The sun., 1902-02-09
Big, FATAL, BROOKLYN FIRE.
BATTALION CHIEF NEVINS AND
2 FIREMEN MORTALLY HURT.
Many Oth-rs Badly InJ ired-wholo city
Block Ablsze Next to Navy Yard
Wind Was BIewing . Gaie-waiI Of
Building Falls and Catches Many in
Crowd OF spectators, Besides Ftremcn
Croker Has Narrow Escape. Driver
Hurt-Marines st Work Out at 30.

Crowd OF spectators, nesides Ftrcmcn
Croker Has Narrow Escape, Driver
Hurt-Msrines at Work Out at I.3O.
A fire for which five alarms were sent
In early and In quick succession and which
threatened, at A. NJ, TO do extensive
damage, started at 1:S0 o'clock last night
in the carriage factory Of the Shadbolt
Manufacturing Company at the southeast
corner Of Cumberland street and Flushing
avenue. Brooklyn.
The greater part OF the block bounded
by Cumberland street. Flushing avenue
(Which fronts on the navy yard, Carleton
avenue and Park avenue was well ablaze
in a few minutes.
The fire started on the second floor Of
the carriage factory, which was four
story brick building, and in less than half
an hour that building was all ablaze. The
third floor was occupied by the j. X.
Parker Manufacturing Company, makers
Of women's shirt waists.
The Flushing avenue wall OF the building
fell with crash about 1890 O'Clock. There
were practically no police lines at that time
and the crowds Of onlookers were danger
ously close to the burning building. When
the wall tottered the nearby crowd turned
TO fee. and great numbers were knocked
over in the rush to get away The wall
brought down the trolley wires and the
feed wires also. The people thought that
there would be a great electrical display
and that added to the panic. but there was
none.
The police and firemen telephoned at once
TO have the current shut of, and ambulances
were sent for 10 look after those injured
In the crash and in the flight from the crash.
The fire quickly spread outside the car
rage factory building and. famed by the
fierce west wind. caught Browns hat fac
tory at Carlton and Flushing avenues.
Next To the factory was the stable owned
by William c. Sheldon. a boss truckman.
The flames spread so quickly TO that that
eighteen horses in II were burned almost
before anyone had chance TO get at the
place.
The fre also soon spread into the row
Of tenements from 10 to ~ Cumberland
street. They were practically all ablaze
at 1880 A. NJ. the tenants being compelled
TO fee headlong.
Fully half a dozen men. fremen and
citizens, were knocked down by the fall
ing walls. Six were carried out and II
was said that two Of the fremen were NOR
tally injured Engine ITO. which was
standing In front Of the building, was
smashed beyond repair.
The blaze was one Of the most spectacular
OF recent fires. The light made by Il was
80 strong that people directly across the
East River on the Manhattan side could
read newspaper print by II,
Four alarms and six or eight special
calls were recorded at Headquarters in
this borough for the fire. No apparatus
was sent over but Chief Croker went there.
He crossed the Bridge on his locomobile
shortly after ~ o'clock and arrived at the
fire Just as the wall fell.
Chief Croker and his driver, Capt. os-
wald OF Engine 80, Manhattan, immedi-
ately Jumped out for duty. Oswald and
Croker became separated in the crowd,
When the wall fell a section Of it came
down directly on Oswald. He was picked
I'D unconscious. His head bore a deep
wound.
He was taken to a nearby saloon. There
II was said he had a fractured skull and
couldn't live. Later Il was said that his skull
was not fractured and that he was not
NOR, ally hurt.
Oswald lay in the saloon for forty min
,,tes and more while a search was being
made for an ambulance surgeon TO attend
him.
Deputy Chief Patrick Nevins. a brother
OF Thomas Nevins, who used 20 be chief OF
the department, was 20 badly hurt that
he was reported dying at O'Clock, and
MT the same hour Il was said that Joseph
Reiley OF ss4 North Elliott place, who was
one OF the injured, might die.
Another Of the badly injured was Louis
Jarowsld of ss Park avenue.
All of the injured were taken to James Null
lins's saloon at the corner OF North Oxford
street and Flushing avenue. where the Rev.
Father W. II. Reaney, chaplain in the navy,
who had responded to the calls for assist
ance, administered the last rites Of the
church to those likely to die.
Twenty minutes after the call for ambu-
lanoes was sent in, two ambulances from
the Eastern District Hospital responded.
Others injured were William l.. Moran,
George German Of 25e Gold street, and
Stephen De I.app of Gold street near Pearl
street.
Fire Chief Croker had a narrow escape
from being hit by a piece of the falling
wall.
When he got TO the blaze the firemen
we're set to hustling as they hadn't before.
The blaze was under control at 80 A. NJ 4.
One Of tho injured was Deputy Chief
Duff He was struck by a trolley wire.
Battalion Chief Nevins was appointed
20 the Fire Department in 1875. His home
IL at 24s Cumberland street.
When the fire started Rear Admiral
Barker, commandant Of the navy yard,
ordered out all the marines and sailors in
the yard and under his personal command
they formed a fire brigade TO protect the
navy yard store house buildings and shops
along the Flushing avenue side.
The other officers OF the yard. in their
uniforms, fastened TO tho scene. too.
The men formed a bucket brigade and
also worked lines Of hose effectively on
the buildings across Flushing avenue.
When the carriage factory walls fell, the
- ,h. fartnrv foil nj, ~. 80 a.,