Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-31
American Express Company's
Offices Destroyed by Fire.
EXPLOSIONS ADD TO RUIN
Firemen and Company Employees
Sustain Severe Injuries.
FIRE RACES FOR FOUR HOURS
Million Dollars Worth of Goods in
Adams Express Company
Office Endangered.

Special Dispatch to The Star
NEW YORK, December 31.-F'ire prac-
tically destroyed the Office and freight
sheds of the American Express Company
at 800 Madison avenue, between 47th and
4sth streets. early this morning. doing
damage which the police estimate at
100000. During the progress of the fire
a series of explosions occurred. which
helped the spread of the flames and
caused the injury of several firemen and
employees of the express company.
The structure was the Church of Heav-
emily Rest until about fifteen years ago,
when it was converted into a three-story
office building. The Adams Express Com
pany Offices adjoin the building on the
north and were in danger at times.
A passenger on southbound Madison
avenue car about 1920 am. noticed the
blaze in the vestibule of the first floor.
He yelled to policeman, who imme-
diately rang in an alarm. Several dozen
persons were working in the building at
the time, mostly on the rear platforms.
Those inside rushed to the open air by
the back exits
Three Men Sustain Injury.
Engine company 81 was the first on the
ground. Fireman Arthur SLIDER had hold
of the nozzle of the first line Of hose. He
was carrying the hose up to the front
door. when an explosion shook the build
ing. SLIDER was thrown to the street
and his head was badly lacerated. He
was put in a passing taxicab and taken
60 Bellevue Hospital.
inside the building porters employed by
the express company had been using
hand eXtinguishers on the fire. When
the first explosion occurred two of the
men, Albert Schiller and Mcheal Nc
Namara, were badly burned
Just after the first explosion the fire.
men managed to break in the front doors.
which had been locked. Mcnamara and
Schiller ran out. AS they reached the
door second explosion followed the first.
The two men were knocked over, but
were dragged out of danger by the fire.
men, Albert Schiller and Michael Nc
Hospital.
Several Explosions Occur.
Flames now began shooting from the
doors and windows and the first two
explosions were followed by others The
cause of the successive explosions is not
definitely known. 1t is suggested that
the explosions may have been due to
barrels Of oil stored in transit Besides
the oil there were four carloads of nm
dressed furs intended for Europe and
worth In the neighborhOod OF 10000
all of which were destroyed
Guests in the hotel New Weston. a
tWelve-story hosteliy at 81 East 49th
street, were aroused by the fire in their
vicinity, Perturbation was allayed by
the night clerk. who sent the elevator
boy to all the rooms with instructions
to inform the guests that they were in
no possible danger
big crowd watched the fire, which
Was made spectacular by the explosions
and bursts of flame.
Among the households in the vicinity
whose members were aroused nv police
men and asked to be ready to vacate at
once were those of Mrs. Het.y Green at
44o Madison avenue and Doug.as Robin
son at 422 Madison avenue
Interior of Building a Wreck.
The fire burned for four hours. In the
progress of the flames upward the whole
interior Of the, building was d, stroyed,
and the roof fell in. Toward the end
the water began to freeze in festoons of
icicles. which dropped from the vines
climbing the building. The vines were
an Inheritance from the days when the
edif1ce was church.
The fremen suffered severely from the
cod. Many had frostoitten hands and
ears
agent Dodd of the express company
said this morning that the books of the
company were in the safe. and that he
would have to make an examination of
them before he could state the amount
OF the loss definitely.
The officers at the Adams Express
Company, whose place was menaced,
said that they had 100000 worth of
goods on the premises.