New-York tribune., 1908-03-01
METROPOLIT4N RAILWAY
CAR B-4RNS DESTROYED.
Blaze Starts q Fec Minutes Later
in Paint Factory Fec
Blocks 4scay.


avenues seth and 97th streets. The other was
in paint factory 1O2d street and the East
River. The fire in the barns started first
and four alarms were turned in for il. The last
engines TO arrive had not got settled down to
work before three alarms were turned in from
the other place
The two blazes 50 close together caused much
confusion and kept Chief Croker and his bat
TALON chiefs hurrying back and forth between
them. The CHIEF finally got his apparatus di-
vide6 so that he considered he was fighting both
blazes TO the best advantage. although the one at
I02d street made il necessary TO withdraw some
of the apparatus from the car barns.
BLAZE SPREADS RAPIDLY
There Were about four hundred cars in the
building when the fire started and so quickly
did the flames spread that only about thirty
were got out II is expected that all the rest
VIII be total loss The blaze spread with
markable rapidity and OF the
spectacular that has ever been seen IN the city.
l. started in paint shop the second floor of
;he building on the Goth street side. The pa
1rolman on the beat turned in an alarm.
second and a third call We're turned in almost
immediately. bringing Chief Croker BY the
time he arrived the entire building was in flames.
\ fourth alarm Immediately turned in.
ON the Second avenue side of the building
were the offices used by the receivers of the New
stored in safe valuable papers and documents
belonging 10 the company AS soon as the SUI
perintendent Of the barns heard OF the fire he
sent a messenger TO these offices TO see that the
valuabies and the safe were pulled out in time
and carried away place Of safety
The dozen men who in the building got
in safety. The structure was three stories
high the Second avenue side and dropped
down tc two-story structure about half way IN
HGn-l- ho-u- IE--r a.,I ar,yrpc
IN the basement on the Second avenue side
thirty horses were stabbed When attempt
made 10 get them out they became so fright
ened that the work of rescue was difficult, but
All Of them were finally saved
SEVERAL FTREAIEN INJURED,
on the way the fire Engine 26 just
turning into IOfth street when it narrowly
averted collision with a truck that was COM
ing around the other corner The driver turned
his horses into lanppost. killing the animal
tF1a- vas next the curb. The the engine
were hurled 20 the street and received cuts and
bruises. but no serious injuries. They went on
80 the fire, after one or two had been treated by
z department surgeon.
The fire was regarded as particularly danger
Gus on account Of the tenements occupied by
Italians that surrounded the barns. The dan
ger that some Of them would catch fire became
- great that Chief Croker ordered all the
frightened that they fed the street in their
night clothnE After they We're out the fire
men used the windows points of vantage
from which to direct the streams of water
HEAT DRIVES FIREMEH AWAY.
Tho smoke and heat soon became so intense
that it vas impossible to fight from the side
q the street the building was on. Finally the
1i-ernen had 70 work in relays. company going
in with = hose and working for a few minutes
and then coming oct 10 he relieved by another
oompsny-
oREN ROOT. JR.. OK SCENE.
A. soon as ne heard that the building was
burning. Oren Root. jr- general manager of the
Noyr York city Street Railway Company. hur-
ri.d 10 the place TO look after the interests OF
his company and direct the work of resculng
those cars that could be taken out. Frank He'd
Joy also appeared soon after the blaze started
Fred Morris Was there TO act for the receivers,
and was the first 10 tell about the books
and rapers that were rescued. They "ere taken
t. a cigar store not far away
-r5a walls on the s7th street side collapsed
soon after the fremen arrived. All about the
building the walls became weakened that
Chief Croker would not permit his men TO ap-
rroach them. The trains on the Second avenue
elevated were stopped while the fremen fought
tn flames from the structure- The third and
brought the hrebost1s Zopllar Mills and Body
IL the pier al g6th street. As soon as the aiaesl
for the other fire was sounded the Zophar Mills
hurried away and found plenty Of work when 1t
arrived 1t The paint factory
MEN WE'RE AT LUNCH.
Three hundred men are employed in the build
ing in the night time. and most Of them were Al
lunch when the alarm MAS sounded. They hur-
r-zd hack 70 the work Of getting out the cars
Ind .s.o horses OF the ears that were burned
,o. hundred and ffrv were in the repair shop.
k-os, or those which nare destroyed We're the
,,,,es tta, were used on the S'ith street cross
re,,s-, line and the Fourth. Second and Madison
avenue lines That 50 many cars were IN the
repsir shop Was accounted for by the fact "i the
recent orders issued by the Public Service com
mission recurring the New York city RailWay
Companv to put its vehicles in better condluol-
Commissioner Bonner was on hand ana
watched the work Of the fremen with interest
although he took no active part. Deputy COM
missioner T.rgher was also at the scene. Al
Ire TWO fires there were twenty-one engines SIX
hook and ladder companies, one searchlieht' one
water tower and two fireboats.
Chief Croker remained at one fire long enough
- see that things were going well and then ne
hurried way TO the other. BY o'clock il was
seen that the complete destruction OF the inte-
rior o. the car barns could not be averted
PAINT FACTORY DESTROYED
Fire completely destroyed the five-sioIy brick
building Al 10 43S-zzJ East 1929 street early
4hiz morning. The burned building Is in the
heart sf the Harlem Market section Ihe
friding occupied by George W. Grote, manu-