New-York tribune., 1901-02-28
CRIMINAL COURTS ON FIRE
FIERCE BLAZE ON THE ROOF OF THE
BIG BUILDING CAUSES MUCH EN-
CITEMENT - RECORDS IN
DANGER
DANGER.

The attic and large portion of the roof of the
| northwest corner of the Criminal Courts Building
were destroyed by a fire which started at 1e:i5
o'clock yesterday afternoon. As the place where
the fire started was used as a storeroom by Super
intendent Donovan. and many Of the records of the
District Attorneys office had lately been placed
there. II is feared that valuable criminal documents
| that cannot be duplicated destroyed.
The Grand Jury holding meeting. and two
parts OF the Court of General Sessions one being
presided by Recorder Gof and the other by
Judge Foster, were in operation when the alarm
was given. There also a large number of
prisoners in the pens in the building. Recorder
GOff, when informed that there a serious fire
above his courtroom dismissed court for the day.
Sergeant Langan of the Centre-st. court squad,
when he told that the fire might take in the
tire roof if 1t not checked, took the pre-
caution to have all the prisoners In his charge
temporarily removed to the Tombs. All the visitors
in the building were also ordered out into the
| street. that the hremen might not be hampered
In their efforts to conne the outbreak to that por
tion of the structure where 1t had originated.
The blaze was discovered by newspaper reporters
on the fourth floor of the building The windows
of their afford clear view of the roof the
northwest corner. There was a ventatng shaft
located at the latter place, and the cracking and
falling OF panes OF glass in the Ventilator the
tiled roof quickly attracted attention. When the
glass had been broken smoke and fire ap-
peared and the latter having full vent. gained in
ferceness every second. In less than five minutes
a pyramid of ire fully twenty feet high
shooting skyward and fast devouring lofty flag
pole in its path. II took fully five minutes to get
the alarm the street. and by that time the blaze
had attracted the attention of people in the neigh
borhood. Firemen carried up to the sixth
floor by the four elevators. which were kept run
ming long as it safe to do so. but dragging
UP the hose difficult matter, and much time
was lost in consequence.
Before drop of water had been thrown into the
burning part OF the building it found necessary
q a
These additional calls brought large force of
tremen and engines. To get pipe line in through
the central part of the building the stained glass
dome, which cost $1,000 had to be broken. Per-
haps fifteen minutes consumed before
the fremen got into fairly good working order, and
the flames in the attic attacked by
half dozen streams. Then the fire had assumed
large proportions. and smoke being sucked up
all the elevator shafts leading from the roof on
tho four sides OF the immense building. 1t then
seemed that the entire attic and roof were threat
ened; but the fremen at last succeeded I'm check
ing the spread OF the flames, and they were con-
fined 10 the northwest corner. where they had
originated. After much delay a stream got
the roof. and the fremen with their hooks. tore
the tiling and timing and poured water on the
blazing material inside the building. In three
quarters of an hour the flames mad been checked,
but the FIRE continued burn until p. m. Then
ii was announced that the blaze under con-
troll
While the fremen were working overhead Chief
Clerk Carroll, Of the Court OF General Sessions.
taking precautions 10 the valuable Grim
| nal exhibits the floors below. These included
| the exhibits in the Moneux Kennedy and Patrick
cases. which II lost would he the OF saving;
| ut least one man from electric chair. The ex-
hibits placed in hreproof safes by Clerk
Carroll. well the records of the Distric,
| Attorneys office bearing the recent gambling
| cases
| Just what started the nre II Is Impossible 70
| say. hut Inspector Thomas Gerrty of the repairs
| and supplies department of public buildings he
| lieves that Il caused hy crossed electric light
| wires. Janitor CopperS at dinner when the
! alarm given, and ne says thai before going
| 70 his he passed through that portion of the
! building. and then things seemed To he all right
| The attic where the blaze broke out is directly
| over the old rooms Of TIE Civil Service Commits
| sion. the sixth floor. The latter quarters have
| lately been fitted up for Assistant District Attor-
| neys Osborne and Lindsay
BY 2:30 the fremen had succeeded IN getting COM
! Dlcte mastery the situation. and the fro
| declared be out.
| The damage T. estima ted n $1,000