New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-05
M.S.R. BARN FIRE FATAL
ONE KILLED; SCORE HURT.
Hest Shore Ferry House ana Terae-
ment Houses Threatened.

one man was burned alive and score of men
"A women badly bruised and injured last
-, IN a fire which swept away the big barn
!, .ns Metropolitan Street Railway Company at
,ss s,reet and the North River and threatened
o,r Of tenement houses, the West Shore Rail-
-,o5s ferryhouse and a big oil tank on the OPP
.osite side OF the street.
THE fire was burning long after midnight and
.sore Il was under control the barn was COM
,stely destroyed, three floors of the Terminal
rotel one door east OF the barn, burned, as
,-sl as a part of the carpet factory in 4Sd
street directly in the rear of the barn
The dead is supposed to be an employe
- the Metropolitan company, probably a MEM
her Of the clerical force. He was seen at a WIN
dow on the second floor of the building nearly
.. hour after the fire was discovered. He was
IN flames and. apparently. was about to throw
b,r,self down when the floor on which he was
standing fell with a tremendous crash
Lieutenant Grogsn OF Engine Company 6a
cot ladder 10 the second floor and made an
heroic effort 70 save him. but the fierce flames
compelled the brave fremen TO retreat The un-
known man was buried in the flames, and later
the four walls OF the structure covered him
FIREMAN CUT BY GLASS.
Fireman Mcdonald, Of Engine Company No.
z q
The FIRE started shortly after o'clock in one Of
,hs sorty-nve cars standing in the barn. ana in
Eve minutes the whole interior OF the structure
-rss one sheet OF fiama There were about one
hundred motormen and conductors In and
around the barns. aI OF whom fed for their
lives the moment the fire broke OUT
Fireman Lee Of the F1reboat Mcclellan
rushed up from the riverfront the moment he
saw the blaze and made g. desperate EFFORT to
organize the raotormen and conductors for tenn
rorarv help but they We're either afraid OF didn't
osra hose the company keeps on hand for
s-osresncy purposes tried and found TO be
-o.,.n The force OF water broke It in half a
dozen places.
Fv the tine Engine Company No. 2 reached
the scene the fire was beyond control Within
half an hour after the fire broke out the whole
structure was doomed. The forty-five cars went
IN Ike so much tinder. The tenants Of the
tenement houses in 42d and 43d streets in
the rear OF the structure were driven out of
their homes half an hour after the fire started.
AT 10 o'clock the fremen with difficulty kept
the flames from licking up these shacks. Mrs.
Louise Carpenter. OF No 541 West 42d street,
was carried out Of her home unconscious.
The 6anage was declared by Oren Root, jr,
general manager Of the railway company. 10 be
the building and not the valuable papers and
other material destroyed.
The damage" said Mr.. Root. will be fully
tst60OO AS far as I can learn. there were forty
tv. cars and three sweepers inside. These, of
course we're destroyed. There was part OF the
interior freproof. and We hope 10 the days
receipts and other valuables But believe
many valuable papers have been destroyed also"
The Terminal Hotel caught fire half an hour
after the flames swept over the big barn, and
only by the constant playing of the big hose was
It saved from destruction. Two of the upper
floors were destroyed. The damage will be
about $1,000
CROKER ON SCENE EARLY.
Chief Croker was on the scene early, and, see-
ing there was no chance of saving the barn con-
centrated his efforts 10 saving the West Shore
ferry house and the tenement houses in 42d and
45d streets. There was a crowd of men and
women IN the ferry house, and, after waiting
nearly an hour, all ventured across the street
under escort OF several policemen. They had
no sooner reached the street than the front walls
Of the barn fell with terrific crash. The thou
sands OF spectators standing outside the fire
lines retreated so fast that II was feared many
would be hurt in the crush. The men and women
escorted from the ferry house narrowly escaped
them We're struck with pieces of glass and
bricks. Nobody seriously hurt II is thought.
Shortly after 10 o'clock the f1rA was declared
under control, far further danger 10 sur
rounding property was concerned.
Many Of the guests rushed out OF the hotel in
their nightgOwns Every minute IL was feared
That the huge oil tanks on the opposite side OF
ne street or the ferryhouEe would catch, and the
thousands who rushed to see the blaze We're
Kept back. Chief Croker was directing the fire
lighters for nearly hour before he became
conscious Of the eye OF mis- old enemy, Deputy
Fire Commissioner Bonner. him. Deputy
Bonner and Fire Commissioner OBrien hurried
10 the scene on the fourth alarm. Bonner might
oe SAID 10 have been in control Of the fremen
dter he go: on the scene for Chief Croker
Lrned around OnC= twice and couldn't help
seeing him give orders TO the fremen at another
point.
a great crowd turned out 10 see the blaze.
winch was the most spectacular seen in many
months in that part Of the city, and the hills
on lhe Jersey side Of the Hudson We're lined with
men, women and children. The Sunday night
cohcertgoers turned off Broadway the moment
me names We're seen lighting up the skies. de-
etfuig the sacred concerts and other Sunday
1IH6enents 10 the blaze.
ms Is the fourth barn that has been wiped
@ Oli on this same site. The last fire was sew
stal years ago, when the old Drydock and Bat
~ road had its barn there. The whole struc-
'u'e vas destroyed and seventeen horses burned.
~ ~