New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-09
PAULIST CHURCH BLAZE.
FIGHT 1T ON THE ROOF.
Firemen LO7Cered 100 Feet from
To1rer-Danger Great.

zTischievous boys. after pigeons or their eggs
among the tirnbers between the nave and the
slate roof Of the Paulist Fathers Church. at
sixtieth-st. and Columbus-ave., started. It is
believed. a fire there yesterday afternoon. To
fight it firemen had to be lowered by ropes
from the north tower 100 feet high. to ladders
on the slate roof They chung to the ladders
while they smashed the slate with axes, though
in danger every instant of falling to the street.
People who gathered prayed for them they
worked. The fremen say about $500 real dam
age was DONE but the priests. who have just
spent $4,000 for fresco work, fear this has been
irreparably damaged.
It being Lent some forty or fifty women
were saying prayers in the church. when one
saw smoke apparently coming from the roof
Hasty exits were made. and an alarm sent in.
In three minutes Engine No. % and Truck No.
were there. The firemen rushed into the
church with six hundred feet Of hose
Father John J. Hughes was leaving the rec
tory for a sick call from q parishioner, when
the fire started He went into the church,
opened the tabernacle and took the Host to
the rectory. in Fffty-ninth-st. Smoke was then
filing the church.
Deputy Chief Binns asked for volunteers to
be let down by ropes to the roof. All his men
volunteered. -Four men were let down, two
from the truck and two from the engine COM
pany. Then ladders were let down Cor them 10
work on The apex OF the slanting roofs OF the
church is between the towers. and gutter or
cornice runs along the edge Of the edihce. Inc
nrenen nut the ladders the roof and then
Law on them. or stood. when they could, and
hacked away at the slate roof. a dangerous job.
They had to shift the ladders now and then to
chop more slate away. For an hour the four
mon kent this up Slate and timbers were sent
crashing 10 the street Fireman Nichols. espe-
ciall,. nearly fell of his ladder at times after
his heftv blows fall would probably have
caused death.
The news that the well known church was
aare drew hundreds Of paTishioners and others TO
the scene They crowded the elevated road sta
ton AT FTfty-ninth-st in front Of the church
so much that the reserves Of the FoTty-seventh
and Sixtv-eighth-st stations had 70 he turned
out. BOYS Of the priests school rushed into
the church to help fight the fire. Rubber olan-
l,ets had been put over the pews 20 save them
from water and the boys with buckets, baied
the water out Some used fremen's helmets
Ono OF the features OF the curious blaze was
the death OF probably twoscore OF the hocks
Of rlreons which make their nests in the tim
bers Of the church. They number IN the hun
dreds and have many nests between the nave
OF the church and the roof. They few around
and around the church and the h-or1en's heads
a. II challenging them. Many % the birds few
to Roosevelt Hospital opposite and settled IN
scores Of inches, Cornices. hooks ana corners.
There was 10 Excitement among the RoOseNeLt
Hoep!tal patients. Every head OF every ward.
however was Informed and went about among
his charges reassuring them.