The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-01
FOUGHT FLAMES ALL DAY LONG
FIREMEN AVERT DREADED AM
MONA EXPLOSION.
Many Overcome, and All Exhausted by
Desperate strusgle to Check West
Side Picking House F1re-Chief Croker
Injured; Chief Shea May Lose Sight.

Fire engines continued all last night and
into this morning to pour hundreds OF gal
Ions OF water a minute into the blackened,
smoking, smouldering area on Tenth avenue
between Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets.
In which a raging conhagraton had been
fought all the previous night and day.
Several times yesterday afternoon the fire.
men had entertained the hope that they
had mastered the flames which were de-
vouring the Cudahy and other packing
plants But time after time the fire had
taken new start and the battle had to be
fought all over again.
Many OF the flremen. including Chief
Croker and two battalion commanders.
were injured, and all were exhausted by the
desperate struggle. The force at the front
had to be changed more than once during
the day.
The fire began at 1886 in the base
ment OF 454 and 458 West Fourteenth street,
on the premises of the Cudahy Packing
Company. A Waterman told the first
fireman who arrived that 1t was in big
pile of soft coal. From this building the
flames spread until half of the block Of
three story brick buildings occupied by
packing companies on Tenth avenue be-
tween Fourteenth and Thirteenth streets
was burned.
At 8 o'clock last night Chief Croker gave
orders that the fireboat George B, McClel-
Ian and spare Engine should stay at the
fire all night. keeping five streams playing
on the building until 8 o'clock this morning
when he will decide whether the danger
of a new outbreak has entirely passed or
not. Flames were still raging in one COR
ner OF the building where the fire started
when the order was given, but the Chief
considered that the force he left was suf-
ficient to prevent the fire from reaching
the big ammonia tanks in the centre OF
the block.
This had been the chief objective point
OF the entire battle. II these tanks had
exploded the block would have been de-
molished, the chief says. and the fumes
let loose would have caused great loss Of
life, almost inevitably.
The thing which made the fire 30 ter
ribly hard to fight was the peculiar con-
struction of the refrigerator building.
The partitions dividing the numerous cold
storage chambers are constructed of Ave or
six and some times more, thicknesses of
boards, with air space between the layers.
The rooms are, besides, extremely Difficult
of access. The entrances to them
re made as small as possible.
The operation Of the fire in these
great groups Of infammable cells was
like the burning Of five or six houses
in successive layers. Often flames were
quenched on one layer, they worked up
again and again from the three or four
hundred tons Of soft coal in the cellar and
began on the next layer, aided by the air
spaces between which provided constant
draught and an unceasing supply Of air.
Despite the fact that during a great
part OF the day twenty streams. each pour
ing some $50 gallons Of water minute,
were playing on the Cudahy building,
still, late in the afternoon, the soft coal in
the cellar still glowed like giant furnace
which strangled the firemen as they guided
the streams.
Besides this, early in the day, and all
through the day, ammonia fumes escaped
from the supply pipes in all the burning
buildings. In consequence, whole COM
panies Of firemen were Frustrated almost
at once. Many of the men retu rned to
work; but scores were so exhausted they
could barely stand. When Chief Croker
sent Engine 80 home at night. for instance,
there were only two OF the compa ny left
at work. Four had gone to st. vincen
Hospital about o'clock complet ely pros
tr ated, and two others had only enough
strength to get to bed in their, engine
house.
hThe greatest trouble early in the day
was with the mems eyes. The surgeons In
attendance fear that in some cases the
results NAV be serious Battalion Chief
Shea was completely blinded by the fumes
a little before noon and was taken home,
DR.. Bell OF st. Vincent's. established
temporary hospital across the street from
the Are, at 4el West Fourteenth street. While
he attended to the more seriously hurt as
soon as they came from the fire, the minor
injuries were attended to by Joe Krammer,
the ambulance driver.
the time the third alarm was r,ing in at I:4O
o'clock in the morning until after yester..
day afternoon, when, exhausted, he turned
over the command to Deputy Chief Duane,
was injured by stepping into hole chopped
wrenohed mis- back, but after being pulled
out by his men and being attended by the
surgeons, he kept at work.
Owing to the danger Of entering the
building and the absolute impossibility o
precise course Of the fire cannot be. told
yet, and until the flames are extinguished
and the ruins cooled the extent Of the
damage can only be guessed.
The fire was discovered in the coal near
the the CENTRE centre Of the building, and worked
forward to Fourteenth street. This part,
occupied by the Cudahy company was soon
in flames. Next door, to the east, was
Cunninghams Hotel, which caught fire. The
fremen routed out the twenty-five inmates
and subdued the blaze Subsequently, in
going through the building, they found
Fred Beckel, drug clerk. unconscious in
bed He had decided that he could sleep
there safely, and was overcome by smoke.
He was sent to st. vincent's Hospital.
The fire later worked west to the building
occupied by the T. H. Wheeler Company.
This promised to put the fire beyond con-
troll but the fremen, after several attempts,
In which many were overcome, broke
through the walls and checked the flames.
The fire, besides, did great damage all
along the Tenth avenue block In the various
meat and packing concerns there.
company's plant, says their loss, from
present appearances, will be Si25,0O0, in
meat lard and canned goods. damaged
by smoke ammonia and water. They
have already begun plans for the erection
OF new building.
Con-on Bros. Co., which sub-leasee q