New-York tribune., 1909-11-17
GIRL DEAD In FIRE
MANY BRAVE RESCUES
IN BIG BLAZE.
Policemen Beat Back Men
While Uomen Slide Dozen
Rope from Roof.

one girl lost her life and many others
had narrow escapes from death yester-
Gay afternoon when the Gledhil Wall
Paper Companys six story building, No.
5zl To 545 West 34th street. was de-
stroyed by fire. IL was one of the most
Spectacular -four alarm" fires in long
tirle. and a great crowd gathered i'm the
streets The scene was spectacular as
great clouds Of smoke billowed from the
roof and windows and rose in great
masses into the air. 80 thick was this
smoke made so by the character OF
ihe burning material, such as glue.
paper, chemicals. etc, that the nremen
had great difficulty in working. and two
were smoke drowned for time.
The girl who was burned TO death
was Annie - 'Brien. seventeen years old
of No. 507 West 37th street. Although
begged by her companions 10 escape
with them by the Both street end Of the
building. which extended through the
block. she lost her head and remained
behind Her body was not discovered
until about three hours later.
The FIRE broke out about ) p. m. IN
.he ceiling Of the packing room on the
first floor of the building. and for a few
minutes the employees endeaNored 10 eN-
ringuish il with buckets of water. al
the same time unrolling the fire hose
which. old and knotted from disuse'
rss Wellnigh useless. no water coming
,hroueh II. James Mcdonald, an EN-
r,loye Of the company. then turned in an
alarm AZ the corner Of Tenth avenue and
34th street.
The smoke pouring up the elevator
shaft gave the first intimation to the en-
lloyes Of the fire. and Johnny" Higgins
an Office boy. ran through the room
where the twenty girls were working
yelling
Girls the place is afine,
The girls ran 10 the northern end Of
che building and clambered out on TO the
IRE escapes, whence they were taken 10
the sidewalk by the men Of Truck Il.
Annie Flood. of No 444 West 31th street,
rushed six frightened girls down the
hall and 10 the street. Employees began
80 toss from the windows their street
clothes. and a bundle Of these struck Pa
frolman Adam spies. lie ran into the
n
sed crowd Of people out on the roof
Patrolman John Thorpe. who stood on
the roof 81 the next door tenement
tossed q rope TO Spies who made IL fast
10 q chimney. Down this avenue "f
escape seven men and two girls slid
Spies beating back the men with his club
SO that the women could 60 first. While
tho desperate men were fighting for this
chance Tor their lives Jennie stanton, of
No So West aoth street. jumped 20 the
roof of the tenement and was badly cut
about the shoulders and face. This an
eered Spies who dubbed hack the men,
and Annie Reilly was lowered 10 Patrol
!. man Thorpe.
M spies learned that the ~ Rrien girl was
In the building and attempted 10 descend
through the scuttle. but fell unconscious
beside II. and n was only when Thorpe
climbed the rope hand over hand that
the other policeman was rescued. Even
then he refused 10 GO home. and re-
manned on duty during the fire. Hugh
DoWnev. Of 10. sa3 Tenth avenue. also
did good work in rescuing people from
the building
Because Of the dense smoke. the crash
sng of presses and other machinery
Through the floors az the building and
the danger Of falling walls il was sey-
ersl hours before any search could he
made for the OBrien girls body. When
The fire Was al last We'll under control
Fireman Dissworth, driver for Deputy
Chief Binns went into one Of the second
etory windows on the Both street end of
the structure and crawled along the
smoke-hung room until lie found the
body As he tried 20 drag IL away a
fash OF flame drove him back Later he
returned, and just as he almost reached
the body a seven-ton press broke through
from the third floor 10 the basement
When the body was reached and taken
Uut one arm was encircling the hal
alstrade AT the head Of the stairway. II
was impossible 10 recognize the face. and
as the clothes were missing il was not
absolutely certain that IL was that Of
Annie O'Brien.
James j.. Gledhill. president of the
company. estimates the loss an more
than S5ooeeo. one Of the members n
The firm. William n. Gledhiu. is now =
clerk IN Part =, supreme Court. ana
was at one time vice president Of tb,.
Board of Aldermen