Evening star., 1909-02-15
FIRE CHIEF IS KILLED
Graham's Back Broken Under
Falling Walls.
FOUR OTHERS INJURED
Lieut.. Conley Near Death in Attempt
at Rescue.
GASOLINE FIRE IN NEW YORK
Five Buried Under Debgis When
Building Collapses and Another
Wall Tumbles Over on Them.
GASOLINE FIRE IN NEW YORK

| Special Dispatch to The Star.
| NEW YORK February 1a.-Battaliol
Chief Michael F. Graham died this morn
ing at the Eastern District Hospital il
| Williamsburg from injuries he received
at the fire last night In the Pratt OF
| works at North 18th street and the Eas
river. The chiefs wife and daughter
| were with him when he died.
The surgeons at the hospital had said
when he was taken there, that there wa.
no hope for him. His back was broker
and his legs were fractured
Four other firemen were severely in
jured at the blaze under falling wall
One is near death. A lieutenant and an
other fireman nearly lost their lives.
The fire was in the gasoline section OF
the oil works and was still burning this
morning. Six engine companies were on
the ground, though the firemen said the
blaze was under control. Estimates OF
the loss range from 10000 to 100000.
The Injured Firemen.
The injured firemen are:
Charles Hildebrand. sprained ankle Sc
we're cuts, removed from hospital to home.
Frank Moore. internal injuries
WTencHeu DdCR. cuts ana cOntuSlOnS, In q
serious condition.
Michael MaIoney possible fracture of
the skull. broken ribs.
The fire. discovered by watchman
shortly after 10 O'Clock, was then burn
ing briskly in the building where small
tanks of gasoline are packed for ship
ment. The company employs a night
SHIFT AS soon as the alarm was turned
in the men ran to their posts and were
hard at work when the firemen arrived.
Early In the course of the fire several
explosions took place. Thousands of gal
Ions of gasoline were packed on the pier
and in neighbOring StorehouSes. When
the flames reached one of the storehouses
the resulting explosions wouN drive the
flremen back and fill those living near
with apprehension lest the flames would
spread to dwellings and result in gem
eral conf1agration.
Firemen Work in Smoke.
The rain and dense smoke from the
burning oil blinded the firemen and rem
dered it impossible for them to fight the
flames under favorable conditions. The
only light furnished came from the burn
ing buildings. AS the smoke hung close
to the ground the men worked in an eye
smarting gloom. broken from time to
time by flashes of an explosion of gaso-
line.
that Graham and his men took their stand
on the roof of a low building which joined
the two large storehouses of the plant
On either side of these buildings were
large tanks filled with gasoline. 1t was
the duty of the little squad under Gra ham
to drive back the fire should it approach
these tanks
Graham and his men had been at work
on the roof for some time when the build
ing collapsed under them. Graham had
barely time to shout a warning when the
party was lost to sight in the debris.
Lieut.. Conley ran forward. Before he
could be of any assistance the building
collapsed.
Conley was hit by several pieces of fly
ing timber. 1t was feared he had been
severely injured. The hurts proved to be
superficial.
The little building had hardly fallen
when an explosion occurred in the build
ing on the east side. The high brick wall
came tumbling down on the ruins of the
smaller structure.
1t was believed that no person caught
beneath the second wall could possibly
be alive. Nevertheless. the firemen set
to work to dig out their buried compan-
IONS
Many men at work near the building
We're injured by flying bricks and
splinters from timbers, but refused the
aid of surgeons and kept at work. All
the buried tremen were eventually eX-
tai oil