The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-23
FOUGHT FRB MINI FLOORS UP
500 GIRLS GOT AWAY EASILY
FROM MILLINERY BLAZE.

hey Hurt IN Stampede on BtnirWAy-EleVa-
tor Han IN Empire state Building
TIL Upper Floors were Empty-FIFe-
men Hampered by Low water Pressure.
How the New York Fire Department
Aghts ere nine stories in the air was demon
strated before q large AMI appreciRtive
assembly at a ere In the Empire State Build
ing, GO Broadway, yesterday afternoon.
The building Is at the southeast corner Of
Broadway and Bleecker street. on the very
spot whore . famous fro occurred on cleo
ton day night. 1895.
The Empire State Building has taken the
place Of the row Of buildings that was
destroyed at that hre. II iS nine stories
high and runs from Broadway 70 Marion
street on Blocker. II Is filed with mil
lnery firms mostly. Up on the seventh
floor, IN a loft occupied by the Crescent
Trimmed Hat Company, Florence Jacob
son went TO get hat from the pile In the
Broadway aide and discovered that II was
all abaze. She screamed, and Max Wiedor,
another employee, tried to put out tho fire.
The building Is fitted with standplPes TO
which small hose are attached. Two lines
Of hose vera tried but according TO Wieder,
there was no wnter. Wieder and Manager
Rosenbaum then poured two pals Of water
on the flames, but by that time the fire had
got beyond them and q lot Of hat boxes
had caught fire.
Over 800 girls we're at work on the three
upper floors Of the building. Rosenbaum'
seeing the thing was serious, shouted TO
the girls to get out, There were two ele-
vators running, and the girls made for those
and for the two stairways at the front and
rear Of the building. In the rush down
the stairways that ensued Joseph /. Rob
bins, q boy employed by the Newell-Put-
nam Manufacturing Company on the 9th
floor. studied his toe and fell, The crowd
trampled on him and he was dragged out
half conscious and taken 10 81. Vincent's
Hospital, The doctors thought he had
sustained severe internal injuries.
The two elevators carried down $50 OF
the girls. They didn't stop running until
the electric wires were burned, cutting of
the power. By that time everybody on
the upper floors was out.
People outside saw the flames burst out
Of the windows and q policeman turned in
an alarm. Two 10 foot water towers wero
stationed In Blocker street. Five engines
were hitohed to each. The water pressure
was sufficient 70 throw q pretty good stream
from one into the ninth floor. The stream
from the other tower was rather feeble.
Acting Chief Btnns, who wss in charge,
said sfteTward that there was only 90
pounds pressure. where there should have |
bean $50 pounds. Five more engines were |
hitched 10 each Btandpipe Of the building !
on the front and rear, and thus more water |
was got up into the air. Across the street |
from the burning building on Blocker |
street Is the Condict Building, fourteen |
stories high. The hremen climbed TO the |
roof. threw rope down and hauled up hose |
line. Five engines were hitched 70 this |
also. More engines were hitched 70 the |
buildings standpipe, 90 that two streams
were poured from the roof and from the /
eleventh story into the blaze across the
street.
All the buildings surrounding the fire
are high, and the crowds In the street had
the spectacle Of the hrenen, looking like
midgets, fighting a fire In the clouds.
The fire Quilted the three top floors Of
she Empire State Building. showers Of
broken glass poured down upon the side
walks and kept the crowds within the fire
lines at a distance. II took over an hour
- put the fire out II did not spread below
he sixth story Chief Binns estimated
he loss at $50 900. Had the water pressure
0een better, be said, it might have been less
Insurance men who saw the fire said tlat
40 fire in several years had demonstrated
70 clearly the need Of the auxiliary salt
water main system 70 which the city is
low pledged.
The heaviest losers were J. Levin d Co.,
Ikirt manufacturers, who occupied the |
greater part Of the top floor, and the Crescent
Trimmed Hat Company, which had the
hree floors below. The food Of water
uined nearly every office in the building.
Joe johnson, Great Oak Of tho Aoorns !
nd proprietor Of the Subway Tavern was
bought 10 have been lost as be has an
Hice on the fifth floor and was known 10 |
IRve been there Dlst before the FIRE. The
,olice werc set looking for him. The Great
)ak was found 6ouTfshinE at the Hotel
Istor, safe.