The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1908-01-16
FIREM MEN DIE IN BLAZE
C0NFLAGRATI0N IN NEW YORK
BUILDING CAUSES SIX MIL
LION DOLLAR LOSS.
FLAMES SPREAD RiP,DlY.
Members of Department Cut Oh from
Escape in Upper Stores OF
Parker Building.

went TO tlclE ucdJIlS last HIEHL Nh'i
they responded to fire that ruined the
Parker building, a thirtcen-story business
structure occupying a block between
East Eighteenth and Nineteenth streets,
on Fourth avenue. Fought by half the.
hrcmen Of Manhattan and apparatus
that blocks the streets for blocks, the
flames were never controlled, and only
with difficulty were they confined to the
building in which they originated. FLOOR
after floor gave way and dropped TO the
basement, and beneath these and crumb
lings walls, no less than thirty hremen
were caught and either killed outright or
seriously injured. \ spectacular rescue
of several men was accomplished by
means of a mortar and lifeline. Inc
money loss from the fire Is estimated al
$G,ODUW 900.
-Four Firemen Are Missing.
When the fire had burned itself out
and the hrcnlen's roll was called four
men Of engine company No. . failed 10
Acspond They were:
PHILLIPS. THOMAS.
O'CONNER. THOMAS.
LYNCH, JOHN.
/ FALLON, JOHN.
Tim Hutchinson of patrol No. 3 was
removed dying TO the hospital. capt
/ Wilson and Capt. Garyin Of engine com
pany Nos. - and -, who were injured
internally, were among those seriously
/ hurt.
Sensational Rescues.
With the streaks of dawn this morn
I ing scores of hremen began the task OF
searching in the ruins. Although ac-
| counted hreproof, the great building
! burned almost like finder, the hre in the
| upper stories gaining great Roadway ul-
/ checked, as it was far beyond the reach
of even the fire departments great wa
/ ter towers.
! Sensational rcscues were the features
of the fire Five men who were at work
on the top floor of the building were cut
| off from rescue from below and sought
| the roof, where they stood silhouetted
against the flames which had broken
through the roof. From the top of an
adjoining building, several stories lower
thnn the blazing one, line was shot up
from mortar and with this line the
beleagurcd men drew up a stout rope
winch they fastened TO II chimney, Sid
ing down to the lower roof in safety.
Firemen Are Cut Off
Three fremcn were caught in the sixth
/ story when floor below them dropped
| and were forced upward to the seventh
| and then to the eighth story Of the build
/ ing. From below il seemed that rescue
was impossible until several tircmcn sciz-
/ ing sealing ladders began to swing them
/ selves up the face of the lettering wall
/ Climbing TO window ledge the ladder
/ with its great hook was drawn up and
! swung to n high ledge, the men working
/ hproically until their endangered com
| radcs were reached. Down the smoking
! wall .hc men came slowly, almost pam
| fully, until they were near enough to
/ the ground to drop into their comrades
] 80, ,.., It..I -
escape, for rcscucrs 40 well as rescued
/ that the ladders themselves were burned
/ where they hung when the ircm"n
! dropped from their rungs.
/ But even the rescue of these men was
! not complete, for the four who went up
! into the building failed to return. It IS
! their bodies that s1rrOWlng COmradcS
are searching for among the smoking
ruins In addition TO the missing score
/ or more of tIrcmcn were hurt, Their IN
! Jurics ranging from painful bruises 10
/ hurts which may prove fatal
Losses Are Very Heavy.
| The heaviest individual loss was shat
/ of \. NJ. kuraghrnSiun, dealer in anti
que rugs, who claims that his will be
more than 81 900 UOt as his vast stock
| is totally ruined. IT.. Ditmnr Wooden
company and the branch office of Col
/ licr's Weekly also suffered heavy losses
The destruction Of the building is SO
complete that it is thought that all loss
/ rs will lac total.
Robert Bcycr, printer employed on
the NTH floor of the Barker building
was reported missing today. He was at
work in the building when the fire start.
ed and has not been seen since.
Fourth Avenue Tied Up.
The fire was otncully declared to be
under control soon after I o'clock, but
Deputy Chief Binns warned the police
to keep the crowds ms far away as posi-
BILE from the wrecked building as there
was still danger that it might collapse
as n result of the contraction of the steel
Orders as they cooled. This resulted in
"A complete ti"-up u the Fourth avenue
trolley line and it was not expected TINT
any ears would go over the Eighteenth
street crossing during the day. II was
feared that the building might collapse
and crash into the underground tube.
/ After that hour no trains were run be
tween the Grand Central station at
! Forty second street and Fourth avenue
j and Fourteenth street During the fore
noon it was not At all certain when the
great underground highway would be re
opened to tratiiC.
Fire Got a Good Start.
From information given 10y occupants
Of surrounding buildings it is believed
I that the fire was in progress fully an
hour before il was discovered Supt
Fullerton Of the American photographic
company. directly across the street from
the burned building said today thnt fully
un hour before the alarm was given he
smpllcd smoke and had a thorough
search made on every floor Of his build
ing.
Deputy Chief Binns SAID The fact
that the FIRE gained great Roadway wus
IA. a.