The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-11
FOUR FIREMEh
SENT TO DEATH
Spectacular Fire in New York
Marked by Heartrending
Scenes.
LOSS REACHES S5,OOO,0OO
PUBLISHING HOUSES THE CHIEF
LOSERS.

New York, Jan. 10.-Four firemen
went to their deaths tonight when they
responded to fire that ruined the Par
ker building. a twelve-story business
structure occupying the block between
East Eighteenth and Nineteenth streets
on Fourth avenue. Fought by half the
firemen of Manhattan and apparatus
that blocked the streets, 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 crum-
bling walls no less than thirty fremen
were caught and either killed outright
or seriously injured.
When the fire had burned itself out
and the firemens roll was called, three
men of Engine company No. Y and one
from Fire Patrol No. failed 10 re-
spond-
The Dead.
Thomas Phillips.
Thomas O'Conner.
John Lynch.
John Fallon.
Tim Hutchinson of Patrol No. was
removed dying to the hospital.
Captains Weldon and Darvan of En-
CINE company Nos. "a and ~ were in
jured internally.
The monetary loss was estimated to-
night at S5OOO,OOO.
Spectacular Fire.
The fire was one of the most spec
tacular as we'll as disastrous in re-
cent years. From start TO finish, its
course was marked by heartrending
scenes, sensational escapes and flashes
of heroism.
The building was occupied chiefly by
publishing houses, though a score of
other businesses had workrooms or
offices there.
The loss to the tenants is total. The
fire started on the fifth floor in the
offices of Roper and Jackson, publish
erS, and before a stream of water had
fallen upon it, the flames had shot up
through the elevator shafts and pres
emily all of the upper floors were ablaze.
Escape Cut Off.
On the fifth floor where the watch
man discovered the fire five girls en-
ployed by the Dittmar Wooden COM
pany were at work. As the flames
rose above them the girls hurried down
stairs to the street. On the top floor
in the Suffolk Engraving company's es-
Establishment six men were working.
Their escape was cut off and they fed
to the roof. Flames had surrounded
them On three sides and they were in
imminent danger of death when res
cued by means of a life line shot from
a mortar gun and manned by a hook
and ladder company on the roof of the
Florence hotel adjoining on Eighteenth
street. The hotel is seven stories in
height and from Its roof a rope was
fired across the top of the burning
building. There it was seen by the i'm
periled men and the free end made fast
about a chimney. Down this rope hand
over hand dropped the six men to
safety.
Meantime the Florence hotel had
been emptied of its 200 guests, and
nearby houses were also vacated.
Firemen Caught in Trap.
Seven firemen of engine company No.
", which first arrived, ran uD to the
fifth floor of the burning building after
hfty-fve-foOt extension ladders had
been raised TO the windows of that
story to make possible the fremen's
retreat. After a frultless effort to stay
the flames at the place of origin, The
hremen were driven to the windows.
only 10 find that the tops of the lad !
ders had been burned, cutting off their
only retreat. Three of the seven made !
a desperate effort to reach the roof. |
They were not seen again, and are SUD-
posed to be dead in the ruins. The
other four were rescued by men of
hook and ladder company No. Z, who |
at the Iisk of their own lives, ran uI
scaling LADDERS and dragged the more |
or less burned men from the windows. /
These men mad barely reached the /
ground when the great masses of ce-
ment which formed Il pillar of the steel /
fra network gave way and crashed |
to the ground, carrying with it every |
thing below the seventh focr.
Went Down to Death.
John Fallon, Tim Hutchinson and Ser
geant Kelley went down in the wreck !
age. Fallon was not seen again. Hutch !
isOn and Kelley. fighting desperately /
against the plaster and cement which /
threatened to. bury them alive. man |
aged to reach the street. though fright |
fully injured. Hutchinson was able |
only to say that his partner, FaIlon. /
was In the debris, when he COLLAPSED |
and was removed in a dying condition. |
More than a score of firemen were /
within the wall or near enough /
to be struck, when they collapsed.
Battalion Chief Shea was rendered |
Continued on Page 2.