The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-02-01
A FIERCE FIRE
Licks Up an Entire Block in
New York City.


New York. Feb. An explosion In
the cigar box, label and ribbon factory
Of the Wicke company in East Thirty
first street. by which over 20 persons
were injured. was followed at z o'clock
last night by one Of the flercest con-
dagrations New York has witnessed in
many years, causing an estimated loss
Of $500. 900.
The burned area, in general extent.
took in about one city block The Wicike
coIppany's building, the building abut
ting it from Thfrty-second street and
several tenement houses were among
the destroyed buildings. Several lumber
yards in the vicinity were considerably
damaged. The fire was witnessed by
immense crowds of people. and it is said
IS the most spectacular one New York
has ever witnessed, lighting the whole
borough.
The panic-stricken occupants Of a
number of tenements threatened by the
IRE were assisted out by policemen ana
hremen- The fire abounded in thrilling
incidents, but only a few persons were
injured. none seriously.
The explosions took place in the
shaving tower and wrecked the tower
and demolished the roof Of the engine
house
The force OF the explosion, which was
probably due to gas was tremendous.
engine house. crushing it, and the con-
cussion OF the explosion cracked the big
smokestack 100 feet high, that lowered
over the engine room.
Nearly 500 persons were at work in
the factory at the time of the explosion.
Three hundred and fifty Of them We're
women A panic ensued, but only two
persons were seriously tnjured-JOs-
Speidlet a fireman, and Emil Barschet,
a. steam filter. The loss caused by the
explosion amounted to several thousand
dollars.
At the time the fire started Superin-
tendent Dooner, of the building depart
ment, and a contractor were at work
with 80 men attempting to pull down
the shaving tower adjacent to the boiler
room, in which the explosion In the
Afternoon took place. The ruins of the
tower fell into the ruins of the boiler
room, and on top Of adjacent rooms IN
which there were stored chemicals for
the purpose OF seasoning woods thus
causing a second explosion. Smouldering
embers from the fire added to this. and
in a moment there was a huge blaze.
-Four alarms were turned in within
fifteen minutes. Chief Croker soon ar
rived and sent in G. fifth alarm. A
minute later he sent in the alarm known
as two Mines"
The final call brought all the engines
hook and ladder companies, tenders and
water towers and searchlights between
Leonard street on the south and Eighty
fifth street on the north, "a in all.
the neighboring tenements. At GAG East
Thirty first street was a five-story build
ing occupied by % families of Italians
and Germans All were taken out
safely. Then the police emptied the
tenement on the west corner Of First
avenue and Thirty-frst street. Both
these tenement buildings and q third
were destroyed
The Wicke building was burned to the
ground. The walls fell one by one. and
there remains standing only the big
chimney in the south wall. The building
in the rear, extending into Thirty-second
street was also burned. It was occupied
on the top floor by the Wicke company
on the fourth floor by the Innovation
Trunk company, on the second and third
floors by the J. B. Colt company, manu-
facturers of gas tanks and on the first
floor by Miller, DubaI az Peters. manu-
facturers of cigar moulds- The Jacobs
iron works on the south side OF Thirty
first street also suffered considerable
damage.
Swife & Co.'s lumber yard in the rear
Of the Wicke building and extending to
the river front was also damaged. The
table factory Of Theodore Sauer was
damaged to a slight extent, and the
sash, door and blind factory OF Price &
Carl suffered a heavy loss.
Shortly before midnight the fire was
found to have spread into the coal and
wood yards of Lower Bros.
AS 1T LOOKS TODAY.
New York, Feb. The extent of the
destruction wrought by the conf1agra-
ton which destroyed nearly a whole
block Of buildings at Thirty first street
and First avenue last night could be
better appreciated when day dawned
this morning. The huge factory of the
VIM. Wicke company was almost level
with the ground. Contractor Joseph
Cody of the building department with
a force of 100 men, had labored at the
ruins all night pulling down dangerous
sections of wall At z O'Clock this morn
ing they were at work on a portion OF
the wall at Thirty-fir street and First
avenue, which looked like a big CHM
ney as it stood alone and threatened to
fall at any moment.
Other property destroyed was the six
story factory building Nos. 404, 406 and