Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-03-27
.'Firemen Perish in Blazing
New York Factory
Building Shattered BY E1pIos-
: lens s---Scofs or More Injured.


~
New York, March 426.-Four firemen
ia.were killed and about a score of fife
iNmen and citizens were injured today
ts-:.iii" fire, accompanied by series of
f9E{explosions, that destroyed q six-story
r.. factory building at Bedford and Down.
EsSing streets in, the Greenwich village
district on the lower west side of the
- city.
g. That the damage which is estimated
at from 100000 to 100000 was not far
xSggreater, was declared by Chief Croker
to be due to the explosions which
shattered the building and crushed the
blaze beneath tons of debris at the
moment when the flames were COM
pletey beyond control and threatening
to sweep the entire block One fire.
man was taken out of the building
alive but died almost Immediately. The
bodies of his three comrades were re-
covered after the fire was over, crush
led under the wreckage of floors and
walls that followed the explosions.
a.sr4c- The dead are:
aaA Captain John Walsh and Firemen
George c. Cristman, Thomas L. Halpin
;.nd J. Healy. all of engine company H..
Fireman Jacob Cohen and Lewis +.
Call, also Of engine IA, were burned
and bruised and removed to the hos
sss"' pital. The other persons injured were
seA for the most part employees III the fac
tory, dwellers in the adjacent tene-
inents and persons passing in the street
who were struck by falling bricks or
fragments of glass. None Of these
-. were seriously hurt.
a. Three hundred men and women were
in the factory during the lunch hour
when 4 slight explosion occurred on
one Of the upper floors and almost in
.stantly the whole structure was en-
tASH +velOped in flames. Some had time to
reach the street by the stairs but the
greater number were compelled to take
refuge on the fire escape where they
;>'"S remained hudded together and implor-
ing assistance until the fire engines ar
rived.
'.@'-@N Before the fire ladder could be put
UP. policemen, fremen and volunteers
formed human pyramid against the
ST"@front wall Of the factory and in this
-s% way handed down to safety upwards of
- go girls who were clinging to the fire
e.. escape in the second floor. Others
Jumped into the life saving nets or on
piles of bedding hastily gathered and
u Z heaped on the sidewalks.
Within 10 minutes all of the occu-
pants of the building had been taken
,i,z out in safety and unhurt save for
minor injuries. Four alarms were rung
A.. iii rapid succession and several police
men were rushed TO the scene to con-
troll the panic stricken crowds that
thronged all the streets in the vicinity
OF the factory. All the adjoining tene-
.>, ments were ordered vacated and this
had been barely accomplished when a
tOppling wall crushed in the upper por
tion of row of seven tenements in
Carmile street. A moment later the
flames shot across the street, setting
fire to row of buildings.
a = %I,o
building, which occurred within a few
minutes after the outbreak. when
terrific explosion occurred. followed in
rapid succession by three or four more.
the last of such violence as to shake
buildings for blocks around With the
last 'dGtOnation what remained of the
walls fell inward and smothered the
flames. which moment before were
shooting 200 feet into the air. Within
40 minutes after the blaze showed it
self, all that remained of the huge
building was a glowing heap of shat
tered floors, walls and beams beneath
which were buried the bodies Of the
four firemen.
Just after the second explosion cap
II tain Walsh and the men of his COM
-; pany made a gallant effort to force
a'r" their way close to the rear of the build
ing In order to get line the hot
t9.etest part OF the fire and while so en-
4' gagged the north wall crashed down on
% , them. Healy, who was not completely
- buried. was dragged out in a dying
.- condition.
al.s OF the whole company every man was
either killed wounded. That Walsh
49, and his two comrades had pcrished
.H,i.was not known until the roll was call
.,a Ell after the fire when they were found
eln to be missing and search was made.
IL Captain Walsh was born in this city
In 1864 and had three times received
honorable mention for gallantry in the
line of duty. He commanded the COM
o.. pany sent from this city to the Balti-
., =, more fire.
! a..i Walsh had charge of engine five
which was stationed at the Light
street wharf where he and his men did
splendid service and received credit
~ sf"r holding the flames in check at ono
e. OF the most critical points of the con
Migration. A widow and four children
-. survive. ..
.T The factory was occupied by the
Empire Art Metal Co. the Standard
Thread Co. and the Metal Stamp Co.
which owned the building.
Chief Croker. who took charge of tn,
fre said that the fire and attendan
80 explosions occurred among a lot of ben
sine and celluloid. but upon what foo
he was unable to determine
!.leA
RESCUED WITH DIFFICULTY.
- Nine Women. Taken from pslv stocl
4 --tt. ouAI1-0nA h,,,x L..