The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-06
Threatens Two Large
 Office Buildings.
NO GREAT FINANCIAL LOSS
Lower Broadway Thrown Into
 Great Turmoil.
Blaae Started in Fulton Street Paint ShoD-Western Union Telegraph Building and Evening Mail
 once Endangered.

New York. August 5.-A spectacular ire which did not do great financial damage. but which for & time threat buildings in which thousands of per sons are employed. threw lower Broad way into great turmoil and excitement this afternoon. The fire started in a paint shop in Fulton street and. owing to the inflammable nature of the ma terials in the building. soon spread through the five floors of the struc- ture. There was an explosion and then great sheets of flames leaped out and threatened the big buildings of the Western Union Telegraph Company and The Evening Mall. Thousands of persons. many of them women. are employed in the upper portions of the Western Union building and as soon as 1t appeared that they were in dan- ger they were directed to leave the building. This they did in good or der, despite the excitement. Several of the young women fainted, but they were carried out by their comrades.
 Fire Chief Croker responded on the first alarm and Deputy Police Commis- sioner Hanson rushed to the scene and took personal charge of the police. He ordered 8 large force of the mounted men into the district and Q cordon was drawn around the threatened area to keep back the enormous crowd, which stretched away for blocks in every di- rection. Dozens of fire engines were at once put to work and the auxiliary fire fighting apparatus in the threat ened buildings was placed in commis- sion. In spite of the efficient work done by the fire department the flames shooting out from the paint shop mem aced tho Western Union building for fully half an hour before Chief Croker was satisfied that he had the situation in hand.
 The great crowds around the threat ened district became much excited as they saw hatIess women and hurrying men leave the nearby structures. All traffic on Broadway and in the neigh boring Side streets was completely in- terrupted and business generally in the down town part of the city came to | stapdstill
 The gold and stock ticker service was interrupted by tho exodus from the Western Union ofilce and this fur! ther impeded business in the Wall Street district.
 The offices of the Associated Press are situated in the Western Union building. but the Associated Press ser vice was not interrupted.
 The presses of The Evening Mall
  of commission temporarily.
 A ten foot court separated the build ing from which the fire originated from the annex of the Western Union building. As the fire burst through the rear of the paint store 1t swept up this court. which acted as natural flue and licked in the windows facing on 1t. The Western Union fire hose was coupled up and the employees of the building assisted the firemen in getting streams into threatened rooms. These are soaked with water and 1t Is probable that g-d many records have been destroyed. A third ala8m brought dozens of fire engines to the scene and for two blocks around the fire there is an engine coupled to every hydrant. Traffic on Broadway. Church, Dey and other adjacent thoroughfares was suspended
 Thousands of persons were packed behind the fire lines. the crowd reach ing back through the City Hall Square In a solid sea of humanity and St. Pauls church yard. which faces the burned building was also filled with spectators.
 Ali of the employees of the several large offices and business buildings contiguous to the fire were dismissed and hundreds of hatless girls were con- gregated on the sidewalks. many of them hysterical. The flremen made every effort to keep the flames away from a fireworks establishment which Is separated from the burned paint store by a narrow vacant lot on which a building had just been demolished.
 The fire was brought under control at 225 o'clock.