The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-11
Sad Mission Takes Com
rades to Scene Of Nights
Thrilling Work.
DREAD SKYSCRAPGR BLAZE
Many Other High New York
Buildings Called Fireproof as
Was Parker Structure Which
Is Gutted .- Sensational
Rescues Made.

NEW YORK, Jan. 11.--With the first
streaks of dawn this morning scores Of
f1remen began the task of searching in
teenth street and Fourth avenue, for the
bodies of three flren1en who were re-
ported missing after the calling of the
roll of the companies that took part in
lighting the spectacular fire that de-
stroyed the tilirteen-story building last
night, causing a loss variously esti-
mated at amounts reaching $5,000,00o.
The missing firemen's names follow:
Thomas o'connor, Engine Company
No. 70.
Thomas Phillips, Engine Company
No. 73.
John Lynch, Engine Company No. 72.
Robert Boyer, a printer employed on
the fifth floor of the Parker building,
was reported missing today. He was
at work In the building when the fro
started, and has not been seen since.
Although accounted flreproof, tho
great building burned almost like tim
der, the fire in the upper stories gain
ing great headway unchecked, as it was
far beyond the reach Of even the fire
departments great water towers. Sem
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
than the blazing one, a line was shot
up from a mortar, and with this line
the beleaguered men drew up stout
rope which they fastened to a chimney,
sliding down To the lower roof in
safety.
Three firernen 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 blazing building. From
below it seemed that rescue was i'm
possible until several tiremen, seizing
scaling ladders, began to swing them
selves up the face of the tottering wall.
Climbing to a window ledge the ladder,
and swung to higher ledge, the men
working heroically until their endan-
gered comrades were reached. So mar.
row was the escape. for rescuers and
rescued, that ladders were burned
where they hung when the flremen
dropped from their rungs.
But even the rescue of these men
WAS not complete, for three who went
up into the building failed to return.
The other three disappeared in the mass
CT falling concrete and twisted steel
beams. In addition to the missing a
score or more firemen we're hurt, their
injuries ranging from painful bruises to
hurts which may prove fatal.
For months the fire department has
been dreading a fire in a skyscraper,
and, although the Parker Building was
only thirteen stories in height, the fate
of one of the modern buildings of twice
that height is easily imagined from last
nights experience. The water pressure,
even when augmented by the force Of
the largest engines in the department.
was insufficient to raise the water to q
point anywhere near the top of the
building. When the new salt water
high pressure mains are completed. off,
ciaIs say, this fault will be no longer
so prominent.
Orders were isseud today closing the
subway which runs past the burned
building. No trains we're allowed to
run in the block between the Four
teenth street and Twenty-third street
stations. the Eighteenth street station
being opposite the burned building.
Shuttle trains were run north of Twen-
ty-third street and south of Fourteenth
street to the next station provided
with switching facilities.