Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-02
BIG FIRE IN GOTHAM
Many Families Rendered Home
less and a Dozen Injured.
FIFTY HORSES BURNED
Property Loss Will Exceed 100000
From the Flames.
WATER PRESSURE VERY LOW
Firemen Were Greatly Handicapped
by the Low Water Pressure-Sev-
eral Narrow Escapes.
WATER PRESSURE VERY Low

L
forty families were made homeless,
1000 persons were driven tempo
rarily from their homes, fifty horses
were roasted to death and property
valued at 100000 was destroyed
today in the worst fire New York
has seen in many month"
Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, January 2.-With the new
year just one day old the firemen were
Obliged to cope with disastrous blaze on
West sd street early this morning. 1t oc-
CURED in a section of the city where tene-
ments shoulder each other closely, and had
there been anything Of a wind there is no
telling where 1t would have stopped. Old
fire fighters said after their work was done
that never in all their experience had they
known of a fire where there was so little
water pressure. For twenty minutes many
of the engines got not a drop of water.
Those that did draw something were unable
for a long time to raise stream which
would do credit to a garden hose. and the
lines instead of being rigid, as they are
when the hydrants feed them well, were
limp.
One building was totally destroyed and six
other buildings, tall tenements with one
exception, more or less damaged. Scores
of horses persisted, scores of others ran
wild in the street to the imminent peril Of
onlookers, 300 families were placed in i'm
mediate danger. great many more were
routed out into the streets In their night
clothing several rescues were made and
several fremen had narrow escapes. Thieves
also got busy while the police had their at
tention occupied by the fire, and there came
very near being a race riot after white
woman was held up by a negro. negro
caught running away from the scene was
detained on suspicion.
Water Tower Wrecked.
A water tower was wrecked by falling
wall. The crew just missed being buried
under it by sprinting at top speed when
they saw 1t coming.
While the water pressure was slack the
fires were drawn from many of the engines
for fear they would blow up.
At 429 and 431 West SD street is four
story building which was occupied as the
Ormonde boarding stables. In it were
housed at least $50 horses. many of which
were rescued by the police and citizens at
risk of their own lives. How many Of these
horses persisted no one can tell accurately
at the present time, but the number was
over fifty. In the stable were also many
wagons and other vehicles, which fell ready
fuel to the flames. Eight years ago a de-
structive fire in the same place was re-
sponsible for the loss of fifty horses, and
three years ago there was another fire
there in which several more were lost.
1t was shortly after midnight that milk
man named Baker went into the stable to
get out his wagon. He noticed an odor of
smoke and traced it to the third floor
where quantity of grain, hay and bedding
was stored. The horses were quartered on
the upper floors, a runway leading down
to the first floor. There was also large
elevator to take them up and down.
The milkman found that the fire on the
third floor was beyond his control, so he
ran for the police. He met Policeman Bal
dauf. who turned in an alarm from 51st
street and 9th avenue.
When the first apparatus arrived, in
charge of Battalion Chief Deyanney, the
fire had such Roadway that a second alarm
was turned in. Deputy Chief Langford ar
rived ON that. Scarcely had the hose been
attached to the MIGRANTS when 1t was seen