| Labor War In Texas.
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