New-York tribune., 1902-11-09
TWO DIE FROM TIMES" FIRE
BLAZE IN NEWSPAPER PRESSROOM
COMMUNICATED FROM RAPID
TRANSIT SUBWAY.


A fire that destroyed the lives of two men and
nearly suffocated two boys burned out the press
room of The Times" yesterday afternoon Gre
ating for time much alarm and excitement in
Park Row. While the flames were confined en-
tirely 10 the sub-oellar of the freproof building.
smoke rose through the building in such volume
as to drive out occupants Of offices above. even
from the editorial rooms and composing rooms.
the eleventh and twelfth floors. The presses
of the newspaper were disabled for time but
friendly offers of facilities were made promptly
by several OF the newspapers near by. and The
Times was able to make arrangements for the
printing OF its edition for this morning without
delay
Fire Chief Croker's investigation showed tnat
the flames entered the building by way of the
subway in Park Row. Recently. in making the
ex AVIATION fcr the subway. the contractors broke
through the wall into the subcellar Of the
building Ths opening was closed with wooden
partition covered on both sides with tar paper
A Easolene IanYp that had been hung carelessly
against the partition IN the subway either eX-
ploded or In some other way set fire to the
partition shor.iy before p yesterday. and
the blazing partition soon ignited a tank OF
printing ink which near it in the suoceIar
of the building A few persons who were IN the
ssibceIlar saw the fames spreading rapidly. and
they ra UPSTAIRS 20 give the alarm
"A savs Ly'nGtS later Park Row was blocked
with a great crowd If anxious people. who saw
smoke rolling up in dense clouds from the cellar
OF The Times Building. The first companies
OF hremen 10 arrive had much difficulty in get
TING the engines into working positions near the
building on account of the blockading crowds
and the subway excavations in Park Row The
elevators were kept running. and they carried
down many people who were driven out of the
unper stories by the smoke that rose through
a shaft in which wires and tubes extend from
the subcelar to the upper part of the building
When the people reached the sidewalk they
showed the effects of the smoke, as their eyes
were streaming with teams. and most OF them
were coughing
Julius Michaels and James Mcclure in charge
Of the two elevators running stuck TO their
| posts They had way Of knowing how seri-
Gus the fire was and kept running their eleva-
tors taking down the people from the various
floors to safety though they were nearly suffo
Gated by the black smoke that filled the eleva-
tor shafts Editors reporters and compositors
of the newspaper left the building soon after the
fire was discovered. some going down the stairs
and some by the eleva tors. A few went 10 the
roof and thence down a ladder to the Potter
Building where they were taken to the street
! in the elevators. The women Of the staff need
ed no assistance. They were evidently as self
possessed as the men. and Joined them in order
ly exit Those who went down the stairs joined
! as they reached the lower floors a crowd OF
cropping tenants and others. At the second land
| ing it was impossible TO those Immediately
! in front.
The men who lost their lives in the fire We're
| John Daily, of No. % Bowery. and William Me-
| COrnack of No. Is Wiam-st both of whom
! were employed by the Multi Mailing Company,
| of No 30 Water-st. The boys who over
! come by smoke but resusCitated and are
| now in the Hudson Street Hospital John
| Powers, of Fifth-ave., near Fifty-nnth-st..
| Brooklyn, and Myer Fishbone. of No. 40 Allen
| ST. The men and boys were overcome by smoke
in a small room used for mailing purposes in the
! front of the sub-cellar. close to where the fire
! started They and others employed in the build
! ing followed the firemen into the sub-cellar,
! and fOrgetful of their danger rushed into the
mailing room to save the mailing lists and other
papers Battalion Chief Kruger and some Of
! his men drove most of the employees out. and
| Kruger even had TO fight with one colored man
/ TO force him to retreat. Mccormack DAILY
! Fishbone and Powers were overlooked by the
! hremen in the dense smoke
The flames by this time had reached can
containing a gallon of benzine, which exploded.
! scattering its liquid fire in all directions. The
! explosion smashed the glass partition dividing
! the mailing room from the other portion OF the
! sub-cellar and the two men and two boys were
overcome. The iremen had to beat a tempo
| rary retreat but returned almost instantly and,
after fifteen minutes hard work. succeeded In
| getting the fire under control. Then they found
the four victims. Captain Slevin. of Engine
| Company No. II, carried DAILY out and the
/ other fremen aided by A. ]. Nimmo, the jant-
tor of the building brought up the others. Calls
were sent for ambulances and the unconscious
men were laid on their backs. one on the side
walk and three in the main hallway of the
building. and attempts made to resuscttate
them. Three ambulances responded from the
Hudson Street Hospital. with Drs Marshall.
Rice and Beckwith. and one from the GouveT-
neur Hospital with Drs. Mcdonald and Will
Jams
! second alarm had been sounded by Chief
Kruger after the explosion of the benzine, and
this brought Chief Croker 10 the scene. He took
off his coat and personally worked over the un-
conscious men. while waiting for the ambulance
! DR.. A. Raynor Brooklyn physician. and an
| other doctor. who were present, assisted Daly
was the first to be taken away. He was re-
moved to the Hudson Street Hospital by Dr.
/ Marshall. Mccormack showed very little signs
of life. The ambulance doctors. however. seemed
: TO devote most OF their energies 10 reviyinS
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