New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-27
ICE COATS FIRE FIGHTERS.
HOSE BURSTS IN COLD.
Engine Company Nearly Buried
Under Failing Roof.

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Their clothes saturated with water from burst
ing hose and frozen into icy coats Of mail. fire
men conquered two bad fires on the upper West
Side yesterday. Ladders huge icicles.
They slipped on icy pavements in the teeth Of a
wintry wind that hurled blazing fragments
about.
In the first fire. at the West Side Lyceum,
formerly known as the Adelphi. at Seventh-ave
and Fifty y-seventh-st, the building was ruined
and several freInen were almost buried when
the roof fell In. Captain Weiland. Lieutenant
Ruckhold and eight men Of Hook and Ladder
Company, No. 4. the third floor. trying
to keep the flames from the main hall They
fairly threw themselves down the stairways as
the debris thundered through the fourth floor
above them
Frank Tilford gave dinner to a thousand
children in the building. which belonged to Lee
Schubert, Christmas. Miss Lena Lawrence
was cleaning the hall when some benzine ex
ploded and boxes and rubbish burst into flames
Instantly B. Bimberg. brother of BIN the
Button Man" had offices on the second floor
while directly above him were twenty-five wom
en- employed by Fisher & Reilly in making the
atrical costumes. Bimberg warned them. and
in the panic that ensued aided in getting the
girls out of the building.
Meantime an alarm had been sent IN, and
when the fremen arrived two more were sent in
at once. as the flames were bursting through
the airshaft at the top floor. Deputy Chief
Duane, in charge, put the water tower to work.
and under the tons Of water the fire was sub
dued somewhat. while vast sheets of ice formed
on the building and those near it. The wind
and cold numbed the hremen and the smoke
swirled around that it was almost inpos-
sible to remain inside the halls for any time.
Two hremen in the halls were overcome, but
recovered in the open air
On the top floor the fire burned with amazing
ferceness huge sheets of flame bursting from
the windows in spite of the deIuge of water. It
was said that one hundred pounds Of wax were
stored there. The supports Of the cupola at the
corner Of the roof eaten away. and this.
with a large fagpole fell to the street mar
rowly missing group Of spectators.
Attracted by the size and unusual features Of
the fire. there was a great throng Of spectators,
who hampered the fremen by pressing close to
the apparatus. When Inspector Walsh and po-
lice reserves from several stations arrived. fire
lines were formed.
Meantime. another bad fire had broken out at
Columbus-ave. and Slxty-eighth-st. Engines
hurrying to this fire rushed by the burning Ly-
ceum. scattering the crowds and driving right
over the lines of taut hose. Engine No. was
working at the corner, pumping away al ire
mendous pressure Engine No. a. drove right
across its lines, followed by No Is, one of the
heaviest engines in the department.. The hose
cut clesnE- with knife. Twisting
and writhing iikye serpent the severed hose
discharged a great stream Of water on aremen
end spectators andiscriminateIy. flooding the
place and bowling over like nnepins 1t
some time before the water could be shut
off Meantime IT froze making a great sheet
Il,
under control. most of the engines went to the
sixty-eighth- hist fire. Striking this ice mere
however, the horses slipped and ecundered
requiring much aid to pass it. One large en-
gine, Nc. "a was pushed up the slight incline
over the ice by big, red racing automobile
The estimated worth of the building was
$l7OO00 The fire loss was pnt at $4,000
The second fire began n the basement OF an
apartment house at No 211 Coumbus-ave
spreading to the houses on each side Eight
families lived in each house. and there was
great excitement. at one time almost a panic.
among the tenants. who rushed forth, leaving
goods and chattels behind. About twenty fam
ilies are homeless because Of the fire De-
tective Isben plain clothes nan. did valuable
service then. On the top floor of No. 213
Columbus-ave. two fats, in one of which
was an invalid. Her the detective carried
downstairs through the smoke, first warning
her neighbor, Mrs. Gardner. who in bed.
I'll, and her two children, that he would return
for them.
Save the children hrstt' pleaded the mother
when he returned. One under each arm Isbell
took them and staggered down the stairs. Then
cropping his way back for the third time. he
helped the mother down to the first floor. There,
overcome by smoke and exhaustion, he COL
lapsed Two policemen who were at the fire
cared for him.
George I. White. a tailor. at No 213 ColuTn-
bus-ave. not noticing three fire alarm boxes
that he passed on his way, TO the quarters
of Engine Company No. 40. at Sixty-eighth-st.,
near Broadway, and told the lone fireman there
OF the discovery of the fire. The company was
at the Lyceum fire In the mean time Un-
known Italian had turned in an alarm. Only
one company responded, Engine No 56. at
Eighty-third-st Captain Harry Hauch of the
company as soon he arrived. turned in two
more alarms and later fourth. He was taking
a holiday and had a new overcoat that cost $50.
One of the first things TO happen the burst
ing of a hose. The water went over Captain
Hauch and the overcoat was ruined
A messenger boy. J. Henry Weygandt, OF No.
2S2 Baltic-st Brooklyn ran through the three
apartment houses when the fire was first dis
covered and alarmed the tenants. The flames
went m air shafts on each side Of No. 211 and
in few minutes the adjoining apartment
houses were on fire. The fremen had great
difficulty in getting lines Of hose into the rear
Yards of the houses so thick was the smoke. and
many OF them were slightly affected from in