New-York tribune., 1901-11-30
,nuBIN TO PROBE FIRE.
,-r CROKER LAYS BLAME OF LUM-
gER YARDS BLAZE ON STAND
ARD OIL CONF my.

chief Croker yesterday placed the re-
T." ,s,,;ty for the rapid spread Of Thursday
sVH' .os-lv fire in lumber yards in East
'sH between Avenue D and the East
Isn'- :, the Standard Oil Company.
XIV. ", know. personally, that there were 100
If naphtha and benzine in the building.
b~ so informed by employe. But l do
S ;.- the law was not complied with, in
E| +5rst floor of the building was two feet
u sac curb line, instead Of being two feet
;t as the law directs
F. Murray, inspector of the Bureau of
.,stibies said that he did not think. the
V~D.nv could be prosecuteu for any irregu-
of construction, the building was
"a thirty years ago, before the present
ren+ into effect The law was not
y attractive. He sai1 he intended to in
~sra,e and If there was any basis for
.,,,;on he would lay the case before the
- authorities at once. 1T will be hard
t,o,n evidence of a violation OF this charac-
- ssfs M Murray, las the entire building
.;,ed out The company had permit TO
,rantv barrels CT benzine and ten barrels
"-.,b.ha in tanks below the level of the
.t Last April the company was found TO
: .o-onl,-irg with the law. If they had stored
SO II was after that date"
-. Marshal Peter Seery said that he would
-irate. but that he saw no reason now TO
...s action in the matter.
rbsn District Attorney PhiIbin was asked re
".,ng +re ALLEGED illegal storage of inflamma-
Sss he said:
= -, roi-g TO make a thorough investigation
.,o. matter at once. The same principle or
| - saenns to apply here as IN the Tarrant case.
a., &c soon 10 come to trial The decision In
~, case may have some bearing on posslpIe
'-ron in tie present matter. c.,
ss;ef Croker said that the report that the nre
"a baer communicated to che Standard OI
C,nnanv's property by a fireman throwing
Tazng window sash into the buidlns nts MhsIe
~ rs stored was false. He said the faHlhS
~ sr,ory walls had crushed in the barrels CON
rar the naphtha and gasolene. Whlch We're
.ss1 4rea by sparks and redhot bricks
'rba-es kellogg. a manager OF the StanoAru
~ C'on,oanv denied yesterday that the com
=. u nod violated any law in having 10 barrels
I@rssolene and naphtha stored in the huiidIns-
:. sid that Chief Croker had no right 10 MAKE
r.b p statement. He did not know now nluCh
.s-roeurn was in the building at the Jlne OF the
= One of AIr. Eeii0gg's ASSISTANTS oeilieu
3 ~ there VAS any gasolene or naphtha IN me me
iIsirg Ee said that the usual dalIE supply
Ts-om ten 10 fifteen barrels had not beel
-rps in the building on THURSDAY because tLdl
ar was a holiday He said that the FIRE De
rgrrent had given the company peIiIiIss'oii p, -
rore that amount in the structure. 4sheT 49,, ny
-4b no com tibles in the building on Ihufs-
s- the fire burned so quickly, he said IT was
ss@use the walls were oil soaked.
Debrs was still burning fercely al c4och
yesterday morning in the ruins OF the lFe- "a
-, ,,.ind from rhe west carried the smoke
,r5 cinders in the direction Of the East hlNtr
n the relief Of the firemen. who feared that lle
ssrks would ignite the buildings in the vlclnlty-
William Z. Uptegrove. OF JptesroNe q % sl,, tos
,ha heaviest losers by the fire, said tnat the hrl
would rebuild at once -
Between six hundred and seven hundred me. men
md women have been thrown. out OF eIhPLoH :
- ~ ~ i've Most of the unfortunates,
-i.h ,he ernnloves Of McAlpin's tobacco factory;
mich narrowly escaped destruction. gathered
;-ound the ruins yesterday --. .,