The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-12
100 AUTOS IN FIERCE FIRE.
LOSS ON DELIVERY AND RUBBER
NECK WAGONS MAY BE $3.50 900.

NECh " AUUNo MAI DE Oo5O,UUU.
Old Stage Stables At 9th Az. and 75th St,
Gutted-Belonge to Estate Of Mayor
Grace-Eleyated Train Panic-Police
Rescue Is HOrses-FiremaH Overcome.
One hundred automobiles; electric de-
livery wagons and trucks owned by de-
partment stores aid Wholesale houses
we're ruined last night in a Gre which par
TALLY destroyed the old four story building
at the southwest corner Of Ninth avenue
and Twenty-seventh street.
John T. Rainier, head OF Rainier Co..
an automobile storage and repair concern,
which occupied the ground floor Of the
building, placed the loss on the automobiles
at $3.50 900 in case It was total. and he esti-
mated the damage to his own plant at
about $4,000.
With the damage to the building and the
loss to the other concerns which occupied
it, the total 1t was estimated early this
morning, will reach about half a million
dollars.
The autos belonged to H. B. Claim d
Co.. Tifany's, Mccreery's, Stern Bros.
Saks Il Co.. O'Nel's, Rothenterg and
other large houses that stored machines
there or sent them to the Rainier Company
for repairs. There were also FIVE or six
sightseeing automobiles Of the smaller
class in the place. They share the same
fate as the others.
The condition OF the building after the
fire was such that Acting Chief Rims Of
the Fire Department. who was in charge,
could not tell whether all the machines
were destroyed or not, but he thought the
loss would be total on account Of the fierce
heat.
There were no private automobiles In
the company's rooms and no gasoline
machines, according to Mr.. Rainier. The
fire started on the ground floor but ite cause
is a mystery.
A policeman discovered it about 10
o'clock last night. A second and third
alarm was sent in and finally fourth.
Acting Chief Binns assumed charge at once
and directed the operations. using one OF
the biggest water towers In the depart
ment and fighting the flames from the
Ninth avenue elevated structure
Before he ordered the trains stopped on
the elevated several ran through the dense
smoke that was pouring out of the building.
In one train the passengers were thrown
into panic. Thinking that the train was
afire they made a stampede for the gates
and when the guards ordered them back
there was the liveliest kind Of fight.
Several cool headed men came to the as.
sistance Of the train guards and after
few eyes had been blackeued and a few
hats crushed the panic was stopped.
When the firemen got to the building they
hea ri the neighing of horses in the cellar
There were eighteen in stalls there owned
by the concerns that occupied the building
ssret. Cofiey with two detectives, Glennon
and o. Donneh. wrapped wet cloths around
their heads and went into the cellar.
They had a hard fght Of Il TO get the
horses out, but they slashed the halter
ropes and led the frightened animals to
the runaway where police and fremen
and the detectives got out Of the cellar
they were in bad shape from tide smoke.
The flames drew tremendous crowd.
which broke the fire lines and interfered
wit h the fremen. The police charged the
crowd and finally got them back behind
he lines. Smoke from the burning build
ing filed Twenty-seventh street and literally
drove jewellers along that street ont oftheir
HOUSES and into the air. 40 ii,
The first firemen into the building found
William Wright. an employee Of the auto.
mobile concern. unconscious on the floor.
Wright was asleep when the fire started
and woke up to find the rooms full OF smoke
and the place red hot. The smoke finally
overcame him and he was nearer dead
than alive when the firemen dragged him
ont
On the roof the fremen found Daniel j.
costigan, another Waterman. who had
been driven there from the second floor
over part of the building. Costigan was
slightly burned about the hands and was
suffering from smoke.
The department hasn't had meaner
ire to whip in months on account OF the
density of the smoke. Andrew O'Neil,
while handling hose on the ground floor
was overcome and dropped. He was
dragged out and sent to the New York
Hospital Other firemen we're forced to
1uit after a few minutes in the building
and give way to reliefs.
The basement and second floor we're
by the Corbett Chair Company.
which suffered heavy loss. The third and
'ourth floors we're used by the Sutro Braid
ng Company. Their loss was compare
lively slight. the fire chief said, the fire
confirming itself to the lower floors for the |
most part.
Fire Chief Binns placed the loss at about
100, 900, but be did not figure on the value
II the automobiles that were destroyed.
The full amount Of the loss cannot be de-
emined until the automobile people in
and check up this morning.
The building was used years ago as a
ia BILE by the old Ninth avenue and Broad
vay stage line. The property belongs to
he estate of the late Mayor William r.