Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-03-26
A GREAT FIRE
IN NEW YORK.
Wall Street and Down Town Sec.
tion Thrown Into Unusual
Excitement
DOUBLE NINE ALARM SENT IN.
Eighteen Tiremen Have Narrow Escape
Fifty Fire Companies on
The Scene.

New York, March 26.-All wall street
and the down. town section Of New York
were thrown into unusual excitement
today by fire which started in the
building at 81 Broadway, occupied by
the Morris European and American Ex-
press company. When the neighbour
hood in which the fire occurred is taken
into consideration 1t is the most spec
tacular daytime blaze that has &C.
Cured for long time In that part OF
the city Thousands Of people poured
from the thickly p, ilated hnanclal
distIct into the narrow canyon OF
Broadway, and massed back for squares
above and below the blaze, The tow
ering skyscrapers that faced the fire
held group OF faces at every window,
The burning buildings reached through
TO a narrow alley on the rear, and as
the wind eddied through 1t swept clouds
Of smoke into Broadway so thick that
that only occasionally could the flames
be seen. The smoke rolled up the street,
he,nmed in by the tall buildings and
great flaming brands fell thlckly In the
crowds. Closely following the FIRST
alarm a -four" was turned In, and then
with the warning of the Baltimore fire
In mind "two.nIne," the dreaded gen.
eral alarm, followed. Engine after en-
CINE. followed by their hose trucks,
water towers and ladder trucks swept
changing down Broadway, the only
street Of access to the Are, bringing In
their wake additional thousands OF peo-
pie TO swell the crowd that already
hacked every inch OF standing room In
the vicinity. Bursting hose and back
roll OF choking smoke now and then
drove them back and aided the police
reserves TO clear the streets
NO 6l BROADWAY,
The building at No. OF Broadway oc-
cupied by the Morris Express company,
is burning. The building Is old and four
alarms were turned In, The flames
spread rapidly
on one side Of the burning building
Is the American Express company, and
on the other is the Adams Express COM
pany. Occupants of the burning build
ing were removed by means OF ladders
Fire Chief Croker says that there were
at least $50 people In the building, but
ne believes all have been removed safe
~. The FIRE caused dense smoke,
which penetratd many OF lhe big build
lngs In the neighborhood, compelling q
cessation OF all work.
The fire has extended 90 80 and IS
broadway, corner OF Exchange alley
and Broadway. The top floors OF No,
81 are the New York Offices OF the
Plnkerton agency and their valuable
records are In danger The tall en-
plre building at II Broadway, one OF
the finest Office buildings In the city is
greatly endangered. The Adams Ex-
press building Is practically doomed
FIREMEN MUCH HAMPERED.
The firemen we're much hampered In
their work by the Immense crowds OF
spectators. Coming during the middle
OF the day when many thousands OF
people were going 10 lunch, the streets
soon became so crowded that the fire
engines had trouble getting through the
mass OF people.
About 100000 In cash In the Office OF
the Wells-Fargo Express company was
dumped into bags by employees and UNI
protected they went through the
crowds In tho streets and deposited the
money safety IN the Kniokerbocker
Trust company
The hremen have held the fire In
check on the uptown side OF the build
Ing No. 6S. the Wells-Fargo and Amer
lean Express companies Office as yet
not being on fire,
Two employees Of the American Ex-
press company were taken from q sec.