New-York tribune., 1905-07-08
TWENTY FIREMEN HURT.
CLOTHING BURNED OFF.
Gas Explosion Adds to Fire Terror
Restaurant HOsUtQI.

A fire which spread with amazing rapidity
and which caused more than score of casu-
alties started at 7:4O o'clock last night on the
fifth floor of the story Wing Building
which covers the triangle bounded by Hudson
ST. 13th-st. and 9th-ave. The damage was esti-
mated at about 100000.
The following were among those injured:
a5. S y d. f sBa MO p f osys eS and in
Hospital serious
6odg St Tcsnts nosoits a ssTous 81 n'ho' i
JOHNSON. Robert Truck No burns of face and body
LfyNoo - FrS9s Truck No burns Of bands fac. and
body: treated at scene Of TN drS g. O1'-' AOO1' -'
back; ST. vincent's Hospital.
Others who were treated for less serious in
juries in q temporarily improvised hospital in
13th-st. were John Mealey, of Engine No. 1;
John McManus. Of Engine No. II, struck by
hose; Ralph Tanning of Engine No. 8; George
Gunther, of Patrol No. 3; Fred Calusen, of En-
gine No. L; James Adrian. of Engine No 26;
Maurice Spillane, of Engine No. &c; Philip Brun-
ming, of Engine y, overcome by smoke; Will
lam SeaIy, of Engine 10. overcome by smoke;
Richard Mangels. of Trt No. 3, burns and
overcome by smoke; Harry Hose, of Engine No
1, burns and overcome by smoke; John Moore
8: John Dillon, of Engine No. 3; Frank Crane,
of Engine No 26; John Hogan of Engine No
9; Herbert Whitcomb, of Engine No 26; John
Connolly, of Engine No. 8; William Mcmahon,
of Engine No. 8; Joseph Burns, of Engine No.
49,
A faint glimmer of light from the fifth floor
window on the 13th-st. side of the building at.
tracted the attention of Roundsman Quinn. who
turned in the alarm. At the same time the
flames had, through an automatic signal in the
building informed the 1remen, and an engine
and truck were already their way to the
scene. To the fremen first to arrive there was
little to portend the seriousness which the
flames finally attained. Through the main en-
trance In Hudson-st the fremen went up to the
fifth floor With blows from their axes they
forced their way into the burning rooms. At
the same time the thrush of fresh air into the
gas-laden loft caused an explosion which hurled
the men back down the stairways, their cloth
ing on fire and their faces and hands covered
with flames With the greatest difficulty they
managed to get to the street, where other fire
men assisted them to places of safety. In the
mean time the men who had arrived on the first
! alarm call found the entire upper part of the
building in flames.
A THIRD ALARM SENT IN
J third alarm was sent in Immediately, and
fortunately calls for ambulances from st. Vim
cents Hospital were made. On their arrival six
men, the brave fellows first to rush into the
building were lying helpless the sidewalk,
waiting for the services of the surgeons. These
were Lieutenant Moth. Firemen Werner Find
ley. Johnson. Easley and Lennon. of Truck s.
The men were all severely burned. and few of
them even had a remnant of clothing left. They
were quickly carried across the street to the
Hudson Restaurant, at Nos. 22 and "a 9th-ave.
1. ]. Sice and his wife. of this restaurant had
been among the first to see the fire. and they
quickly took up the work of assisting the in
iured AS soon as the ambulances arrived Mr.
Sice asked the surgeons TO bring to his place all
who did not need immediate removal TO the
hospital.
The few patrons in the restaurant were asked
/ to go and almost in an instant the restaurant
became a sort of field or emergency hospital.
! Cloths and dishes were swept from the tables
/ to make cots and operating tables. a large space
! of the flooring cleared. pitchers of iced
water and siphons of seltzer were gathered in
! haste for use and the proprietor and his wife
offered to tear up their cloths and napkins If
need be for bandages-
OF the six men from Truck 5 who were in
tured by the explosion. five were sent to the
hospitaI all of whose ambulances had been
4 called into use while fourth alarm had been
! sent out and brought ambulances from New
| Continued mage.