New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-07
BIG EAST SIDE BLAZE.
HUNDREDS DRWEN OUT.
Many Rescues-Uires Fall-Fire-
men ScOrched L" Trains Stopped.

4
Firemen fighting flames so close as to burn
themselves with Deputy Chief Langford lead
ing them on and getting scorched himself;
flames shooting from every window Of the five
story brick structure of the Universal Storage
| Warehouse and Express Company No. 2o2
| to POS East Eighty -eighth-st.. and flames
streakng across the street. setting fire 20
| fewer than four buildings there. attracted thou
sands last night 10 a spectacular five alarm fire,
where the people had an uninterrupted view of
| a big blaze. through the negligence Of the police
| and lack of their numbers.
The crowd was allowed to go anywhere. and
! interfered with the fremen that they
! planned about il. number Of rescues We're
| made
The fire started on the top floor of the ware
| house. James Kirkman. a watchmaE, was sit
| ting in the basement watching twenty-five
| horses stabbed there. when he smelled smoke
| and rushed out. He met Henry Zegler, Of No.
300 East Eighty-eighth-s and his brother
/ Charles one Of them sent IN alarm and
/ then rushed to rescue the horses
The smoke so filed the basement that the
/ horses were wild. and they almost stampeded
! when they were released. The firemen arrived
| in time to lead them all out.
| Edward Ellendost. sixteen years old. Of No.
! 103 East Eighty-ninth-st.. told Deputy Chief
! Langford that he had been IN the circus. knew
| about horses, and could rescue some OF those
! in the basement The chief let him through.
! and the hoy not only rescued eight animals. but
! stuck TO it till Of his wrists burned.
Within a few minutes after the discovery Of
| the flames they burst out all over the building.
| Fire shot out Of every window. back and front,
furniture Of all kinds in the warehouse furnish
! ing the fuel.
Alarm after alarm was sent in. and Chief
| Croker. who at dinner at his home, in West
! Twenty -eighth-st. got up from the table TO
ride in his antomobile to the blaze.
The intense heat on the front of the ware
house cracked the woodwork in the buildings
/ opposite Nos. 203. 205. 207 and 200 and set
the window woodwork on fire. This sent all the
( tenants the street.
To get the water tower hose coupled was
! heroic work. A set of men made the attempt
! near the big apparatus. but the heat was in
tense that they had to flee. They tried it again,
and again failed. Their rubber coats and
helmets smelled of the stencil of burning rubber.
/ and then Chief Langford ordered other ilremen
! TO play a stream Of water on these men when
/ they made a third attempt to finish the coup
/ ling They ran out again. picked up the coup
! ling and went TO work. The stream of water,
! two inches thick. played on them turned into
! steam on their heated helmets and clothes. They
inhaled this steam and soon had to drop the
coupling and run
But another crew Of men was ready. They
! rushed forward. picked up the coupling and
! tried Water poured on them also turned to
/ steam They stuck 10 ii until human endurance
couId atand no more and fed. A third crew
was ready They rushed forward, worked for
! a while and had TO run. Then fourth set tried
II tho first men being again ready to take up
! The work Inhaling the choking and scalding
stear, they did as much they could in their
| thirty or forty seconds, and fed TO safety, the
second set rushing in to finish the Joo. Ihey
almost succeeded before they fled. Ihe crowd
cbaerad os the sixth crew finished the coupling.
The shoulders of all these men were scorched.
| cbief T.apeford who had done his share, suf-
| fered like the rest ne o'i "
were burned.
-, ,,,cl, 70 within few feet of the burning
| h,,ilding and all the tenants were ordered out.
IT., - Of No / 5G3 caught fire. On the fourth
eoor was Mrs Elizabeth Hand. an invalid AMI
| SLIGHTLY demented woman, with daughter
| - when the fremen shouted through the
| 1A'n. - oil IN get out" the demented
| ., tacarne hystercal. She threw the bed
| E, = barrica9e in front of her, got IN corner,
| "a aoeed .he hrenen and police Policemen
-, and Cavanagh Of East Eighty-eighth-
| ,arc,t,r, carried her 10 the street. while she
| o,ay,ed their faces and tore their hair
ON the third floor of No l1o" Ihird-aVe'' was
49, Annie Mills an Invalid abed. Flames and
MI . ,t ,,,o room and drove her daughter
I ip'''
,,ant,oth out She shrleked till Policeman Re-
- faa wolfe Of No. 944 Park-aye.. res
| cpad her mother carrying her 10 the street
| rrbo sn,oke and fright rendered her unconscious.
Mrs. Louise Kable. sixty-seven years Old an an
invalid. living on the secona no1i ,a,. % NO 1Oo
East Eighty-eighth ST. was
scious and was carried out
- vo oto East Eighty-eighth-st' adjoining
Continued on nth page.