The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-09
TW0DEAD IN NEWSPAPER FIRE
BENZI\E AND INK tBLi/E N
THE TIMES" PRESSROOW
GssoIene Lamp In the subway Burned
Through a Partition covered with
Tar Paper Tilt Between Fire chief
Croker and an Ambulance surgeon.

The two men who lost their lives were en-
ployed rs mailers They died few min
,ltrs after reaching the Hudson street hos
pital. Chief Croker had prot ested against
the delay in getting them there and had
announced tha, If they weren't taken in an
ami ulance pretty quick he would use one
Of his trucks for the purpose.
One Of he men was taken 10 the hospital
is a patrol wagon, after two doct ors had
declared that he was dead.
The fire will lot prevent the Times from
issuing a paper to-day. Several neighborS
Of the Times offered assistance and tho f.
fers of the EreniHp Post and St1o Il cihv q
were accepted Managing Editor Lower
thai said that the Times was very grateful
for the kind Offers made y it, neighor..
The presses which We're crippled 10y the fire
would be- repaired in time for Monday
issue. Mr. Lowenthal thought
According to Deputy Fire Chief Crugor
the fire was caused by gasolene lamp
which had been hanging on the inside Of
the tunnel excavation and had burned
through a wooden part ton that separat I'D
the tunnel from the Times pressroom.
The pressroom extends under the Park
row sidewalk almost to the tunnel limit
The foundation had been torn away and
tho partition was put up 10 keep dirt and
stones from the tunnel from falling into
the pressroom II was said that the gas
olene lamp exploded but the fireineu say
/ burned through the thin board wall. set
ting fire TO the tar paper which covered the
portion on the pressroOm side
boy In the basement of the newspaper
building discovered the fire. crawled
be, 10 4 a
in an alarm. When the firemen arrived
they were hampered by the torn-up streets
aid the small space they had to work In
A big crowd soon collected and the police
arrangements were ruch that the fircmeu
mad difficulty IN getting hose lines into the
building
H. the pre-sroom they found fierce
bla7e Tie tar paper-covered partition
was afre from end 20 end and lot Of oil
soaked cotton waste and IaIer was i'm
flames A few minutes later gallon of
lenzne exploded and the fire spread to
some printers ink.
The explosion and the burning ink sent
up dense clouds Of heavy, black smoke
driving four fire COMPANIES and Chief CRU
ger from the cellar. The smoke poured
out Of gratings on the Printing House
y a,iare and Park row sides II the building
and shot w the elevator shafts. filing the
upper floors
Up TO this time there had been little ex-
citement among the tenants, partly due to
the action Of the ianior, A. n Ninmo,
who ran through tie building immediately
after the discovery Of the fire. shouting
at each floor;
THERE'S no danger Keep your doors
ard windows closed and you'll b" all right
Most Of the tenants obeyed lis iustruc-
lions Some didn't, however. and they
said that when they got 90 the landing on
he second floor they found the way BARRED.
the doors having been locked This was
done, It was explained, by the janitor, who
cI. -ed the doors to prevent a draught and
keep the smoke out Of the upper floors
After the explosion the tenants say that
the janitorirIshed from floor 10 floor, yelling:
SECT out az quick as you can, There is
danger"
A general exodus followed The landing
doors were opened and many Of the tenants
ran downstairs. Not for an instant, how
ever, did the elevators stop running The
operators, julius Michacls and Jaiucs
Mcclure, STAYED a. their posts and ran
their elevators through a cloud OF smoke
that was almost binding.
When the smoke had subsidized and
Mcclure and Michaels stopped their ele-
vators for rest, their ewes were swollen
and bIoodshot and almost closed.
4 negro porter who tied a towel over his
head distinguished himself by notifying
the people in the Offices to get out. A
number Of young women wraIped towels
over their heads and faces AZ they groped
their way out OF the building.
Meanwhile the fremen had the blaze
under control. IL was thought that every
body was safely out, but in IA room few
steps below and of the pres room on the
Printing House Square side, Lieut. Sul-
van and the men of Truck / found two
men and two boys, all unconscious and
hnHIlal Ia bar In hnnn
The two men were John DAILY Of y Bowery
and William Met ormick of 10 West street.
Both were employed by the Multi Mailing
Company and were extra helpers on the
Times. The two younger ones We're Meyer
Fishhonc of rs Allen street an Office boy,
and John Power Of l2i1 Fifth avenue, a
clerk in the circulation Department.
The men had been AT work in the
room whore they Were found. Two boys
and girl wore al work in the same room
when the fire started, II was said, but they
escaped
Chief Crugcr said that he had driven the
quartet out Of the burning cellar, but they
returned and apparently were trying TO
carry out the mailing lists when overcome
by the smoke, tn" room in which they
were found was not touched 10y the fire,
but had been flooded with water.
tishbone and Powers were carried up
stairs and laid out In the lobby Of the
Park row entrance. DAILY, one of the mon.
ing lIOus" square and Mccormick. the
other, was laid alongside of the BOYS.
An urgent call was sent for ambulanceS,
but before they arrived the firsmcn and
policemen made an effort to res,Iscita'ethe
unconscious men. Chief Croker removed
his coat and directed the work.
Two physicians who were In the crowd
also helped When the ambuance- arrived
Chief Croker thought that the surgeons
were paving too much attentio to McCor-
mick. who showed little signs of life. and
were not doing enough to get the two boys
TO the hospital
There was n tilt bet ween Chief Croker
and the doct ors which ended 10y the three
men being hurried of to the hospital
1T was another instance of bad ambu-
lance service" said Chief Croker. afterward,
Two Of the men showed signs Of life and
should have been taken AT once to the
hospital. Instead the doctors gave their
entire attention to Mccormick. told
them If they didn't be- quick in getting those
men to the hospital | would put them in
fire truck and take them TO the hospital
myself
A. il was, an ambulance surgeon and one
of the volunteer doct ors had agreed that
Mccormick was dead. He was put in a
patrol wagon with the intention Of taking
him to the Oak street station, but the guard
saw that he was breathing and ordered
the driver to go at top speed TO the hos
CALIFORNIA; sunset Limited service;