New-York tribune., 1908-02-15
FIRE ROUTS JUDGES.
STIRS UP BROOKLYN.
CogRtu Court House BIaSe Ties Up
Traffic an Street.

Damage estimated by city engineers at $4,000
-ras done yesterday afternoon by a fire that
,,roSe out in the loft above the Supreme Court
s-,<-jcess chambers in the County Court house.
,7roaklvn From 4:15 $40 engines remained
- The scene and all through the rush hours
,-se7c was badly demoralized. The courthouse
s-a2ds facing Fulton street, the main line of
.-se5c. and its rear is in Livingston street.
z-fieb is the relief channel through which many
n The cars that used to along Fulton street
,o-r operate. Livingston street was COM
-7arelv blocked from 4:15 to 5:45.
The fire was discovered by Justice Maddox.
=. +1,a supreme Court. and his attendant Henry
~ Rurris Justice Maddox busy his
desk when he heard a cracking noise in the
.srret overhead. He called Burtis's attention
= II The latter discovered ring OF fire about
-,e TOP Of the chandelier He out into the
hsn and told s. J Tormey, Justice Carr's at
-en5art. Torney teiephoned to Fire Head
r.srrers. while Burtis ran upstairs to
those on the third floor These included the
es-7iIv Of James Doner. the janitor. who lives
n the front of the building.
The garret where the fire started is on the
.r5-g door Of the structure, in the addition
livingston street, which put up in 1897 at
. o,s4 Of SI200Go. Between il and the main
tr75irg there is a thick brick wall, which is
-, through only al the corridors. On the third
floor. besides the garret. there was a jury room
,rrare a Jury. sent out by Judge Fawcett, of
-be County Court, had been sitting from 1 to
. o'clock considering case Of arson. It found
~ -,-isoners guilty Of attempted arson in the
first degree
7,a,,rrz Fire Commissioner Wise came from
T-fre Headquarters with the engines at the first
alarm and Immediately q third was turned in
Ten minutes after the blaze started fire was
r-,rsrirg through the roof of the building and
- windows Of the garret- The fremen turned
9 stream Of water on the Hall OF Records II
was feared for time that the Municipal Build
47r and the Polytechnic institute buildings, on
,,,e other side Of the courthouse might be
burned. but the fremen kept the flames con-
fined.
Meanwhile al was excitement inside the
courthouse The courts. with one exception. had
inst adjourned, but the judges and the court
osrials clerks and women stenographers, to-
eerher with lawyers and others. were still IN
-+A building. Many persons were drawn into
1be Mace also, by the arrival OF the first en-
r1nes. and the fremen had trouble getting
around Fire Chief LaIly and Deputy FIRE
Chief Duffy directed the efforts Of the men, VINO
carried their lines right up 10 the blaze on the
1bird floor. Superintendent Lawrence got his
men TO work as soon as possible taking down
-be rFct1res in the chambers and in Part OF
--.e
OF the second floor of the building The court
attendants grabbed up all the papers that they
could ind and conveyed them TO safety. and
ne salvage corps arrived in time to cover the
4YdEes' desks Law books and reports valued
a $4,000 had to be left behind, however
Good work vas done by Patrolmen Ellis and
O'Brien detailed TO court work from the 1o-d
-,-ecfnct. They busted themselves saving the
fourteen oil portraits OF former justices OF the
suprene Court. They had no ladders, but man
aged 70 pull down eight before the ceiling above
rhe5r heads began TO melt and the hreTnen drove
1be-, o1.t. As It was, most Of the pictures were
removed Jlrinjured-
The lay hero Of the fire was a tramp-one OF
the persons who had rushed into the building
when the engines arrived He assisted the sal
vsge corps and the court attendants and even
helped the frenen with their hose, until he was
muddy from head 10 foot and drenched to the
ekin-
Justice Kelly was nearly drowned out in the
room Of the Special Term for motions, On the
ground floor, where he was holding court, when
the water started 10 come down He beat
hasty retreat. His room and the room Of the
Special Term for trials, across the hall on the
ground foor, were soon ponds
Few records were burned or injured Some
Old papers were in the garnet. but they are con-
sidered 70 BE worthless No one was injured
seriously al the blaze. James Prendergast
fireman, living at No. 40 Pulaski street. was
cut about the hands by glass, but after he hao
beer patched Up by Dr. McCrea, Of the Long
Island College Hospital. he went homer Bof-
ough President Coler and number Of the bor-
oush officials from the Borough Hall, diagonaly
scross the end of Joralemon street from the
county courthouse, went through the building
after the fire with Superintendent Lawrence.
"It vas bad fire." eaid Mr. Coer, but L
hope 70 get something good out Of il for Brook
lyn. We think that il was caused by defective
Insulation o4 electric wires The damage
done is estimated by my engineers at S'ooVo-
Tomorrow I intend TO call the judges together
and propose TO them that while we are repair
tng the extension we renovate the whole struct-
ure and add story or two. so as TO give the
courts proper room. The building is fifty years
Old and badly in need Of repair 1t IS TOO sInaIl
for the requirements and a bill is now before
tie Legislature 10 have the entire structure re-
served for the Supreme Court