New-York tribune., 1907-01-04
PRISONERS In PANIC.
FIRE NEAR HARLEM JAIL
lDepartment Store Burned Close
Share for Lantry and Bugher.

flfty-eisht prisoners in the Harlem prison. at
A2lst street and Third avenue. ten of them
women, We're thrown into panic last night by
fire which totally destroyed the fve-story brick
building of Cowperthwait & Co. across the
street They begged the keepers to take them
out before they were roasted alive and when
burning embers began falling on and around
the prison the women became hystericaI and
their screams could be heard above the of
tie flames.
Eugene kiernan, the keeper. and his men
quieted the prisoners well as they could by
telling them there danger, and promising
10 remove Them to safe place if the necessity
arose The fremen kept the building well
drenched, and 1t never in danger.
The Cowperthwait building occupied about
half the block at No. 1880 to 1884 Third avenue
The fire started in the basement in the north
west corner of the building, from some unknown
cause. and In few minutes the place
roaring furnace. man who was passing saw
the flames and turned in an alarm. Battalion
Chief Stone who responded promptly turned in
second and third alarms. and Acting Chief
Binns. who the third alarm. ordered
fourth and fifth. which brought all the fire fight
Ing apparatus in Manhattan above 59th street
to the scene.
John Duffy. Battalion Chief Stones driver.
nearly lost his life by entering the burning build
ing to telephone for more help. He was struck by
back draft shortly after he entered and fell
to the floor unconscious When he did not re-
turn in a few minutes Fireman Philip Fitzpat-
rick and John Weiss. of Hook and Ladder Com
pany IL. crawled in their hands and knees
IN the face of smoke and flame that filled the
building, and after cropping around for some time
found the PROSTATE body of their comrade near
the telephone. his clothing on fire in several
places. They managed to drag him safety,
A,rrf f7a md nd
were badly scorched. An ambulance from the
Harlem Hospital was called and the surgeon
soon succeeded in bringing him around. He re-
fused to go to the hospital. and after his burns
had been dressed remained on duty.
Adjoining the burning building on the west
was the First Collegiate Reformed Church, a
wooden structure about eighty years old and one
of the landmarks of Harlem. It took fire several
times and was saved only because ffremen kept
q blanket of water over it. The f1remen dragged
several lengths of hose into the cupola of the
church and fought the flames from this vantage
point and also from the Third avenue elevated
tracks. The current off in the third rail,
which tied UP the elevated system The surface
cars also blocked for long time.
The water pressure very low, and the fire.
men could make but little heedway against the
flames II was only by the most desperate 81 =
forts that they prevented several blocks Of build
fnes in the Immediate neighborhood from being
destroyed They soon saw that II was useless
N try 10 save the Cowperthwait building, and
devoted all their attention to saving the sur
rounding property. The fire one of the
most spectacular ever seen in Harlem. and At
tracted an immense crowd of spectators lnspec,
tor Cortright ordered out all the reserves and all
the captains in the district
chief Croker. accompanied by Commissioner
J.aptrv watched the work of the fremen from
the Chiefs automobile Deputy Commissioner
Bugher of the Police Department was also at
the fire. He held up at the fire lines by
Policeman Mongerel. of the East 126th street
station. who did know him. but after discov-
ering his mistake the policeman was pro1use N IN
his apologies. The Deputy Police Commissioner
and Fire Commissioner Lantry went TO the
prison and helped to reassure the inmates Later
fhev were watching the firemen work the
elevated structure when Battalion Chief Stone
shouted to them TO run for their lives IheY had
hardly left their position when the wall fell on
/ the Third avenue side part OF il falling across
/ the elevated tracks.
Chief Rinns said he thought the damage would
he al least half a million dollars. Others were
inclined to place the figure as high as a million