The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-18
R. K. FOX BUILDING IN RUINS.
"POLICE GAZETTE BURNED OUT
AND IT'S CLOCK GONE.

Firemen In Danger SAVED by q Biankct OF
ater-Commissioner Lantry Com
mends Them Personally for Their
Bravery Hard Blaze to Conquer.
Brooklynites who have depended on the
clock on the Richard K. Fox Police Gazette
Building, Dover and Pearl streets, to tell
them how late they would be in arriving
at work or how long a bridge block had
lasted will nave to fall back on their own
timepieces now. The big clock went
down early yesterday morning in a blaze
which gave the frsmen a hard fight and did
slOO. 900 damage.
The fire was discovered by a reporter
on his way home. The flames then were
bursting from the windows on the seventh
floor. Deputy Chief Guerin arrived on the
first alarm and quickly turned in two
more. Early morning stra gglers toward
Brooklyn paused on the bridge promenade
to watch the spectacle. The stone pier
and cables were lighted up brightly and the
flames cast their reflection far out on the
river. where tuRboats and other night
! craft hove to to take in the sight.
Eight or ten men. with Deputy Caief
Guerin in the lead. struggled up the fire
escapes on the front of the building with
a line oil nose. lucy WCIC JOSb dOOhb AN0bJ
to begin effective work when a back draft
caught them. Fireman Charles Hoffman,
Jr., a probation man, Edward Keiser, Ed
ward J. Geary, John Canfer. all Of Engine IL.
and one or two other tiremen were knocked
down on the fire escape platform and
burned about the hands and face. One
of the engines played a stream on the build
ing above the imperilled firemen until they
were able TO escape under the BLANKET OF
water. They were attended by a physician
and sent home.
The crew Of Engine IS mounted the ele-
waited structure and trained their streams
on the Pearl street side Of the building.
At the same time a water W was pour
ing a flood into the seventh floor windows
from the Dover street side. Other fremeu
fought the blaze from the roofs OF the tene-
ments.
The clock toppled over after the flames
had eaten their way sround it. 1t fell to
the street, narrowly missing Deputy Chief
Binns and enc or two other fremen who
were entering the building. When the
clock went down the tongues Of fame
leaped high in the air and lighted up the
entire waterfront near the bridge. The
fremen lad more than an hours fight
before the fire was out.
A serious loss was the destruction of
sporting records and pioslrss deposited
on the fourth floor. The concerns whlcl
suffered from the hre wers tle Greater
New York Coil Company. which occupied
the eighth floor, Him;nalian Bros, the
Union Photo Engraving Company, the
McLear Engineering Company and the
Richard n. Fox Publishing Company.
The Fox Building stands where the Frank
lin cottage, nee the home of the Philadel
phia philosopher and printer stood.
Later in the day Keiser, Canfer, Geary
and Holman. the injured firemen, went
to the Fire Headquarters Building on East
Sizty-seventh street to have the department
surgeon examine and redress their injuries
Fir Commissioner Lantry was in his Office
and sen. for them. He said
Il have sent for you to give you the COM
mendation of your Commissioner and u
tell you that | am proud of you. You have
in you the right stun for the fire fighters
OF our big city-men who do not shirl
work when confronted by danger ano
possible loss of life. | want you mer
to understand that fidelity to duty is APP
preciatcd. Go home and take good car
of yourselves until you are ready 10 return
to your duty at quarters