New-York tribune., 1908-01-11
THREE FIREMEN KILLED
Continued from nrsf page.

cep1lOn OF aiiOfl
His comrades. with several doctors from
Bellevue Flower, New York and Roosevelt hos
pitals went to his assistance, but at late hour
he was still in the ruins His side partner.
""rin1" Hutchinson, and Sergeant Kelly sue
ceeded in getting free, and in spite Of their in
juries tried to help In the rescue work, but
were led away.
Battalion Chief Charles Shay. while at work
on the fifth floor started 10 run downstairs
when the stairway gave way and he was thrown
down twenty feet. suffering serious injuries
Several times it thought that the outer
walls of the building would fall, and the police
ordered every back several blocks 80 I'M
minent was the danger thought that the 18TH
street station of the subway was closed, and
trains were run through there at top speed. 1t
was thought that the walls of the building would
cave in, and crashing through the street. wreck
the subway.
When the fremen arrived or the scene IL was
seen that the fire had a good start. and their ef-
forts were concentrated saving the neighbor-
ing buildings.
HOTELS IN PANIC.
Next to the Parker Building is the Florence
Hotel at which there were about two hundred
guests and across the street is the Hotel Belve-
dere The rooms of the Florence were imme-
diately filed with smoke. and the guests. some
their belongings and fed 10 the street
AS explosion succeeded explosion the noise
and the showers of sparks driven by the win
dows of the Florence sent the women shrfekins
into the corridors where they fought to reach
the elevators. The elevator men. not knowing
but that the hotel itself in peril, stuck TO
their posts and kept their cars running-four Of
them-untn the hotel above the ground floor
empty
Knowing the danger to which sthe guests
would be exposed, the fire authorities directed
the police to keep them indoors The men con-
gregated in the cafe, where they were joined
from time to time by thirsty patrolnen. while
the women tearfully sat on their handbags and
grips in the corridors. Already hysterical when
the girders crushed out the lives of the f1remen
and the story reached the hotel, many of the
women tainted and we're carried to hotels out
side of the danger line. In the Belvedere there
was less fright. but almost much disorder,
although the danger less imminent
Among the first of the fremen to arrive on the
scene were the men from Hook and Ladder Com
pany 8, who Immediately started to work on the
eighth floor. Following them came the men from
Hook and Ladder Company Z. who were sent up
in the Florence Hotel to fight the fire from that
place.
FIREMEN USE SCALING LADDERS.
they found that their companions from No. were
in trouble and ran their ladders up to the sixth
floor II was found that this would not reach
them and from that point they used scaling
ladders, finally bringing them safely to the
street
Captain Johnson and Morris O'Brien, of No. 8,
were on the second floor of the building when
portion Of the third floor caved in and crashed
down them. Both men were buried under
the debris and narrowly escaped death re-
suit Captain Johnson the first to dig
himself out, and though suffering from minor
injuries and in exceedingly dangerous situa-
/ ton. at once set to work TO dig O'Bren out and
succeeded.
Despite the fact that he was injured. Battalion
Chief Ross decided that he would like to make
an attempt to get the bodies of the who
had been buried under the debris the sixth
floor. He obtained the permission of the act
ing chief to select a body of picked men for
the task. He led several 1remen under the wall.
which seemed TO be in danger of caving in at
any moment. The only things that the COM
pany succeeded in finding. however. were two
hats. which were later identified by their
ers. A little later, however, body believed
TO be that of Faon taken out of the ruins
and removed to the East 22d street station.
RESCUE BY GUNsHOT.
When the fire started five employees of the
Suffolk Engraving Company were at work
the twelfth floor of the building, and were
able to reach the ground Their cries for help
reached the members of Company .. and they
went to their rescue. From the roof of the
Hotel Florence. which is seven stories high. a
line shot to the imprisoned printers
The first shot reached the imprisoned men
and they hauled up. in breeches buoy manner.
the heavy rope, fastening it to the chimney of
their building. The fremen attached the other
end to the chimney of the hotel. and the men
slid down. hand over hand, TO safety.
By this time the flames had been seen all over
the city, and hundreds flocked to the scene. The
police, under the command of Inspector O'Con-
nor, were soon on the spot. but only hampered
the fremen by their inactivity. The fremen
worked hard, but handicapped by the con-
slant breaking of their hose. At no time during
the fire were the fremen able to reach above
the seventh floor of the building with their hose
burn themselves out.
Fortunately the building was ireproof and
this aided the firenen in their work.
The building is owned by the Brunswick
Balke-Collender Company. which occupied the
first floor. The Florence Hotel is owned by
Magistrate Barlow. who left sick bed to be
on the scene. and with Magistrate Morse and
Coroner Acritelli was drenched by a broken
hose and had obtain dry clothing in the
Belvidere Hotel.
Fire Commmlssioner Lantry, who o,
the first the scene. spared no words in de-
nouncing the hose used by the department when
he said: There is reflection the water
pressure, for we have as much our hose
stand. We cannot reach the thirteenth floor
of the building without breaking the hose and